Show ContentsSommerlad History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the Sommerlad name go back to the ancient Vikings and their Old Norse language. Sommerlad was a name for a the Old Norse word sumarlithi, which means mariner, Viking, summer wanderer, or sailor.

Early Origins of the Sommerlad family

The surname Sommerlad was first found in the island of South Uist, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Descended from Somerled, King of the Vikings, scion of the MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, who died about 1057.

The first record of the name Somerled being used as a name was at Dunkeld, and the link between this person in 1169 and Somerled who had died 100 years before is not clear.

Another source notes that Sumerled or Somerled, Lord of the Isles (d. 1164), was "according to the Celtic tradition, the son of Gillebrede, son of Gilladoman, sixth in descent from Godfrey MacFergus, called in the Irish chronicle Toshach of the Isles; but some suppose him of Norse origin. " [1]

Early History of the Sommerlad family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sommerlad research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1238 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Sommerlad History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sommerlad Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Sommerlad has been spelled Somerled, M'Illurdy, M'Corle, M'Coull, Somerledy and others.

Early Notables of the Sommerlad family

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


United States Sommerlad migration to the United States +

Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Sommerlad:

Sommerlad Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joh Gottfried Sommerlad, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1748 [2]
  • Phil Jacob Sommerlad, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Sommerlad (post 1700) +

  • Philip A. Sommerlad, American politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1921 [3]
  • Henry W. Sommerlad, American politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1866, 1871 [3]


The Sommerlad 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: Per Mare Per Terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook