| ![Show Contents]() Coltar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of ColtarWhat does the name Coltar mean? The rugged west coast of Scotland in the kingdom of Dalriada is the setting from which came the Coltar name. The name derives from someone having lived in or near Coulter in Lanarkshire or Aberdeenshire, in Scotland. The surname Coltar is derived from the Gaelic phrase, cúl tir, which means, black land. Coltar is therefore a local surname, of which there are many types. For instance, topographic surnames could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. In this case, the surname is both topographical, in that it comes from the phrase, black land, and local in the general sense, since it comes from the place-name, Coulter. Early Origins of the Coltar familyThe surname Coltar was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a family seat from very early times. Some of the first records include: Richard of Culter, sheriff of Lanark, appears in record in 1226; and Alexander de Cultre witnessed a grant by Maldoueny, earl of Lennox to Stephen de Blantyr, c. 1248. "Andrew de Cultyr who held land in Aberdeen in 1281 doubtless derived his name from the lands of Coulter in Aberdeenshire." 1 Early History of the Coltar familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coltar research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1226, 1281, 1686, 1810 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Coltar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Coltar Spelling VariationsIn various documents Coltar has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Coulter, Colter, Coalter, Coultere, Coultar, Coultur, Coltar, Coltur, Coltir, Coltire and many more. Early Notables of the Coltar familyMore information is included under the topic Early Coltar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Coltar family to IrelandSome of the Coltar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Coltar familyNumerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Coltars to arrive in North America: John Colters settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764; Hugh and Ann Coulter settled in New York State in 1811; Charles, David, Edward, Hugh, James, John, Joseph, Margaret, Robert, Thomas, and William Coulter, all settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1821 and 1880.
- 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)
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