Young Clan

Young Clan Crest: A lion rampant issuant Gules holding a sword, Proper.

Young Clan Motto: Robore Prudentia Praestat (Prudence excels strength).

Young Clan History: John Yong de Dyngvale witnessed a Charter by the Earl of Ross in 1342.  The surname derived from being a junior with a distinguished father, similar to being called “Younger.” Various representatives of the name appear in the 14th and 15th centuries – Symone Young in Elgin in 1343; Adam Zung in 1413;  Walter Young in Edinburgh in 1428, and Alexander Yong was Chaplain of the Holy Trinity in Aberdeen in 1439.

Peter Young was born in Dundee in 1544, and on the recommendation of the Regent Moray was appointed Assistant Preceptor to the infant James VI, later becoming the King's Almoner.
Peter's son,  Alexander, was given extensive grants of land in Ireland, and another son, also Peter, was appointed to the Embassy to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

Originally the family owned an estate at Easter Seton in East Lothian, but in 1670 moved to Auldbar in Angus. In 1743, this estate passed to the Chalmers family, who were related through marriage. Clan Young of Auldbar became dormant in the 18th century, but, in 1988, with permission from the Lord Lyon King of Arms, Edward A. Young III of Orlando inaugurated Clan Young in the USA.

Andrew Young (1807-89) was an Edinburgh and St Andrews schoolmaster who wrote There is a Happy Land. James Young (1811-83) manufactured oil from shale in West and Mid Lothian and became known as “Paraffin Young.”In 1870, he founded the Chair of Technical Chemistry at Anderson's College in Glasgow. Douglas Young (1913-73) was born at Tayport in Fife and became a lecturer in Classics at Aberdeen University, St Andrews University, and MacMaster University, Ontario. He wrote A Braird o' Thristels (1947), The Puddocks (1958), and The Burdies (1959).
Brigadier Peter Young (1915-1988) commanded the 9th Arab Legion in Jordan and was reader in Military History at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. In 1968, he founded the Sealed Knot Society.  Lieutenant General Sir David Young, born in 1926, was General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle from 1980 to 1982.

Surname distribution in Scotland: The Young surname is widespread throughout the country with the highest concentrations in Perth and Kinross (Perthshire and Kinross-shire), Fife, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Edinburgh City, the Lothians (Linlithgowshire, Edinburghshire and Haddingtonshire), Dumfries and Galloway (Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire).

Places of Interest: Aldbar or Auldbar Castle at Brechin, in Angus, was a four-storey 16th century tower which was acquired by the Youngs in the 17th century. It was demolished in 1965.

Young Clan membership certificates.