Carruth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

A family of Strathclyde-Briton were the first to use the name Carruth. They lived in the land of Carruthers in the parish of Middlebie, Dumfriesshire. Interestingly in that area, the name is pronounced "Cridders." 1

Early Origins of the Carruth family

The surname Carruth was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where by the 12th century the family had become hereditary Stewards of the Annandale district of the border allied to the Bruces and the Stewarts.

One of the first records of the name was Simon Carruthers, parson of Middlebie, who swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. A few years later, John de Carutherys received a charter of the lands of Musfald and Appliltrewayt in 1320. "Sir Nigel de Karrutheris, a cleric, who obtained the rectory of Rivel (Ruthwell) in 1330 is mentioned again in 1337 and 1351 as Nigel de Carrothorys, canon of Glasgow. In 1340 we find Sir Nigel de Karuther high chamberlain to the Regent, and in 1344, as Sir Nigel de Carother, he is named as chancellor of Robert Steward of Scotland. A charter was granted at Moysfald in 1361 in favor of John de Carotheris, Simon de Carrutheris witnessed a deed in 1394, and John of Carrutheris was one of the 'borowis' for the earl of Douglas's bounds of the West March in 1398." 1

Some of the family drifted south to England where Simon Carruders was listed in Northumberland, temp. Edward VI. By the 17th century, some were even found in London, which we shall explore in more detail later. 2

Early History of the Carruth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carruth research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1330, 1344, 1361, 1370, 1375, 1398, 1405, 1429, 1446, 1452, 1460, 1468, 1537, 1572, 1587, 1625, 1628, 1673, 1759, 1770, 1799, 1824, 1827, 1828, 1831, 1832, 1852, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Carruth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carruth Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Carruth has appeared as Carruthers, Carothers, Carouthers, Carrothers, Carruther, Carruthirs, Carruthers, Carrutherys, Cridders, Gridders and many more.

Early Notables of the Carruth family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Andrew Carruthers (1770-1852), a Scotch Catholic prelate, "born at Glenmillan, near New Abbey in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, on 7 Feb. 1770. He studied for six years in the Scotch college at Douay...
His brother James Carruthers (1759-1832), the Scottish historian, "was a native of New Abbey in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. He was educated in the Scotch college at Douay, and on his return to Sco...
Finally, Robert Carruthers (1799-1878), was a Scottish miscellaneous writer, born at Dumfries 5 Nov. 1799, the son of a small farmer in the parish of Mousewald. He received only a scanty education, an...

Carruth Ranking

In the United States, the name Carruth is the 6,980^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Carruth family to Ireland

Some of the Carruth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carruth 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:

Carruth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Carruth, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Bengal Merchant 4
Robert Carruth, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" 4
Robert Carruth, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 5
Mr. R. Carruth, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" arriving in Port Nicholson, (Wellington Harbour), New Zealand on 20th February 1840 6
Mr. J. Carruth, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" arriving in Port Nicholson, (Wellington Harbour), New Zealand on 20th February 1840 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Carruth (post 1700) +

Arthur J. Carruth Jr. (1887-1962), American leading newspaperman and civic leader in Kansas
Paul Ott Carruth, former running back in the American National Football League
Jimmy Dawn Carruth (b. 1969), retired American basketball player
Sumner Carruth, officer in the volunteer army of the United States during the American Civil War
Nathan Carruth (1808-1881), American railroad pioneer
Shane Carruth (b. 1972), American film writer, director, editor, producer, actor and musician
Hayden Carruth (1921-2008), American poet and literary critic
H. P. Carruth, American politician, Delegate to Ohio convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 7
Clarence E. Carruth (d. 1912), American Republican politician, Mayor of Cohoes, New York, 1912 7
Michael Carruth (b. 1967), southpaw Irish Olympic boxer

The Carruth 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: Promptus et fidelis
Motto Translation: Ready and faithful.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html