Show ContentsDrummount History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Drummount

What does the name Drummount mean?

The Scottish Drummount surname comes from the Gaelic word "drumainn," which means "a ridge," and is a habitational name derived from the name of any of the several various places so named; and Annabella Drummond (c. 1350–1401), Queen Consort of Scotland as the wife of Robert III of Scotland.

Drummount Coat of Arms Creation

When Bruce at Bannockburn had to resort to stratagem to stem the tide of English horse, Sir Malcolm Drummond was entrusted with the duty of scattering caltrops on the field. These were pieces of iron formed with four spikes so that whichever way they lay one point should be pointing upward, and so lame the English horses. When performing his task Sir Malcolm humorously remarked that they would make the English "gang warily," which has since been the motto of the Drummonds.

The Drummond shield has wavy lines, which indicate that the bearer got this honour for service done at sea, and this service was done by a Drummond, who was master of the ship in which Margaret, afterwards Malcolm Canmore's queen came to Scotland, and by his skill landed her safely after weathering great storms. 1

Early Origins of the Drummount family

The surname Drummount was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland. There is also an early reference to the Clan in the district of Lennox when Gilbert de Drummyn, who was chaplain to Alwyn, Earl of Levenax, was witness to a charter by that Earl around 1199. 2

Malcolm de Drummond witnessed several charters by Maldouen, the third Earl of Levenax, between 1225 and 1270. The family seat was at Stobhall, Perthshire. This distinguished family is said to be descended anciently from a Prince Andreas, youngest son of the King of Hungary, and came into Scotland in the train of Queen Margaret.

The Drummonds were granted the lands of Drymen; the first of the line being Sir Malcolm of Drymen. By the year 1225 Iaian, Chief of the Clan had acquired Inch Mahone in Lake Monteith. Malcolm Drummond is credited with much of the Scottish success at Bannockburn in 1314.

Annabella Drummond (1350?-1402), was Queen of Scotland, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, was the wife of Robert III of Scotland and mother of James I. "The family of Drummond derive their name from Drymen in Stirlingshire, but trace their descent from Maurice, a Hungarian, who is said to have accompanied Edgar Etheling and his sisters to Scotland from Hungary in 1068, and to have been made, by Malcolm Canmore, after his marriage with Margaret, steward of Lennox. His descendant, Sir John de Drummond of Drymen, taken prisoner by Edward I, but released in 1297, had, by the daughter of the Earl of Menteith, Sir Malcolm de Drummond, who fought with Bruce at Bannockburn. His eldest son, a second Sir Malcolm, died in 1348, leaving three sons, John, Maurice, and Walter." 3

Early History of the Drummount family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drummount research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1345, 1475, 1488, 1491, 1501, 1519, 1585, 1588, 1617, 1620, 1621, 1637, 1649, 1662, 1663, 1677, 1678, 1681, 1688 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Drummount History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drummount Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Drummond, Drumond, Drummann (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Drummount family

Notable among the family at this time was Margaret Drummond (c. 1475-1501), mistress of King James IV of Scotland, she died from food poisoning in 1501, she was a daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond (died 1519), who was a Scottish statesman. William Drummond (1585-1649), was a Scottish poet; Patrick Drummond, 3rd Lord Drummond; Lady Lilias Drummond (c. 1621-1663); Sir John Drummond (1620-1678), Scottish...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drummount Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Drummount family to Ireland

Some of the Drummount family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 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 Drummount family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Drummond who settled in Brunswick N.Carolina in 1775; Joseph Drummond settled in Virginia in 1738; Michael Drummond settled in Virginia in 1731; Daniel David, James, Jane, Samuel, William, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865.



The Drummount 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: Gang warily
Motto Translation: Go carefully.


  1. Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
  2. 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)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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