Show ContentsStrathern History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Strathern. It is a name for someone who lived in the old stewartry of Strathearn in the county of Perth.

Early Origins of the Strathern family

The surname Strathern was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they had been anciently seated at Strathearn, in the valley of the Earn, about 1200.

One of the earliest records of the family was Malise Strathearn (fl. 1281-1315), who was "descended from a supposed Celtic family of whom Malise, Earl of Strathearn, was witness of the foundation of the priory of Scone in 1114. " [1]

Early History of the Strathern family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Strathern research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1331, 1462 and 1538 are included under the topic Early Strathern History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Strathern Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Strathern include Strathearne, Strathearn, Strathern, Stratherne and many more.

Early Notables of the Strathern family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Stratherne of Strathearn in Perthshire


United States Strathern migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Strathern:

Strathern Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Strathern who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1840

New Zealand Strathern 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:

Strathern Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Strathern, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1876

Contemporary Notables of the name Strathern (post 1700) +

  • Dame Marilyn Ann Marilyn Strathern DBE (b. 1941), British anthropologist, William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge from 1993 to 2008
  • Robert Strathern (b. 1962), professional Australian rules footballer
  • Andrew J Strathern Ph.D., one of the leading social anthropologists in the world
  • Paul Strathern (b. 1940), English writer and academic


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


Houseofnames.com on Facebook