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Guthrie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Guthrie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The chronicles of the Guthrie family reach back into Scottish history to an ancient tribe known as the Picts. The ancestors of the Guthrie family lived in the barony of Guthrie in the county of Angus. The surname Guthrie belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Guthrie family

The surname Guthrie was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, and in Forfar in the Barony of Guthrie. The first recorded member of the Guthrie family was a Guthrie who was sent to France after William Wallace in 1299.

Adam de Guthrie witnessed documents relating to a burgess of Dundee in 1348, and Jon of Guthere was a juror on the marches of Woodwrae in 1388.

"[Guthrie is] a parish, in the county of Forfar, 8 miles (N. W.) from Arbroath. This place confers its name upon the very ancient and distinguished family of the Guthries, one of whom, on the resignation of the guardianship of Scotland by Sir William Wallace, in 1299, and his retirement into France, was sent by the Scottish nobles to solicit the return of that hero, in order to assist his countrymen to expel the English invaders. His descendant, Sir David Guthrie, who was lord high treasurer of Scotland in the reign of James III., purchased from the monks of Arbroath, the church of Guthrie, which had for many years been attached to that abbey, and founded here a collegiate church for a provost and three prebendaries. Sir David Guthrie also erected a spacious and strongly-fortified baronial castle here, which is still entire; and on his decease, the manor passed to his son, Sir Alexander, who, with one of his sons and three of his brothers-in-law, fell in the battle of Flodden Field. " 1

Early History of the Guthrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Guthrie research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1457, 1461, 1479, 1492, 1600, 1612, 1620, 1636, 1649, 1661, 1665, 1676, 1890, 1964 and 1984 are included under the topic Early Guthrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Guthrie Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Guthrie has been written Guthrie, Guthree, Lahiff, Guttrie and others.

Early Notables of the Guthrie family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Sir David Guthrie (fl. 1479), Lord Treasurer of Scotland in 1461, the son of Alexander Guthrie of Kincaldrum; John Guthrie (d. 1492), Scottish prelate, Bishop of Ross; William Guthrie (1620-1665), a S...
Henry Guthrie or Guthrey (c. 1600-1676), was a Scottish historian and cleric, bishop of Dunkeld, author of 'Memoirs of Scottish Affairs,' was descended from the old Forfarshire family of Guthrie of th...

Guthrie Ranking

In the United States, the name Guthrie is the 985^th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 2 However, in New Zealand, the name Guthrie is ranked the 634^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,125 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Guthrie family to Ireland

Some of the Guthrie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Guthrie migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Guthrie:

Guthrie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Guthrie who settled in New England in 1651
Robert Guthrie, who landed in New England in 1652 4

Guthrie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Guthrie with his wife and seven children settled in Savannah Georgia in 1774
William Guthrie, who landed in New York in 1793 4

Guthrie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Guthrie, aged 34, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 4
George Guthrie, who landed in America in 1811 4
James Guthrie, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
Thomas D Guthrie, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
Edwin Guthrie, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Guthrie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Agnes Guthrie, aged 14, who landed in America, in 1911
Agnes Guthrie, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Paisley, Scotland, in 1914
Abram Guthrie, aged 3, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
Agnes Guthrie, aged 18, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1921
Agnes Guthrie, aged 66, who landed in America from Johnston, Scotland, in 1921
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Guthrie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Guthrie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Guthrie, who arrived in Kangaroo Bay aboard the ship "Tam O'Shanter" in 1836 5
Miss Jane Guthrie, Scottish Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
John Guthrie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Indus" in 1839 7
Andrew Guthrie, aged 29, a stonemason, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Lysander" 8
Thomas Guthrie, aged 30, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Amazon" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Guthrie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Guthrie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Guthrie, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
Thomas Guthrie, aged 26, a farmer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 10
Ann Guthrie, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 10
Annie Guthrie, aged under 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 10
Helen Guthrie, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Affiance" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Guthrie (post 1700) +

Major-General John Simpson Guthrie (1908-1998), American Commanding Officer XIV Corps (1959-1961) 11
Samuel Guthrie (1782-1848), American physician who discovered chloroform in 1831
Alfred Bertram Guthrie Jr. (1901-1991), American novelist, historian, and literary historian who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1950
Janet Guthrie (b. 1938), American auto racer who, in 1977, became the first woman to race in Indianapolis 500
Arlo Davy Guthrie (b. 1947), son of Woody Guthrie, folk singer songwriter, best known for his "Alice's Restaurant Massacree"
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967), American folk singer, composer, his best-known song was "This Land Is Your Land"
James Guthrie (1792-1869), American Secretary of the US Treasury from 1853-1857
Brett Guthrie (b. 1964), American Republican politician, Member of Kentucky State Senate 32nd District, 1999-; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2008, 2012 12
Ben Eli Guthrie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1892 12
Aline S. Guthrie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1980 12
... (Another 48 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Guthrie 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: Sto pro veritate
Motto Translation: I stand for the truth

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TAM O'SHANTER - 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836TamOShanter.htm
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) INDUS 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Indus.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Lysander.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AMAZON 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/amazon1852.shtml
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) John Guthrie. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Guthrie/John_Simpson/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html