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Armstrong Surname Origin & Last Name Meaning

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Armstrong Surname Origin

A name given for strength in battle. Historians relate the following tradition: This family was anciently settled on the Scottish border; their original name was Fairbairn, which was changed to Armstrong on the following occasion: An ancient king of Scotland having had his horse killed under him in battle, was immediately re-mounted by Fairbairn, his armor-bearer, on his own horse. For this timely assistance he amply rewarded him with lands on the borders, and to perpetuate the memory of so important a service, as well as the manner in which it was performed (for Fairbairn took the king by the thigh, and set him on the saddle), his royal master gave him the appellation of Armstrong. The chief seat of Johnnie Armstrong was Gilnockie, in Eskdale, a place of exquisite beauty. Johnnie was executed by order of James V., in 1529, as a "Border Freebooter." Andrew Armstrong sold his patrimony to one of his kinsmen, and emigrated to the north of Ireland in the commencement of the seventeenth century. The Armstrongs were always noted for their courage and daring. In the "Lay of the Last Minstrel," when the chief was about to assemble his clans, he says to his heralds: "Ye need not go to Liddisdale, For when they see the blazing bale Elliots and Armstrongs never fail."
Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import; Arthur, William, M.A.; New York, NY: Sheldon, Blake, Bleeker & CO., 1857.

For a more detailed definition for Armstrong or other surnames, search the FREE Ancestry.com Name Dictionary.

Armstrong Last Name Meaning   



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Armstrong in Ancestry.com Records
Start your family tree and learn the story of your family in the world's largest online collection of genealogy records and family trees. Look for additional generations to add to your family history. Find details such as family relationships, age, residence, occupation, year of immigration to the U.S. & ancestral town. Other genealogy records include birth, marriage and death records as well as biographies, military records, family history books, and historical newspapers.


Armstrong at the Mormon LDS Database
Trace your Armstrong family in the vast resources of the Mormon LDS genealogy online databases which includes the Ancestral File, transcribed census records, extracted church records from around the world, family trees, and the International Genealogical Index.


Armstrong at RootsWeb databases
Search for your Armstrong ancestors in multiple RootsWeb genealogy databases including the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), RootsWeb Surname List, World Connect, vital records, cemetery listings, census records, church records. The oldest and largest free genealogy site on the internet.


Armstrong Family Tree Connection
Discover unique genealogy resources such as fraternal organizations, school records, church memberships, business associations, graduation lists, clubs & societies, vehicle registrations, employment records, orphanage residents, insurance claims, and mining accidents.




Communicate with others researching the Armstrong surname:


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Armstrong in RootsWeb surname mailing lists
Join others on the Armstrong genealogy mailing list for discussion and sharing of information regarding family histories of Armstrong surname and its variations. Note: Not all surnames have a mailing list. If you get the "Page is Not Available" message, no mailing list is available. Instead, check the index of mailing lists for a sound-alike name.


Armstrong in Ancestry Message Boards
Browse or post a query about your genealogy, surname origin, or family history in the Armstrong surname forum. Look for unknown cousins or relatives with whom you may have lost touch.




Look for your Armstrong family in published books:



Armstrong in Ancestry Family and Local Histories
Read online surname origin books, biographies, journals, county histories, multi-generational genealogies & family trees, memoirs and other first-hand historical narratives which pertain to the Armstrong family name to help add detail and personality to the pages of your family history.


Armstrong Self-Published Genealogy Books
Search for your Armstrong Family History. The original copies of self-published genealogies were usually printed in small editions - sometimes only two hundred copies or less - and they are now very rare. Today these difficult-to-find books have been reprinted for research and to pass on to your children and grandchildren as precious family heirlooms.





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Armstrong Surname Facts

Countries of Origin for the Armstrong Surname
View the countries of origin for the Armstrong surname based on passenger lists to the US.


Distribution of the Armstrong Surname in UK
View a map of the distribution of Armstrong families in the UK.


Distribution of Armstrong Surname in US
See a map of the distribution of Armstrong families in the US. 1920   1880   1840




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You will get the best search results if you double-check your spelling. Be sure to search for Armstrong ancestor not ansestor or ancester; ancestry, not ancestory or ancestery. Surname is the preferred spelling, but sometimes you may see alternate spellings sirname and sirename.