Dalrymple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The chronicles of the Dalrymple family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in Ayrshire (present day Strathclyde region) and comes from the Gaelic "dail chruim puill", which means "field of the crooked stream." Another source claims the translation a little differently: "this place derives its name, in the Celtic language signifying "the dale of the crooked water," from the situation of its village on a bend of the river Doon. " 1

Early Origins of the Dalrymple family

The surname Dalrymple 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.

"The barony, which in ancient times was held by a family who took their name from the lands, was, in the reign of David II., divided into two portions, and held by two families named Dalrymple, descended from one common ancestor." 1

Early records of Clan members mention James Dalrymple, who was a witness on a charter of Robert, Earl of Fife in around 1390. John de Dalrympil was provost of Edinburgh in 1392. Gilbert of Dalrympille was held in the Tower of London as a Scottish prisoner of war; he was released in 1413. James Dalrymple of Stair (1619-1695), was created Viscount of Stair in 1690 by King William. His third son Hew Dalrymple (1652-1737), who held the title of Lord North Berwick was created Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1698. Descended from Hew was Marion (1708-40), who created much controversy in the Clan when she turned down a proposal of marriage in 1732 from the infamous 11th Lord Fraser of Lovat. She would marry Donald Mackay, 4th Lord Reay later in that same year. 2

Dalrymple Clansmen fought in the Scots guard of France, where their name was recorded in the Muster Rolls as "de Romple".

Early History of the Dalrymple family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dalrymple research. Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1371, 1413, 1619, 1648, 1650, 1652, 1665, 1673, 1692, 1695, 1698, 1704, 1707, 1719, 1720, 1721, 1737, 1747, 1751, 1797 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Dalrymple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dalrymple Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Dalrymple has been spelled Dalrymple, Dalrimple, Dalremple, Dalrympel, Dalrimpel and many more.

Early Notables of the Dalrymple family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Dalrymple Ranking

In the United States, the name Dalrymple is the 5,346th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Dalrymple family to Ireland

Some of the Dalrymple family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Dalrymple migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

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

Dalrymple migration to Australia +

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

Dalrymple Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Dalrymple 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:

Dalrymple Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Dalrymple (post 1700) +
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