Kerr Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kerr last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Kerr last name
Meaning of the Kerr last name: dweller by the marshy scrubland. Kerr is a topographic name from Old Norse kjarr, "brushwood, wet ground with scrub", for someone who lived by such land. It is above all a name of the Scottish Borders, where the Kerrs of Ferniehirst and of Cessford were leading families of the Middle March. The name is usually pronounced "car". It is very common in Ulster, and Ker is a related spelling. The Old Norse word reflects Scandinavian settlement in northern England and southern Scotland, and the same word gave the northern English dialect word carr, "marshy ground". The Kerrs of Ferniehirst and Cessford were rival branches, and their feuds were part of the turbulent history of the Border marches in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later the Cessford line became the Dukes of Roxburghe and the Ferniehirst line the Marquesses of Lothian. Scottish settlers took the name to Ulster in the 17th century, and from there many Kerrs went on to North America.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Kerr name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Kerr name in Scotland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Northern Ireland, Canada and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Kerr pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Kerr coat of arms for you.
Kerr name FAQ
What does the Kerr name mean?
Dweller by the marshy scrubland. Common variants include Ker, Carr, Karr.
Where does the Kerr surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Northern Ireland, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Kerr coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Kerr crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kerr coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).