Clan Gordon

Crest & Motto

Clan Gordon crest 3D model with Bydand motto, STL file for 3D printing or CNC carving The Gordon crest shows a stag’s head, and the motto is a single old Scots word: Bydand, usually rendered steadfast or abiding.

History

Unusually for a Highland power, the Gordons were Anglo-Norman in origin, taking their name from the lands of Gordon in Berwickshire in the 12th century. The family’s great leap north came when Sir Adam Gordon, a supporter of Robert the Bruce, was granted the lordship of Strathbogie in Aberdeenshire in the early 14th century. From their castle at Huntly the Gordons built a territorial empire across Strathbogie, the Enzie, Deeside and Badenoch, becoming the dominant force in the northeast, their chief known as the Cock o’ the North.

The chiefs were created Earls of Huntly in 1445 and effectively governed the north for the Stewart kings. Their power reached its limit in 1562, when the 4th Earl confronted the government of Mary, Queen of Scots and was defeated at the Battle of Corrichie. The family recovered: the earldom became a marquessate in 1599, the oldest still subsisting in the Peerage of Scotland. The 2nd Marquess, a devoted royalist, was beheaded in 1649 during the civil wars, and Gordons fought on both sides in the Jacobite risings, with Lord Lewis Gordon raising men for the prince in 1745.

The Gordon name became a global brand of Scottish soldiering when the 4th Duke of Gordon and his duchess, Jean, raised the Gordon Highlanders in 1794, by legend recruiting with a kiss and a shilling. The dukedom died out in 1836, but the chiefship continued through the Marquesses of Huntly. Gordon emigration and the regiment’s imperial service planted the name across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Clan Chief

The current chief is Granville Charles Gomer Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly, Premier Marquess of Scotland, of Aboyne Castle in Aberdeenshire, chief since 1987.

Clan Tartan

The Gordon tartan in ancient colours. The sett dates from 1794, when the yellow stripe was added to the government pattern for the Gordon Highlanders.

The Dress Gordon tartan in ancient colours, often worn for Highland dance. Sett recorded in 1906.

Septs and Family Names

Many family names are counted among the septs of Clan Gordon. If your surname appears here, your family history leads back to this clan: Ackane, Adam, Adamson, Addie, Addison, Adkins, Aiken, Aitchison, Aitken, Akane, Akins, Atkin, Atkins, Atkinson, Badenoch, Barrie, Connon, Connor, Cote, Craig, Crombie, Culane, Cullen, Darg, Darge, Dorward, Duff, Durward, Eadie, Eddie, Edie, Edison, Esslemont, Garden, Gardiner, Gardner, Garioch, Garrick, Garrock, Geddes, Gerrie, Gerry, Haddo, Haddow, Harrison, Huntley, Huntly, Jeffrey, Jessiman, Jolly, Jopp, Jupp, Laing, Lang, Laurie, Lawrie, Leng, Ling, Long, MacAdam, MacGwyverdyne, Mallett, Manteach, Marr, Maver, McGonigal, Meldrum, Mill, Milles, Mills, Miln, Milne, Milner, Milnes, Moir, More, Morrice, Muir, Mylne, Pittendriegh, Pittendrigh, Shellgren, Steel, Steele, Teal, Tod, Todd, Troup.

Unsure how clan names, crests and septs work? Our guide to Scottish clan names explains the rules.