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| Origins Available: |
| | Scotland |
The Keirs surname is a habitational name, taken on from the place name, in Stirlingshire.
The surname Keirs was first found in on the marches of Westere Fedale in 1242, where Patrick Ker was a juror. "Alexander del Keire had a gift of money from the king, and Andrew del Ker of Stirlingshire rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]. William Ker was one of the burgesses of Stirling who attacked the cruives and fishings of the abbot and convent of Cambuskenneth, 1366. John Kere, burgess of Strivelyne and Mariota his wife had a charter of land in Aberdeen, 1366." 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keirs research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1462, 1544, 1553, 1555, 1558, 1686, 1735, 1743 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Keirs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Keirs has also been spelled Keir, Kier and others.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keirs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Keirs, or a variant listed above: