Kirkland Family Name

Kirkland Family Name

Scotland

Auld Bridge on the Nith River, Dumfries, Scotland . photo by Elroy Christenson 1999

The Kirkland name probably comes from the literal meaning "church land" or kirk land. There are many places of this name in the shires of Dumfries, Ayr, Lanark, Stirling. etc. from one or other of which the surname may have been derived, Johannes fil. of Gordon, c.1280 (Kelso,124),William (LCD., p.242) and in 1463 and 1471 we have mention of Alan de Kyrklande and John de Kirkland there (REG., 389,395). George Kirkleane, burgess freeman of Glasgow,1599 (Burgesses), and James Kirkland was appointed constable in Lanark, 1709 (Minutes,p.55)

[Black, George T. The Surnames of Scotland, their Origin, Meaning, and Hist. The N. Y. Pub. Lib., 1962 N.Y.]

The General Armory page 569, lists the Lord of Kirkland, Co: Cumberland was in Scotland about 1070. The hearldry is described as "a sable, three mullets Argent within a bordure engrailed Or. Crest. on ducal coronet, a falcon jessed and belled all proper." the mottos is "Facta non Verba" which translates as Deeds not Words. [Yorkshire Heraldry Centre. }

The Kirkland name is associated with the Scottish clan of Maxwell. It is one several septs of Maxwell clan which also includes Adair, Blackstock, Dinwiddie, Dinwoodie, Edgar, Herries, Kirk, Kirkland, Latimer, Latimore, Mackittrick, Maxton, Mescall, Monreith, Moss, Nithdale, Paulk, Peacock, Pollock, Pollok, Polk, Sturgeon, and Wardlaw. Kirkland is also associated with Douglas clan whose other members include Agnew, Alexander, Blackwood, Blackett, Blalock, Breckinridge, Brown, Brownlee, Cavin, Cavers, Dickley, Dickie, Dick, Drysdale, Foster, Glenn, Glendinning, Henry, Inglis, Kidston, Kilgore, Kirk, Kirkpatrick, Lockerbie, Lockerby, Lockery, Lochrie, MacGuffe, McKittrick, Morton, Sandlin, Sandiland, Soule, Sterrett, Symington, and Young. [Clan Douglas Society web site] .

We don't really know who the immigrant ancestor of this family is at present. There are many Kirkland immigrants into the colonies within a period of about 70 years possibly as early as 1620. Some move into Maryland, some into Virginia, one or two into New Hampshire. Records are sketchy and incomplete as to the heirs of estates of some of these individuals. Land record transfers do not usually give the relationship of the person getting or selling the land. Many researchers use proximity and naming patterns to create linkage but this can be extremely risky when names are so similar.

Several researchers are looking principally at the immigration of John Kirtland (another variation of spelling) who arrived in Virginia in 1663 -1679. The first Richard Kirkland that seems to lead to our line may be Richard that d. c1743 Fairfax Co., VA.
[Passenger and Immigrations Lists Index, edited by P. William Filby and Mary K. Meyer. 943 p.166]

source:

Black, George T. The Surnames of Scotland, their Origin, Meaning, and Hist. The N. Y. Pub. Lib., 1962 N.Y.
Clan Douglas Society - clandouglassociety.org
Passenger and Immigrations Lists Index, edited by P. William Filby and Mary K. Meyer. 943 p.166

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