Grahame History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished Grahame family, which is thoroughly woven into the intricate tapestry of Scottish history, finds its origin with the proud Norman people. The name comes from the place Grantham in Lincolnshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Graham.
Early Origins of the Grahame family
The surname Grahame was first found in Midlothian, where they settled after accompanying Earl David of Huntingdon into Scotland during the 12th century. In 1128, King David I granted the lands of Abercorn and Dalkeith to William de Graham, who is the first recorded member of the Graham Clan in Scotland and was witness to several royal charters.
Henry de Graham inherited the estates of his father-in-law in Eskdale in 1243. Sir John de Grahame was a faithful companion of the Scottish patriot Sir William Wallace and was killed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.
"[Grahamston] derives its name from Sir John the Graham, who was killed here in the battle which Wallace fought with Edward I." 1
Early History of the Grahame family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grahame research. Another 422 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1128, 1237, 1298, 1427, 1450, 1464, 1488, 1505, 1513, 1548, 1603, 1608, 1612, 1634, 1648, 1650, 1680, 1689, 1694, 1695, 1702, 1707, 1715, 1745, 1782 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Grahame History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Grahame Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Graham, Grahame, Graeme, Grame, Greumach (Gaelic), Montross and many more.
Early Notables of the Grahame family
Notable among the family at this time was William Graham, 4th Lord Graham (1464-1513), who became the Earl of Montrose in 1505; John Graham (1548-1608), 3rd Earl of Montrose was the Chancellor of the University of St Andrews; James Graham (1612-1650), 5th Earl and 1st Marquess of Montrose, a Scottish general in the English Civil Wars, who fought for the Royalists of Charles...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grahame Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Grahame family to Ireland
Some of the Grahame family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Grahame migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Grahame Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Alexander Grahame, who landed in East New Jersey in 1685 2
- Thomas Grahame, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 2
Grahame Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Patrick Grahame, who arrived in Georgia in 1742 2
- Isabell Grahame, aged 17, who arrived in New York in 1774 2
- Margaret Grahame, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1774 2
Grahame Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Archibald Grahame, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1809 2
- Robert Grahame, who landed in New York in 1846 2
Grahame migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Grahame Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- John Grahame, who landed in Canada in 1820
Grahame migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Grahame Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Miss Janet Grahame, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 11th February 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Grahame 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:
Grahame Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- S Grahame, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1839
- Mr. WalterGrahame, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 4
- Miss Christina Grahame, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lord Ashley" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th October 1858 4
- Mr. Samuel Grahame, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Bruce" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 12th September 1860 4
Contemporary Notables of the name Grahame (post 1700) +
- John Gillies Mark Grahame (b. 1975), American retired professional NHL ice hockey goaltender who played from 1997 to 2012
- Gloria Grahame (1923-1981), American Academy Award nominated stage, film and television actress featured in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Kenneth Grahame (b. 1859), Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows (1908) and The Reluctant Dragon (1898) which was later adapted into two Disney films
- Rev James Grahame (1765-1811), Scottish poet from Glasgow
- Christine Grahame (b. 1944), Scottish politician, Convener of the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee (2011-2016), Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (2016-)
- Alan William Grahame (1954-2021), British Speedway rider, he died at the age of 67 on 3 October 2021, from injuries sustained in a racing crash the previous week
- Nicola Rachele-Beth "Mikki" Grahame (1982-2021), English television personality, model and author; she died due to complications from anorexia on 9 April 2021
- William Calman "W.C." Grahame (1863-1945), Australian politician, the first mayor of the City of Gosford (1936-1944), Member of Parliament of New South Wales for Wickham (1907-1920)
- William Grahame (1841-1906), Scottish-born, Australian settler to Australia in 1858 and later rose to become Member of Parliament of New South Wales for Newcastle in 1899 and from (1891-1894)
- William Grahame (1808-1890), Scottish-born, Australian settler to Australia in 1828 and later rose to become Member of Parliament of New South Wales (1865-1869) and (1872-1875)
The Grahame 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: Ne oublie
Motto Translation: Do not forget.
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html