Balantyne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The first people to use the name Balantyne were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived in Roxburghshire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. One source claims the name was of local origin and denoted "a place of ancient pagan worship among the Celts, whose principal deity was Belen or Baal, the sun. To the honor of this deity, the Celts lighted fires on the 1st of May and Midsummer day. Baalantine signifies 'the fire of Baal,' from Baden and teine, Gaelic, fire. " 1 2

Early Origins of the Balantyne family

The surname Balantyne was first found in Roxburghshire "probably from the lands of Bellenden in the parish of Roberton. There is also a Ballinton, Ballintoun or Ballintome mentioned in Stirling Retours. " 3 4

"This Scottish name has undergone remarkable changes. 'Sir Richard of Bannochtine of the Corhous,' who flourished c. 1460, sometimes wrote himself Bannachty, and his son is called Sir John Bannatyne. This spelling continued till temp. Charles. II., when the proprietor of Corhouse was called indifferently John Bannatyne and Johne Ballentyne, and his son is described as the son of John Ballenden. In fact, down to a recent period, the forms Bannatyne and Ballantyne have been used indifferently by brothers of one house, and even by the same individual at different times. " 5

Early History of the Balantyne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balantyne research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1153, 1460, 1545, 1553, 1563, 1577, 1591, 1605, 1608, 1616, 1630, 1642, 1661, 1671, 1680, 1800 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Balantyne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balantyne Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Balantyne has appeared as Ballentine, Ballantyne, Ballantine, Ballentyne, Bannentyne, Bannantyne, Ballanden, Ballanden, Ballendine, Ballendyne, Ballentine and many more.

Early Notables of the Balantyne family

Notable amongst the family at this time was George Bannatyne (1545-1608), collector of Scottish poems, eponym of the Bannatyne Club in Edinburgh, he was the seventh of the twenty-three children of James Bannatyne of Kirktown of Newtyle in Forfarshire; Richard Bannatyne (died 1605), Scottish clergyman and scribe who served as secretary to John Knox; Sir James Bellenden of Broughton; William Bellenden, Lord Bellenden (died 1671), Treasurer-Depute of Scotland; and William Ballenden or Ballantyne (1616-1661), Scottish divine and a prefect-apostolic of the Roman Catholic church, a native of Douglas, Lanarkshire. 6 John...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Balantyne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Balantyne family to Ireland

Some of the Balantyne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.



Balantyne migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Balantyne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century




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