Alistair Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available: Irish, Scottish

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This name comes from the given name Alexander, which was in turn originally derived from the Greek name, which means defender of men. In the late 11th century, Queen Margaret introduced the name into Scotland by naming one of her sons Alexander; she had heard the name in the Hungarian Court where she was raised. From Scotland, the name came to Ireland, where MacAlasandair became the Irish form.

Alistair Early Origins

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The surname Alistair was first found in Kintyre, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Alistair Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Alexander, Alistair, MacAlexander, McAlexander, Alisandre, Alischoner, Alsinder, Alastair, MacAlexter, Callestar, Aleckander, Alexandri, Alisdair, Alaisder, Alestare, Alistare and many more.

Alistair Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alistair research. Another 597 words (43 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1230, 1295, 1431, 1475, 1570, 1602, 1605, 1614, 1615, 1640, 1765, and 1846 are included under the topic Early Alistair History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alistair Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alistair Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alistair In Ireland

Some of the Alistair family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Sir William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, who colonized Nova Scotia, in Antigonish, Pictou, the Carolinas, Virginia and Upper Canada. Richard H. Alexander, traveled from Ontario in a group called the "Overlanders" in 1862 and became one of Vancouver's most prominent businessmen and civic officials. Hugh Alexander and his family were among those passengers who arrived in New York from Newry in 1803..

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: Per mare, per terras
Motto Translation: By sea, by land.

Alistair Family Crest Products

Citations

Other References

Bullock, L.G. Historical Map of Ireland. Edinburgh: Bartholomew and Son, 1969. Print.
Fitzgerald, Thomas W. Ireland and Her People A Library of Irish Biography 5 Volumes. Chicago: Fitzgerald. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
Woodham-Smith, Cecil. The Great Hunger Ireland 1845-1849. New York: Old Town Books, 1962. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-385-3).
Matthews, John. Matthews' American Armoury and Blue Book. London: John Matthews, 1911. Print.
Somerset Fry, Peter and Fiona Somerset Fry. A History of Ireland. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1993. Print. (ISBN 1-56619-215-3).
Sullivan, Sir Edward. The Book of Kells 3rd Edition. New York: Crescent Books, 1986. Print. (ISBN 0-517-61987-3).
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
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The Alistair Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Alistair Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 2 October 2003 at 15:30.