In need of an explanation

[Ward Whitehorn]

Hello Everyone. I am a new member and need a little help. In trying to discover the origin of my surname (Whitehorn) and my ancestry, I found that the Ogilvie Clan tartan has a "Whitehorn" badge associated with it. Could someone explain the significance of that fact. Does it mean that Whitehorns belonged to the clan or is it something else altogether? I'm hoping to visit the region of my family's origin when I visit Scotland later this year. Thanks for any help that you can provide.

[miolchu]

Re: In need of an explanation

I just did a quick internet search and had more hits than I can search. You might start here: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Whitehorn

"
There are two possible sources of this interesting name, the first being that it is of Scottish origin, and is locational from a place called Whithorn near Wigtown in Scotland. The derivation of the placename is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "hwit", white, with "aern", a house, and refers to a white stone church built by the 5th Century St. Ninian on the site of this place. Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually in search of work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. However, Whitehorn may also be a metonymic occupational name for a worker in horn, an important medium in the Middle Ages, used instead of glass, with the second element, "horn", deriving from the Olde English "horn", and the second element, "hwit", used in the sense of fair or splendid. The surname was first recorded in the late 13th Century (see below), and other early recordings include: Thomas Whithorn, in the 1327, Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, and Guilielmus Whitehorn, recorded on April 2nd 1648, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. The Whitehorn Coat of Arms is described thus: "Per chevron flory silver and black in chief two towers, and in base an escallop all counterchanged, the Crest being five spears black headed gold, one in pale and four in saltire". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Martin Withorn, which was dated 1275, in the "Hundred Rolls of Suffolk", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. "

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Whi...#ixzz1EPnWvVnP

[Kelly d]

Re: In need of an explanation

miolchu,

Well done!

My married name in English means White Acres but has some Irish under tones some where. Billy Whittaker explained it to me once because his father was actually from Armagh Ireland. Too bad there is none of his family left to tell me so I can carry on the oral tradition.

[Ward Whitehorn]

Re: In need of an explanation

Thank you so much for the info that you've provided. It is very helpful. I was still wondering, though, if anyone can explain what the "Whitehorn badge" on the Ogilvie tartan signifies. It may have nothing to do with the surname but I am curious.

[Kelly d]

Re: In need of an explanation

http://www.electricscotland.com/webc...or/ogilvy.html

http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../mackenzie.htm

The story is on this page.

Hope this helps.

[Ward Whitehorn]

For Alastair, Re: In need of an explanation

No one else, apparrently, knows. What do the badges associated with clan tartans represent? and...do you know if the "whitehorn badge" associated with the Ogilvie clan tartan has to do with the surname or is it associated with a plant? I'm very curious.

[Alastair]

Re: For Alastair, Re: In need of an explanation

A clan badge can be associated with anything really, yes plants, or animals or castles or in the case of Clan Ogilvie we record the plant badge as "A naked woman holding a portcullis".

Alastair

[Ward Whitehorn]

Re: For Alastair, Re: In need of an explanation

A clan badge can be associated with anything really, yes plants, or animals or castles or in the case of Clan Ogilvie we record the plant badge as "A naked woman holding a portcullis".

Alastair

Thank you Alastair. I was afraid that no one knew the answer.

[Kelly d]

Re: For Alastair, Re: In need of an explanation

Mr Whitehorn the explanation is in the second link I provided.

[Ward Whitehorn]

Re: For Alastair, Re: In need of an explanation

Mr Whitehorn the explanation is in the second link I provided.

Thank you. Kelly. I guess I hurried through the attachments and missed that. I hope that you didn't take my reply to alastair as an insult, I just didn't realize that you had directly addressed the question. My mistake. Thanks again.