Show ContentsUrkuarte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the first family to use the name Urkuarte lived among the ancient Scottish people called the Picts. The Urkuarte family lived in the old barony of Urquhart, which is located on Loch Ness in the county of Inverness.

Early Origins of the Urkuarte family

The surname Urkuarte was first found in Elginshire a former county in northeastern Scotland, in the present day Scottish Council Area of Moray, where Galleroch de Urchart "who lived temp. Alexander II" 1 was granted lands in Cromarty, and Inverness. He held a family seat at the Castle of Urquhart in 1214. "His descendants were "hereditary sheriffs of Cromarty." 1

Early History of the Urkuarte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Urkuarte research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1114, 1306, 1358, 1611, 1650, 1660 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Urkuarte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urkuarte Spelling Variations

In the Middle ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules. spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit. Urkuarte has appeared Urquhart, Urquhard, Urchard, Orchard and many more.

Early Notables of the Urkuarte family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Thomas Urquhart (Urchard) of Cromarty (1611-c.1660), a Scottish writer and translator, most famous for his translation of Rabelais. Down in London, Thomas Urquhart (fl. 1650?), was a "noted violin-maker and was distinguished...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Urkuarte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Urkuarte family to Ireland

Some of the Urkuarte family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Urkuarte family

Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and Clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Urkuarte: Alexander Urquhart who settled in Antigua in 1679; James Urquart settled in Virginia in 1716; Thomas Urquhart settled in Granada in 1776; Donald Urquhart settled in Jamaica in 1745.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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