Eckerts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Eckerts

What does the name Eckerts mean?

Eckerts is a name whose ancestors lived among the Picts, a tribe in ancient Scotland. The Eckerts family lived in the old barony of Urquhart, which is located on Loch Ness in the county of Inverness.

Early Origins of the Eckerts family

The surname Eckerts was first found in Elginshire a former county in northeastern Scotland, in the present day Scottish Council Area of Moray, where Galleroch de Urchart "who lived temp. Alexander II" 1 was granted lands in Cromarty, and Inverness. He held a family seat at the Castle of Urquhart in 1214. "His descendants were "hereditary sheriffs of Cromarty." 1

Early History of the Eckerts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eckerts research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1114, 1306, 1358, 1611, 1650, 1660 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Eckerts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckerts 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. Eckerts has been spelled Urquhart, Urquhard, Urchard, Orchard and many more.

Early Notables of the Eckerts family

Sir Thomas Urquhart (Urchard) of Cromarty (1611-c.1660), a Scottish writer and translator, most famous for his translation of Rabelais. Down in London, Thomas Urquhart (fl. 1650?), was a "noted violin-maker and was distinguished among old London makers by the beauty of...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eckerts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eckerts family to Ireland

Some of the Eckerts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eckerts 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 Eckerts: Alexander Urquhart who settled in Antigua in 1679; James Urquart settled in Virginia in 1716; Thomas Urquhart settled in Granada in 1776; Donald Urquhart settled in Jamaica in 1745.

The Eckerts 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: Mean well, speak well and do well

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.