Show ContentsOughterlonay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Oughterlonay is a name whose ancestors lived among the Picts, a tribe in ancient Scotland. The Oughterlonay family lived in Auchterlonie, near Forfar, in the county of Angus where the family dates back to the 12th century. 1

Early Origins of the Oughterlonay family

The surname Oughterlonay was first found in Forfarshire part of the Tayside region of North Eastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, where they were anciently an old family of Angus seated on the lands of Auchterlonie near Forfar from about the year 1200. The first on record was John Auchterlonie who exchanged his lands for his son's lands of Kenny, later Kelly, in 1226. 1

The Swedish family claims descent from Sea Captain Thomas Ouchterlony (1691-1777), son of Alexander Ouchterlony (ca. 1655-1735), merchant in Dundee and grandson of John Ouchterlony (1623-1695), minister in Aberlemno , Angus, Scotland, who served in the Swedish East India Company (1733 to ca.1748.) He settled in Karlshamn in 1748 and worked as a sea captain there until 1759 when he returned to Great Britain. Thomas' son, John Ouchterlony (1729-1776) sailed with his father to Karlshamn in 1748 and married Maria Margareta Hulst there.

Early History of the Oughterlonay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oughterlonay research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1388, 1410, 1430, 1457, 1514, 1518, 1643, 1648, 1661, 1663 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Oughterlonay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oughterlonay 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. Oughterlonay has been spelled Auchterlonie, Auchterlony, Ochterlonie, Ochterlony, Ouchterlony, Ochterlonee, Aughterlony, Aughterloney, Aughterlonie, Auchterlowney, Auchterlownie, Achterlonie, Achterlony, Oughterlonie and many more.

Early Notables of the Oughterlonay family

More information is included under the topic Early Oughterlonay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oughterlonay 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 Oughterlonay: John Auchterlony who settled in Maryland in 1740.



The Oughterlonay 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: Deus mihi adjutor
Motto Translation: God is my helper.


  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)


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