Ayre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Among the all the peoples of ancient Scotland, the first to use the name Ayre were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for someone who lived in the city of Ayr in South-Western Scotland.
Early Origins of the Ayre family
The surname Ayre 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 family has held a family seat from ancient times. One of the first on record was Reginald Ayr, who was Clerk of Ayr in 1287 and Albinus Ayr had a charter of lands from King Robert the Bruce in 1315.
Early History of the Ayre family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ayre research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1522, 1567, 1638 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Ayre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ayre Spelling Variations
The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. Ayre has appeared as Ayer, Air, Ayre, Ayers and others.
Early Notables of the Ayre family
More information is included under the topic Early Ayre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Ayre family to Ireland
Some of the Ayre family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ayre migration to the United States +
As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:
Ayre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Chas.J. Ayre, aged 1, who landed in America, in 1893
- Andrew Ayre, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States from Sunderland, in 1899
Ayre Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- John M. Ayre, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1904
- Frederick Ayre, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Blackpool, England, in 1907
- John Ayre, aged 58, who settled in America from London, in 1907
- Charles Ernest Ayre, aged 36, who landed in America from Eastbourne, England, in 1907
- Nellie Ayre, aged 25, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ayre migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Ayre Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Albert Ayre, aged 38, who immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1911
- Arthur W. Ayre, aged 26, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1913
- Emma Ayre, aged 31, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1915
- James Stewart Ayre, aged 34, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1915
- Joan Ayre, aged 8, who immigrated to St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1915
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ayre migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Ayre Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Thomas Ayre who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 1
- Mr. Robert Ayre, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Egyptian" on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
Contemporary Notables of the name Ayre (post 1700) +
- John Bray Ayre (1850-1915), Newfoundland merchant and politician
- Charles Robert Ayre (1819-1889), English-born merchant and politician in Newfoundland
- Charles Arthur Ayre (1890-1974), English-born, Canadian merchant, civil official and politician in Saskatchewan
- Ian Ayre (b. 1963), English businessman, current Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club
- Colin Ayre (b. 1956), English professional footballer
- Garry Ayre (b. 1953), former Canadian national team and NASL player from Vancouver, British Columbia
- Kristian Ayre (b. 1977), English-born, Canadian actor, best known for his role on the children's science fiction show Space Cases
- William "Billy" Ayre (1952-2002), English footballer
- Sanjay Claude Ayre (b. 1980), Jamaican eleven-time gold medalist sprinter
- Ian Ayre, former Australian tennis player in the 1950s
Citations +