Most Popular Scotch-Irish Surnames

For Scotch-Irish, 2018 is a year to celebrate. It marks the 300th anniversary of 1718 Migration and the special relationship between Ireland and the United States. We look at the significance of this heritage passed down over generations by examining an important part of how we live our lives – our surnames…

The Scottish migration to Ulster from the early seventeenth century came after The Plantation of Ulster began when English and Scottish Protestants settled on land confiscated from the Gaelic Irish under the rule of James I, King of England and Scotland. Prior to this, a fierce and long-drawn battle known as The Nine Years’ War (1594-1603) between England and Ireland later concluded in 1607 when the Gaelic lords of Ireland fled Ireland and the English regime. The departure of these once powerful, native Irish earls and their supporters foreseen their lands being confiscated and taken over by the English crown. 

To maintain control in Ireland, King James 1 went on to sanction a planned process of colonization on the Isle and planted thousands of people into Northern Ireland from Scotland and England on the confiscated lands, hoping the people would now be obedient to him and his government. The new, growing population brought new customs and a new religion – Protestantism and coined a new heritage as Ulster-Scots.

However, Ireland in the seventeenth century did not the easiest life for Ulster-Scots settlers. Facing resentment from the native Irish, Ulster-Scots also faced religious and legal hindrances, as well as economic difficulties and higher rents being demanded. Add to that a succession of bad harvests in the 1710’s and the manufacture of lien becoming less profitable, by early 1718 it was coming a rapidly dire situation in Ireland, forcing many families to seek a better life across the Atlantic in the ‘New World’ 

And seek that, they did.

While not the first migration of people from Ireland to America, the 1718 Migration was the first successfully organized migration to America. Significant numbers of families from the north of Ireland traveled on sailing ships to Boston and went on to found communities in America, at first in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine and onwards throughout the continent.

It is thought more than 35 million Americans today have some Scots-Irish descent. This works out about about twelve percent of the American public today making the chances of Scotch-Irish ancestor pretty high in family lines across the country. The first step in checking your ancestry? Well, your very surname! Check out if your surname is on the most popular Scotch-Irish names…

1. Johnston; Johnson; Johnsone
2. Stewart; Stuart
3. Hamilton
4. Graham
5. Armstrong
6. Boyd
7. Montgomery
8. Scott
9. Houston; Huston; Houstin
10. Knox
11. Kniw
12. Ferguson; Fourgeson
13. Carson
14. Henry
15. McDowell; McDowel; McDowall

In this special celebratory year of 2018, why not explore your ancestry by joining The Scots-Irish Discovery Tour with the Ulster Historical Foundation in June to discover the history of the province of Ulster and your connection to your Scots-Irish heritage whilst taking in the warmest of welcomes and the iconic landmarks of Ireland. Full details below. 

Sightseeing:

• Visit to Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
• Panoramic Sightseeing tour of Dublin
• Visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin
• Visit to The Ulster American Folk Park, Co. Tyrone
• Visit to Barons Court Estate, Co. Tyrone
• Walking Tour of the City of Derry~Londonderry
• Visit to the Siege Museum and Exhibition, Co. Derry~Londonderry
• Visit to Glenveagh National Park and Castle, Co. Donegal
• Visit to the Giants Causeway, Co. Antrim
• Visit to Sentry Hill, Co. Antrim
• Panoramic Sightseeing tour of Belfast
• Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) Walking Tour of Belfast
• Visit to Titanic Belfast
• Visit to Down Cathedral, Co. Down
• Visit to the General Ross Monument, Co. Down

Features:

• Round-trip Airport Transfers from Dublin Airport to Belfast
  Scots-Irish Discovery Tour will conclude at Dublin Airport. Transfer from Dublin Airport to Belfast with this inclusion.

Next Steps…

Request More Info
To get more details on this exclusive tour, please click below to complete the inquiry form. 

View Itinerary 
To see the full day-by-day itinerary for this tour, please click below. 

Irish Genealogy Essentials: A Family History Course
Research your Irish family history with the experts. Extend your stay and take this UHF course in Belfast from June 13 – 15 2018.

1718 Migration Booklet
Read about the first organized migrations of Scots and Irish-born Presbyterian people leaving the north of Ireland to a new life in New England colonies in North America. 

Contact Us 
Please feel free to contact our office to speak to a representative should you have questions about this tour. 

Email us on [email protected] or call us on 617-639-0273 – we’d be delighted to help!

300th Anniversary of 1718 Migration in 2018

2018 marks the 300th anniversary of the 1718 Migration, in which significant numbers of families from the north of Ireland traveled on sailing ships to Boston in America and thence to found towns and communities in America at first in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, and then onwards throughout the continent. 

This journey would pave the way for the thousands more and would mark the start, in particular, of the Scots Irish relocation to America.