Stewart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland-Alt
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Stewart

What does the name Stewart mean?

Scotland's history is inextricably linked to that of the Royal Clan, the Clan Stewart. The surname Stewart was an occupational name for a steward, the official in charge of a noble household and its treasury. It derives from the Old English word "stigweard," a compound of "stig," or "household," and "weard," or "guardian." As every great house, Earl and Bishop in medieval England and Scotland had its stewards, this office has given rise to many lines of this hereditary surname.

Stewart Coat of Arms Creation

The Stewarts are numerous in Scotland, and the many branches of this clan have their own crests. Nearly all of them have somewhere in their arms what Sir Walter Scott calls "The Stewart Chequer," the ancient cognisance of the Stewarts which appears on the seal of Allan, the second High Steward of Scotland, appended to the charter of Melrose Abbey about 1190. The chequer represents the chessboards which of old the accountants of the King's office made use of in calculating their accounts, from which probably the Exchequer had its name, as the office was under the charge of the High Steward.

The Earl of Galloway (a Stewart) has as crest a pelican in her nest feeding her young, and the motto, " Virescit vulnera virtus " (Valour strengthens from a wound).

The pelican feeding her young has often been used as an emblem of our Saviour and the affection of parents for their children. It is frequently used as a device of piety and devotion. In this case the motto is appropriate.

Families of the name of Paterson, Ormiston, Henry, and Cramond also have a pelican somewhere in their arms. 1

Early Origins of the Stewart family

The surname Stewart was first found in Scotland, where records of Stewart as a surname, and not just an occupation began to be found from the 13th century. The ancestors of the famed Royal Stewart line of Scotland descend from a family Breton nobles named Flaald, the name is therefore of Anglo-Norman extraction. The name arrived in Britain with Alan, a knight who settled in Oswestry in Shropshire.

Early History of the Stewart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stewart research. Another 397 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1343, 1371, 1382, 1405, 1452, 1467, 1476, 1479, 1503, 1504, 1508, 1545, 1565, 1567, 1598, 1641, 1653, 1659, 1662, 1675, 1688, 1692, 1714, 1720, 1728, 1745, 1746, 1807 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stewart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stewart Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Stewart, Steward, Stillbhard (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Stewart family

Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (Wolf of Badenoch) (1343-1405), third surviving son of King Robert II of Scotland, first Earl of Buchan since John Comyn (1382-1405), Justiciar of Scotia for a time...
John Stewart, Earl of Mar (1479-1503), the youngest son of James III of Scotland and Margaret of Denmark
Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan (died 1504), the only son of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan
James Stewart, Duke of Ross (1476-1504) was the son of King James III of Scotland and Margaret of Denmark
Bernard Stewart, 4th Lord of Aubigny (c.1452-1508), a French soldier, commander of the Garde Écossaise, and diplomat belonging to the Scottish family of Stewart of Darnley
Charles Stewart, Chief of Ardshiel
Henry Stewart (1545-1567), Lord Darnley was the Scottish Catholic leader, cousin and second husband of Mary Stuart in 1565 and father of James I of Britain

Stewart World Ranking

the United Kingdom, the name Stewart is the 61^st most popular surname with an estimated 72,015 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Stewart is ranked the 35^th most popular surname with an estimated 46,244 people with that name. 3 And in New Zealand, the name Stewart is the 20^th popular surname with an estimated 6,108 people with that name. 4 Canada ranks Stewart as 27^th with 50,758 people. 5 Quebec, Canada ranks Stewart as 909^th. 6 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Stewart as 632^nd with 71 people. 7 The United States ranks Stewart as 51^st with 330,771 people. 8 South Africa ranks Stewart as 922^nd with 7,582 people. 9

Migration of the Stewart family to Ireland

Some of the Stewart family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 151 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stewart migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. John Stewart, (Hainsworth), (1760 - 1790), aged 29, British settler convicted at Buckinghamshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 14 years for felony, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
Miss Mary Stewart, (b. 1763), aged 24, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a watch, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
Miss Susannah Stewart, (b. 1763), aged 25, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11

Second Fleet

Mr. Charles Stewart, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
Mr. James Stewart, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11

