Steward History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Scotland’s history is inextricably linked to that of the Royal Clan, the Clan Stewart. The surname Steward was an occupational name for a steward, the official in charge of a noble household and its treasury. It derives from the Old English word “stigweard,” a compound of “stig,” or “household,” and “weard,” or “guardian.” As every great house, Earl and Bishop in medieval England and Scotland had its stewards, this office has given rise to many lines of this hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Steward family

The surname Steward was first found in Scotland, where records of Steward as a surname, and not just an occupation began to be found from the 13th century. The ancestors of the famed Royal Stewart line of Scotland descend from a family Breton nobles named Flaald, the name is therefore of Anglo-Norman extraction. The name arrived in Britain with Alan, a knight who settled in Oswestry in Shropshire.