ScotlandThe Kier surname is a habitational name, taken on from the place name, in Stirlingshire.
The surname Kier was first found in on the marches of Westere Fedale in 1242, where Patrick Ker was a juror. "Alexander del Keire had a gift of money from the king, and Andrew del Ker of Stirlingshire rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]. William Ker was one of the burgesses of Stirling who attacked the cruives and fishings of the abbot and convent of Cambuskenneth, 1366. John Kere, burgess of Strivelyne and Mariota his wife had a charter of land in Aberdeen, 1366." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kier research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1462, 1544, 1555, 1558, 1686, 1553, 1735, 1820, 1735, 1686 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Kier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Kier has also been spelled Keir, Kier and others.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Kier is the 16,874th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]
Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Kier, or a variant listed above: Agnes Keir, who was transported to America in 1687; James Keir, who arrived in United States or West Indies in 1699; William Keir, who came to Boston in 1713.
