Colliston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Colliston

What does the name Colliston mean?

The ancestors of the Colliston family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The name Colliston is derived from son of Collie which is a diminutive of Nicholas.

Early Origins of the Colliston family

The surname Colliston was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Colliston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colliston research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1449, 1531, 1584, 1596 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Colliston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colliston Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Colliston has been spelled Collison, Collisone, Colesoun, Colison, Colisone, Caullison, Cawlison, Cawllison, Colleson, Coleson, Collisoun, Collisson and many more.

Early Notables of the Colliston family

More information is included under the topic Early Colliston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colliston family

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Colliston: Miles Collison who settled in Virginia in 1639; followed by Eliza in 1650; John Collison settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1848.

The Colliston 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: Hoc virtutis opus
Motto Translation: This is the work of virtue.