Third Fleet

Mr. James Stewart, (b. 1757), aged 30, English settler convicted in London on 21st April 1784, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 11
Miss Margaret Stewart, (b. 1762), aged 25, English settler convicted in Exeter, Devon on 28th August 1786, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Penrhyn" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 11

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Stewart Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Stewart, (Seyman, Seymour, Robert), British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr.Alexander Stewart, British settler who was convicted in La Valette, Malta for life for assault, transported aboard the "Fortune" on 31st October 1812, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Stewart, British Convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Miss Jane Stewart, (b. 1786), aged 27, Irish convict who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. James Stewart, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart 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:

Stewart Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

A Stewart, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. John Stewart, (b. 1815), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 16
Alexander Stewart, aged 19, a baker, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
William Stewart, aged 26, a farmer, who arrived in New Plymouth aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
J. Stewart, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Indemnity" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 19th July 1842 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Stewart Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Agnes Stewart, who arrived in Barbados in 1663

Stewart migration to Canada +

Stewart Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Sir James Stewart of Killeith, 4th Lord Ochiltree, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1629

Stewart Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Hugh Stewart, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Danl Stewart, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Daniel Stewart, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Andrew Stewart, a settler who came with Governor Cornwallis to Chebucto, Nova Scotia in June 1749
Andrew Stewart, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Stewart, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Alex Stewart, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
James Stewart, aged 37, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1803
James Stewart, aged 37, a farmer, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia aboard the ship "Commerce" in 1803
Janet Stewart, aged 37, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia aboard the ship "Commerce" in 1803
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart migration to the United States +

Stewart Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Austin Stewart, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1651
Austin Stewart in Boston in 1651
Charles Stewart, a Royalist soldier captured at Worcester, sent to Boston aboard the "John and Sara" in 1652
Austin Stewart, who landed in America in 1652 19
Cha Stewart, who landed in America in 1652 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Stewart, who landed in Virginia in 1705 19
Malcom Stewart, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 19
Alexander Stewart, a Jacobite captured at Preston, was among Thomase banished to the plantations, transported from Liverpool to South Carolina aboard the "Susannah" in 1716
Jamaica Stewart, who arrived in America in 1724 19
Don Stewart, who arrived in Georgia in 1738 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Griselda Stewart, who arrived in New York in 1801 19
Peter Stewart, who arrived in New York in 1802 19
Agness Stewart, aged 20, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 19
Thomas Stewart, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1803 19
Anne Stewart, aged 18, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stewart Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alexander McIntosh Stewart, who arrived in Mississippi in 1906 19

Contemporary Notables of the name Stewart (post 1700) +

James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart (1908-1997), American five-time Academy Award nominated actor, recipient of one award and a Lifetime Achievement award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. With the United States Air Force, he rose to the rank of Brigadier General
Joseph Laughlin Stewart (1943-2025), Scottish distance runner, an inductee in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, competed for Great Britain in the 10,000 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics
David Steel Stewart (1947-2018), Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for the Scottish National Team in 1977
Robert "Rab" Stewart (1962-2016), Scottish footballer
John Allan Stewart (1942-2016), Scottish Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire (1979–1983), Eastwood (1983–1997)
Robert Banks Stewart (1931-2016), Scottish screenwriter, known for his work on Danger Man, The Human Jungle, Top Secret and The Avengers
Andrew Michael "Andy" Stewart (1952-2015), Scottish singer and songwriter, frontman for Silly Wizard
William George Drummond Stewart (1831-1868), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
John Young "Jackie" Stewart (b. 1939), Scottish automobile racer and winner of the Formula One Grand Prix championship in 1969, 1971, and 1973
... (Another 69 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Stewart family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Donald Mathew Stewart (1944-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 20
Mr. Randy S Stewart (1964-1985), American Sergeant from Texarkana, Arkansas, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 21
James Stewart (d. 1943), Australian Private who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
Miss Marguerite Stewart (1908-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 22
Mrs. Emma Stewart (1855-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 23
... (Another 29 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Stewart 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: Virescit vulnere virtus
Motto Translation: Courage grows stronger at the wound.

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
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)
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance