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DAVIDSON



Scottish Origins

Coat of Arms: A blue shield with a red buck lying down, on a gold fess between three gold arrow heads.

Crest: A buck's head.

Motto: Sapienter si sincere.

Motto Translated: Wisely if sincerely.
Davidson coat of arms - Scottish
English Origins:  [same arms as depicted above]

Coat of Arms: A blue shield with a red buck lying down, on a gold fess between three gold arrow heads.
Crest: A deer's head.

Motto: Sapienter si sincere.
Motto Translated: Wisely if sincerely.


Welsh Origins:

Coat of Arms: A red shield with a gold stag trippant

Crest: Description not available
Motto: Sapienter si sincere - "Wisely if sincerely".
Badge: A stag's head.
Septs of the Clan:
Davie, Davis, Dawson, Dow, Kay, Macdade, Macdaid, MacDavid.
Variations:  Davis, Davies, Davidiy, Davidi, Davie, Dawson, Dow, Kay, Macdade, Macdaid, MacDavid
DAVEE (British).  "Lullaby word for darling or friend".
DAVID (Universal). Originally "darling," later "friend" (Hebrew), through Old Testament king, or the patron saint of Wales, or one of two Scottish kings.
DAVIDSON (British). "Son of David".
DAVIES (British). "Son of David" - Davies is the typical Welsh spelling.
DAVIS (British). "A lullaby word, darling then friendly".
DAVIS (British). English form of Davies.
Names associated with the clan: MACDAVID DENE DAVISON DAVISOUN DAW DAWE DAWES DAWESON DAVYSONE DAVITSON DAVYSON DAVIS DAUSON DEASONE DAUISOUN DAVIE DAUISONE DEASON DAWYSOUN DEANE DAUISON DAVIDSON DAUIESONE DAUYSONE DEASSOUN DAWSON DAUSOUN DAWYSONE DEIN DAWSONE DAVIDSONE DASON DAUYSON DEAN DAVESON DAUESOUN DAUESON DAVIESOUNE DEASSON DASONE DESSON DEYNE KEY KAYE KAE KAY KEE KEAY MACDAID MACDADE

Davidson is the 262nd most popular last name (surname) in the United States; frequency is 0.041%; percentile is 28.032 [SourceCBN]
"Unlike many Highland clan names which begin with the Gaelic 'mac' meaning 'son of', the son oDavidson - Welsh coat of armsf David took the non-Gaelic form and became Davidson. There are a number of different Davidson lines but the most significant was from Badenoch. They may have been a branch of the Comyns (Cummings) who were defeated by Robert the Bruce and became known as Clan Dhai when the Comyn name was prescribed around 1320. They became attached to the Clan Chattan confederation and David Dubh of Invernahaven, the first known bearer of the Highland line of Davidsons, married a daughter of the 6th chief of the Mackintosh clan.
The full mantle consists of the shield displaying the arms that was given to the person bearing this surname; a banner with surname; a helmet; and family crest [if known]. See a sample of full mantle by - at right. Normally the crest is displayed atop the helmet. To order a full mantle with coat of arms and family crest click here
sample coat of arms [full]
Sample Coat of Arms - Full
"The Davidsons became quite powerful but they became involved in various feuds, particularly with the MacPhersons (another part of Clan Chattan), following a dispute in 1370 over who should lead the right wing in a battle between the Clan Chattan and the Camerons. The MacPhersons withdrew and the Davidsons suffered heavy casualties. The Davidsons are said to have formed a part of the Clan Chattan force which fought in the famous "Battle of the Clans" at Perth in 1396. This was staged in front of King Robert III. As a result of these two battles, the Davidsons lost many men and declined in power and became scattered.
The chieftainship of the clan was held by a Davidson from Tulloch for many years, possibly after the chief moved north after the Battle of the Clans. There were Davidsons in Tulloch,  Ross-shire through to the early part of the 20th century. Tulloch Castle was the seat of the Davidson chief for many years.
There were Davidsons of Cantray, Inverness and Davidsons of Inchmarlo, Deeside. The Davidsons in Aberdeen can be traced back to the late 14th century when Robert Davidson was Provost of the city - he was killed at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411.

In the south, probably unconnected to those in the Highlands, there were Davidsons in Ayrshire, Roxburghshire, Midlothian and Edinburgh. In the early 1600s, Queen Elizabeth I had a secretary named Davidson "whose grandfather was out of

 the North" and in the reign of Charles II, the Scots Commercial Representative at Veere in Holland was Sir William Davidson from Dundee.

The Davidson clan motto is "Sapienter si sincere" which means "Wisely if sincerely".

Surnames regarded as septs (sub-branch) of the Davidson clan include Davie, Davis, Davison, Dawson, Day, Dean, Dow, Kay, McDade, McDaid, MacDavid.

Davidson was the 24th most frequent surname at the General Register Office in 1995.
LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL IDENTITY






From: http://www.scottish-heirloom.com/dvdindx1.htm
The infancy of the Scottish nation was a turbulent time, where survival was dependent on sheer strength and the force of law lay on the edge of a battle worn claymore. With this in mind, it is little wonder that the Davidsons were one of the earliest Clans to join the mighty Clan Chattan, a powerful group of Clans renowned throughout Scotland's history. This confederation of related Clans would amass under a common flag when faced with a foe foolhardy enough to challenge a member of Clan Chattan, crossing swords with the enemy for the sake of the alliance. Clan Davidson trace their ancestry back to the union of Donald Comyn and Slane Mackintosh at the beginning of the 14th Century. It was a bonding of two great Clans, with Donald's grandfather being the great Red Comyn, Robert the Bruce's greatest rival for the Scottish throne, and on his bride's side came the influential Clan Mackintosh, as Slane's father was the sixth Mackintosh chief. The leaders of the Mackintoshes hold the honour of commanding Clan Chattan, and so Slane's family were gladly inducted into the alliance by her kinsfolk. The Clan Davidson takes its name from David, son of Donald and Slane, whose descendants became known as Clan Dhai, or the MacDhais, whose name became anglicised through the course of time to Davidson.

From: Rampant Scotland
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