Cairns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The surname Cairns was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by an ancient Scottish people called the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for someone who lived in Midlothian. The name Cairns is also derived from the Gaelic word carn, which means pile of stones, and referred to the stone burial chambers we now call cairns. 1

Early Origins of the Cairns family

The surname Cairns was first found in Midlothian, in the lands of Cairns in the parish of Mid-Calder.

"The first of the name recorded is William de Carnys, who appears as a charter witness in 1349. Though this is the earliest mention of the name in record there must have been many of the surname living at an earlier date, as in the latter half of the fourteenth century many individuals of the name are mentioned in documents referring to the adjoining counties of Midlothian and West Lothian. In 1363 William de Carnys and his son, Duncan de Carnys, had a charter of the baronies of Esterquytburne and Westirquitburne from David II. Two years later David de Carnys appears as a bailie of Edinburgh." 2

Early History of the Cairns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cairns research. Another 271 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1372, 1386, 1395, 1401, 1406, 1408, 1418, 1430, 1431, 1452, 1454, 1455, 1503, 1572, 1639, 1665, 1669, 1673, 1703, 1707, 1732, 1743 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cairns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cairns Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Cairns has been spelled Cairns, Cairn, Kairnes, Carnys and others.

Early Notables of the Cairns family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Cairns World Ranking

In the United States, the name Cairns is the 6,095th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Cairns is ranked the 767th most popular surname with an estimated 5,067 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name Cairns is the 474th popular surname with an estimated 1,445 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Cairns as 486th with 13,294 people. 6

Migration of the Cairns family to Ireland

Some of the Cairns family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Cairns migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Cairns Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Cairns Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cairns migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cairns Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cairns migration to Australia +

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

Cairns Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Cairns migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cairns Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cairns (post 1700) +
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