Fergerson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The root of the ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name Fergerson is the Scottish surname MacFergus, which means "son of Fergus".

Early Origins of the Fergerson family

The surname Fergerson was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from the Prince of Galloway who married the daughter of Henry I of England. These ancient Lords of Galloway were independent rulers until they were annexed by Scotland in 1234. Alan, Prince of Galloway, was the last of the line. The Craigdarroch branch was the oldest but they also had branches at Cowal, Kintyre, Kilkerran, Atholl, Kinmundy, Pitfour.

The Ayrshire Fergusons, who descended from Fergus, the independent 12th century Lord of Galloway, were established in the Southwest of Scotland even before they received their charter from Bruce, the King of Scotland, in the 13th century. Furthermore, numerous families of the name Ferguson were established throughout Scotland at an early date. In Argyll, where the Ferguson Clan is particularly numerous, the Fergusons held lands in Strachur until the beginning of the 19th century. The Fergussons of Perthshire were recognized as the principal Highland branch of the Clan and the chieftainship belonged to the Dunfallandy family, the head of which was designated "MacFhearghuis."

Early History of the Fergerson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fergerson research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1637, 1667, 1672, 1699, 1705, 1714, 1715, 1723, 1734, 1745, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Fergerson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergerson Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Fergerson include many spelling variations. They include They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. Ferguson, Fergusson, Farguson, Fargerson, Fargusson and many more.

Early Notables of the Fergerson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was James Ferguson (1621-1667), a Scottish minister; William Ferguson (d. 1699) of Badifurrow, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; and his son, James Ferguson (died 1705), of Balmakelly and Kirtonhill, Kincardineshire, a Scottish major-general, colonel of the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fergerson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergerson Ranking

In the United States, the name Fergerson is the 11,234^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Fergerson family to Ireland

Some of the Fergerson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergerson migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Fergerson, or a variant listed above:

Fergerson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Fergerson, who landed in New England in 1718 [2]
Roger Fergerson, who arrived in New England in 1747 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Fergerson (post 1700) +

Cecil Fergerson (1931-2013), American art curator and community activist
David Anthony Fergerson (b. 1978), American professional basketball player
Duke Fergerson (b. 1954), former professional American NFL and AFL football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills (1977-1980)

The Fergerson 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: Dulcius ex asperis
Motto Translation: Sweeter after difficulties

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)