Show ContentsWrite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Scottish-English border region in ancient Scotland, home to the tribes known as the Boernicians was the locale of the ancestors of the Write surname. Write is a name for a carpenter. The surname Write is a derivative of the Old English word wyrhta, which means a worker or, in specific, a woodworker, carpenter, craftsmen of watermills or windmills. In medieval rolls, the name was often Latinized as Faber. 1

Early Origins of the Write family

The surname Write was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where the Write family held a seat from ancient times.

Some of the earliest records include Rauf le Wrighte, burgess of Stirling, and Thomas le Whright of Blakenhall in Lanarkshire, who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296, on his brief conquest of Scotland. Richard Wricht or Richard dictus Wright was listed in Aberdeen in 1342 and Malcolm Vrycht was a charter witness there in 1362. In the same year, Robert Wryhyt, a carpenter of Berwick, was employed on the roof of the chapel and hall called "la Blakhalle" of the Castle of Berwick. Richard Wryth was perpetual chaplain of St. Clement the Martyr in Dundee in 1427. 2

Early History of the Write family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Write research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1342, 1398, 1462, 1492, 1734, 1795, 1797, 1852 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Write History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Write Spelling Variations

Since medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, and since there were no consistent rules for the translation of rules from Gaelic to English, spelling variations are extremely common in Boernician names of this vintage. Write has been spelled Wright, Right, Write, Wrighte and others.

Early Notables of the Write family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John Wrycht who was concerned in a law dispute in Aberdeen in 1398; Richard Writht who was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1492; William Wrythe with the consent and assent...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Write Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Write family to Ireland

Some of the Write family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Write migration to the United States +

Many of the Boernician-Scottish families who crossed the Atlantic settled along the eastern seaboard in communities that would become the backbone of the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. In the War of Independence, American families that remained loyal to the Crown moved north into Canada and became known as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestral culture of all of these proud Scottish families remains alive in North America in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Write or a variant listed above:

Write Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Write, (b. 1620), aged 15, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 3
  • Ralph Write, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 4

West Indies Write migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5
Write Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Nathaniell Write, aged 32, who landed in Barbados in 1635 aboard the ship "Falcon" 4
  • Mr. Arthur Write, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 6
  • Mr. John Write, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 6


The Write Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Meritez
Motto Translation: Deserve.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  6. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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