Contents [hide]

Urquhart History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Urquhart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Urquhart was first used as a name by descendants of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Urquhart family lived in the old barony of Urquhart, which is located on Loch Ness in the county of Inverness.

Early Origins of the Urquhart family

The surname Urquhart 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 Urquhart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Urquhart 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 Urquhart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Urquhart 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 Urquhart include Urquhart, Urquhard, Urchard, Orchard and many more.

Early Notables of the Urquhart 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 among old London makers by the beauty of his style, and especially by the excellence of his varnish. Some o...

Urquhart Ranking

In the United States, the name Urquhart is the 6,945^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Urquhart family to Ireland

Some of the Urquhart 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.

Urquhart 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 Urquhart:

Urquhart Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Urquhart who settled in Antigua in 1679

Urquhart Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Urquhart, who arrived in New York in 1703-1704 3
James Urquhart, who landed in Virginia in 1716 3
John Urquhart, aged 30, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 3
Andrew Urquhart, aged 20, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 3
Ann Urquhart, aged 17, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Urquhart Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Urquhart, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1812 3

Urquhart migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Urquhart Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Christian Urquhart, who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
David Urquhart, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
Mr. Albert Urquhart U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 4
Mr. Donald Urquhart U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1784 4
Private. Rev. John Urquhart U.E. (b. 1740) born in Dingwell, Ross Cromarty [Black Isle], Scotland from Lincoln County, Maine, USA who settled in Maugerville, Sunbury County, New Brunswick c. 1784, then relocated to Saint John, New Brunswick in 1785, then relocated to Bellisle Bay, Kings County, New Brunswick in 1786, then relocated to Princetown, Prince Edward Island in 1802, before finally settling in Douglastown, Miramichi River, New Brunswick in 1802 he enlisted in 1781 serving in the Maryland Loyalists 1st Battalion, married to Mary McIntyre having 11 children, he died in 1804 when in drowned in Saint John, New Brunswick 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Urquhart Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Alex Urquhart, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Donald Urquhart, aged 27, Scottish labourer, who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1815-1816 with his wife

Urquhart migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Urquhart Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Agnes Urquhart, aged 37, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Marshall Bennett" 5
Agnes Urquhart, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Marshall Bennett" 5
Sarah Urquhart, aged 17, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Marshall Bennett" 5
Edward Urquhart, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Clara"
Jean Urquhart, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Clara"

Urquhart 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:

Urquhart Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. John Urquhart, Canadian settler from Boularderie travelling from Cape Breton aboard the ship "Spray" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th June 1857 6
A.L. Urquhart, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 30th December 1857 6
A.V. Urquhart, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 30th December 1857 6
Mr. Henry A.A. Urquhart, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 30th December 1857 6
Mr. George F. Urquhart, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Urquhart 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. 8

Urquhart Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Donald Urquhart, who settled in Jamaica in 1745

Contemporary Notables of the name Urquhart (post 1700) +

Feargus Urquhart (b. 1970), American video game developer, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment
William Urquhart, American politician, Postmaster at Augusta, Georgia, 1794-99 9
Robert D. Urquhart, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1897 9
Mrs. J. T. Urquhart, American Republican politician, Member of Republican National Committee from Washington, 1940; Member, Arrangements Committee, Republican National Convention, 1940 9
Grant Urquhart, American politician, Mayor of Oconto, Wisconsin, 1951-52 9
David Urquhart (1805-1877), Scottish diplomat and writer, born at Braelangwell, Cromarty, the second son of David Urquhart of Braelangwell
George Urquhart (b. 1950), Scottish former footballer
Lawrence Mcallister Urquhart LLB CA (b. 1935), Scottish businessman, former Chairman of Burmah Castrol and Chairman of Scottish Widows
Emma Maree Urquhart (b. 1991), Scottish writer from Inverness
Johnny Urquhart (1925-2008), Scottish football player and administrator
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
South Australian Register Friday 29 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marshall Bennett 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marshallbennett1853.shtml
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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html