Show ContentsAlty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Scottish history reveals Alty was first used as a surname by the Strathclyde-Briton people. It was a name for someone who lived at Auld in Ayrshire.

Early Origins of the Alty family

The surname Alty was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where the surname was recorded as Ealda in an Old English charter of 765. The family continued to prosper in this area for centuries and by 1284, John Alde was listed as servitor of the Earl of Carrick. By 1302 they had also acquired estates in Perthshire. [1]

Early History of the Alty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alty research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1488, 1494, 1501, 1532, 1542, 1635 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Alty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alty Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Alty has been spelled Auld, Alda, Alde, Ald, Aulde, MacAuld and others.

Early Notables of the Alty family

More information is included under the topic Early Alty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Alty family to Ireland

Some of the Alty family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Alty migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Alty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Alty, British convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Alty (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Alty FRSE FIP FRSC LLD (1899-1982), Scottish physicist and university administrator, Chancellor of Rhodes University in South Africa
  • James Lenton Alty (1939-2022), British computer scientist from Haslingden, Lancashire, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at Loughborough University


The Alty 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: Virtute et constantia
Motto Translation: By courage and perseverance.


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall


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