Show ContentsOgilvie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Pictish-Scottish family that first used the name Ogilvie lived in the county of Angus near Glamis. Although Bishop Leslie, a noted historian during the time of Mary Queen of Scots, lists the Ogilvies as being derived from the Border Country in the vicinity of Kelso, serious question must be made of the authenticity of the statement.

It seems more plausible to deduce this Clan to be of original Pictish stock, descended from Dubhucan, Earl of Angus (1115 AD), of the Mormaers of Angus. The root of the name is thought to be from the Welsh uchel, meaning "high." [1]

Early Origins of the Ogilvie family

The surname Ogilvie 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, where Gilbert, son of Gillebride, 1st Earl of Angus, obtained a charter of the lands of Purin, Ogguluin and Kynmethan, in Angus between 1172 and 1177.

Gilbert is also on record as a witness of a grant of the church of Monyfode to the Abbey of Arbroath by his brother, Gilchrist, 3rd Earl of Angys between 1201-04. There is also early record of an Alexander de Oggoluin, who had a Charter of the lands of Belauht around 1232. Patrick Oggelville or Eggilvyn (of county Forfar) swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward the 1st of England in 1296.

Early History of the Ogilvie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ogilvie research. Another 445 words (32 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1392, 1425, 1430, 1440, 1491, 1579, 1580, 1592, 1596, 1600, 1602, 1605, 1613, 1614, 1615, 1639, 1645, 1651, 1652, 1672, 1676, 1679, 1688, 1701, 1707, 1715, 1745, 1778, 1826, 1927 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Ogilvie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ogilvie Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Ogilvie has been spelled Ogilvie, Ogilvy, Oguilvie, Ogilby, Ogleby and many more.

Early Notables of the Ogilvie family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Saint John Ogilvie (1579-1615), a Jesuit priest, and a cadet of Ogilvy of Findlater, who was arrested and hanged at Glasgow Cross for his defense of the spiritual supremacy of the papacy. He was beati...
  • Sir Walter Ogilvy or Ogilvie (d. 1440), of Lintrathen, "Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, was the second son of Sir Walter Ogilvy of Wester Powrie and Auchterhouse. The father was the 'gude Schir Walte...

Ogilvie Ranking

In the United States, the name Ogilvie is the 10,722nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]


United States Ogilvie migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Ogilvie:

Ogilvie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • David Ogilvie, who settled in Maryland in 1684
Ogilvie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Patrick Ogilvie, who settled in Boston in 1716
  • Patrick Ogilvie, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1716 [3]
  • David Ogilvie, who settled in Boston in 1742
  • James Ogilvie, who settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1744
  • John Ogilvie, who settled in Potomac Maryland in 1747
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ogilvie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Ogilvie, who arrived in America in 1800 [3]
  • George Ogilvie, who arrived in Ohio in 1801 [3]
  • Charles Ogilvie, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 [3]
  • Hugh Ogilvie, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 [3]
  • William Ogilvie, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [3]

Canada Ogilvie migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ogilvie Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John Ogilvie U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 [4]

Australia Ogilvie migration to Australia +

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

Ogilvie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Ogilvie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [5]
  • Mr. James Ogilvie (Moore, More, Muir), British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Mr. John Ogilvie who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island [7]
  • Alexander Ogilvie, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Duke of Wellington" [8]
  • Allan Ogilvie, aged 37, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke Of Wellington" in 1849 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Ogilvie 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:

Ogilvie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Ogilvie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Albert" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 6th March 1853 [9]
  • Mrs. Ogilvie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Albert" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 6th March 1853 [9]
  • Miss Ogilvie, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Albert" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 6th March 1853 [9]
  • James Ogilvie, aged 30, a cooper, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gipsy" in 1854
  • Isabella Ogilvie, aged 34, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gipsy" in 1854
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ogilvie (post 1700) +

  • Norman Joseph "Joe" Ogilvie (b. 1974), American professional PGA golfer
  • Richard Buell Ogilvie (1923-1988), American politician, 35th Governor of Illinois from 1969 to 1973
  • William G. Ogilvie, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1940 [10]
  • W. W. Ogilvie, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1912, 1916 [10]
  • Vic Ogilvie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2004, 2008 [10]
  • Richard Buell Ogilvie (1923-1988), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1964, 1972; Governor of Illinois, 1969-73 [10]
  • Peter Ogilvie, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Orange County, 1778-79 [10]
  • James S. Ogilvie, American Republican politician, Member of Colorado State House of Representatives, 1950 [10]
  • James K. Ogilvie, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Magdalen Islands, 1884 [10]
  • John Ogilvie (1928-2020), Scottish footballer who played for Hibernian, Leicester City and Mansfield Town
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMAS Sydney II


The Ogilvie 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: A fin
Motto Translation: To the end.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Duke%20of%20Wellington.htm
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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