Erskine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 
  England 


Among the all the peoples of ancient Scotland, the first to use the name Erskine were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for someone who lived on the Clyde river, near Glasgow. The town name comes from the Gaelic air an sgian, meaning "upon the knife." According to legend, a Scotsman under the command of Malcolm II uttered that phrase after slaying a Danish leader at the Battle of Murthill.

Early Origins of the Erskine family

The surname Erskine was first found in at Erskine in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland.

In the year 1225, King Alexander II granted Henry de Erskine, who held the baroncy of Erskine, lands in Renfrewshire. Sir John Ireskin also swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. Members of the Erskine family appear in many other documents and records dating from throughout the 13th century and afterward.

A few of the more interesting records show that Henry de Erskyn bore official witness to the Earl of Lennox's grant of a church to the Abbey of Paisley, and that in 1491, Robert Erschin held the office of Canon of Glasgow. 1

Early History of the Erskine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Erskine research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1552, 1558, 1572, 1592, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1634, 1662, 1671, 1677, 1685, 1695, 1696, 1715, 1743, 1768 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Erskine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Erskine 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. Erskine has appeared as Erskine, Arskine, Arskin, Erskin, Irskine, Hirskine, Ersken and many more.

Early Notables of the Erskine family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Erskine Ranking

In the United States, the name Erskine is the 5,749th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Erskine family to Ireland

Some of the Erskine 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.


Erskine 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:

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

Erskine migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Erskine Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Erskine migration to Australia +

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

Erskine Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Erskine 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:

Erskine Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Erskine migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Erskine Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Erskine (post 1700) +


The Erskine 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: Je pense plus
Motto Translation: I think more.
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