Stewart


Select Stewart Surname Genealogy

Stewart is generally thought of as one of the leading families of Scotland.  The root of the name is the Old English stigweard, meaning a household guardian.  The title was used of an officer controlling the domestic affairs of a household, particularly of a royal household. 

Select Stewart Resources on The Internet

Scotland.  The Stewart family themselves were Normans who had moved to Scotland and, within a few generations, become the High Stewards of Scotland.  One line of Stewarts helped found the royal Stuart line in Scotland (the French spelling as French has no "w").  They were an unlucky dynasty.  Of the fourteen crowned monarchs between 1371 and 1714, four were murdered or executed, two died in battle and one in exile, while seven in succession came to the throne as minors.

There were a number of other non-royal Stewart branches, notably:
  • the Stewarts of Appin in the Highlands (who fought and fell at Culloden)
  • the Stewarts of Atholl in Perthshire (descendants of the 14th century "Wolf of  Badenoch") 
  • the Stewarts of Balquhidder in Stirlingshire (descended from the 15th century Baldorran laird)
  • and the Stuarts of Bute in the Highlands (descended from the 14th century "black" Stewart).
The late 19th century distribution of Stewarts showed that most of them were living in Lowland Scotland. But there were sizeable numbers also in Perthshire, Angus, and Aberdeenshire.

Ireland.  Many from the Scottish Lowlands settled in Ulster in the 17th century; and some of these Scots Irish Stewarts - such as Lazarus Stewart in 1729 - later emigrated to America. 

Alexander Stewart made money from the linen trade and acquired the Mount Stewart estate in county Down in 1744.  A descendant was Robert Stewart, Lord Castlereagh, who was British Foreign Secretary from 1812 until the conclusion of the war with Napoleon.    

Select Stewart Names

Walter Stewart, the 3rd High Steward of Scotland, was the first use to use Stewart as a surname.
Robert Stewart, Lord Castlereagh, was British Foreign Secretary fdrom 1822 to the conclusion of the war with Napoleon.
Jimmy Stewart was a popular American film actor of the 1940's and 1950's.
Jackie Stewart was the F! motor racing champion in the 1970's.
Rod Stewart from Scotland has been, over many decades, a very popular pop singer.
Martha Stewart, an American homemaking advocate, is an author and somewhat controversial business magnate.

Select Stewarts Today
  • 79,000 in the UK (most numerous in Highlands)
  • 89,000 in America (most numerous in Texas)
  • 66,000 elsewhere (most numerous in Australia)
Stewart is the #5 ranked surname in Scotland.


Select Surname List

For other surnames check the companion selectsurname.com site where there are to be found the history and genealogy for more than 500 surnames.

Return to Main Page