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Clan Kidd

Clan Kidd: A Legacy of Angus, Dundee and the Old Caledonia Tartan

Introduction

Clan Kidd, also written Kid, Kyd, Kydd, Kyde and Kydde, is best understood as a Scottish surname and sept tradition, rather than a large chiefly clan with one recognised chief, one ancient clan castle and one continuous territorial lordship.

The name is strongly associated with:

Angus
Dundee
Arbroath
The east of Scotland
Possible Clan Macpherson tartan connection
Possible Clan Fergusson sept tradition
The wider Scottish diaspora

A motto associated with Kidd heraldic material is:

“Donec Impleat”
“Until it fill.”

A crest associated with Kidd family crest tradition is:

A silver crescent.

Modern surname sources identify Robertus Kyd de Dunde in 1357 as an early recorded bearer of the name, placing Kidd/Kyd in the medieval Dundee and Angus area. 

The Kidd tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 1957. Its history is especially interesting because it was designed by Wilsons of Bannockburn around 1790, appeared in their 1819 Key Pattern Book as “No. 43, Kidd or Caledonia,” and was later also certified as MacPherson by the Chief of Clan MacPherson. 

This article explores the history, people, heritage, tartans, surname origins, clan associations and modern legacy of Clan Kidd.

Chapter I: Origins of Clan Kidd

The surname Kidd has several possible origins.

In Scotland, it is often associated with Angus, especially Dundee and Arbroath. One surname-history source states that the Kidd family was first found around Dundee and Arbroath and notes that Robertus Kyd de Dunde is mentioned in 1357. 

Possible origins of the name include:

  • A diminutive or pet form of Christopher

  • A nickname from Middle English kid, meaning a young goat

  • A possible occupational or descriptive nickname

  • A Scottish Lowland surname rooted in Angus and Dundee records

Historic spellings include:

  • Kidd

  • Kid

  • Kyd

  • Kydd

  • Kyde

  • Kydde

The name is not best described as a powerful Highland clan of chiefs, castles and warbands. Instead, it is a Scottish Lowland surname tradition with strong east-coast roots, later tartan identity and possible association with larger clan structures.

For Tartan Time Machine, the safest wording is:

Kidd is a historic Scottish surname with Angus and Dundee roots, a recorded tartan, and sept or associated-name traditions, rather than a major chiefly clan in its own right.

Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands

Clan Kidd’s strongest Scottish associations include:

  • Dundee

  • Arbroath

  • Angus

  • The east coast of Scotland

  • Fife and the eastern Lowlands

  • Perthshire traditions in some Kidd society material

  • The Scottish diaspora

  • Canada

  • The United States

  • Australia

  • New Zealand

ScotlandShop states that the Kidd family name is associated with Arbroath in Angus, and that an early recorded form was Robertus Kyd de Dunde in 1357. 

House of Names similarly places early Kidd history in Dundee and Arbroath, describing the name as an old Angus surname. 

This makes Kidd a name of the eastern Scottish Lowlands, not the western Highlands.

There is no single widely recognised “Kidd Castle” in the way Clan Campbell has Inveraray or Clan Irvine has Drum. For Kidd descendants, the most important places are likely to be:

  • Parish records

  • Burgh records

  • Dundee archives

  • Angus kirk sessions

  • Arbroath records

  • Migration records

  • Tartan and sept records

The Kidd story is therefore a genealogical and surname-history story rather than a castle-centred chiefly saga.

Chapter III: Important People of Clan Kidd

Gilchrist Kide

One early form of the name appears as Gilchrist Kide, who is said to have held land near the River Nethan between 1180 and 1203. 

This shows an early medieval form of the surname or byname in Scottish records.

Robertus Kyd de Dunde

Robertus Kyd de Dunde is one of the most important early recorded bearers of the name.

He appears in 1357, and his name means Robert Kyd of Dundee. 

This gives Clan Kidd a clear medieval Dundee connection.

The Kidds of Angus

The Kidds of Angus and Dundee represent the strongest Scottish root of the name.

They belonged to the Lowland burgh and parish world rather than the Gaelic clan structure of the Highlands.

William “Captain” Kidd

The most famous historical bearer of the surname was:

William Kidd, better known as Captain Kidd

He was born in or around Dundee in the mid-17th century according to many surname and clan-summary sources. ScotlandShop gives his birth year as 1654 and identifies Dundee as his birthplace. 

Captain Kidd became a privateer and later one of the most famous alleged pirates in history. He was tried and executed in 1701 after returning from the Indian Ocean. 

His story gives the Kidd name a dramatic maritime association, though it should not be confused with formal clan chiefship.

Benjamin Kidd

Benjamin Kidd was a Scottish author listed among notable bearers of the surname in surname-history material.

He reflects the intellectual and literary side of the name’s later history.

Chapter IV: Castles, Strongholds and Historic Sites

Dundee

Dundee is one of the most important places for Kidd heritage.

The early recorded Robertus Kyd de Dunde connects the name directly with Dundee in 1357. 

For Kidd descendants, Dundee is a strong place to begin family-history research.

Arbroath

Arbroath is another important place connected with the name.

ScotlandShop and surname-history sources both associate the Kidd family with Arbroath and Angus. 

Arbroath also carries wider Scottish significance through Arbroath Abbey and the Declaration of Arbroath, making it a rich heritage setting for east-coast Scottish families.

Angus

Angus is the wider ancestral landscape of the Kidd name.

This region includes Dundee, Arbroath, Forfar, kirkyards, burgh records, farming communities, coastal trade and Lowland Scottish family networks.

The Parish and Burgh Archive as Stronghold

For Clan Kidd, the most meaningful “stronghold” may not be a castle.

It is the archive.

Because Kidd is a surname tradition rather than a large chiefly clan, its real ancestral evidence is likely to be found in:

  • Baptism records

  • Marriage registers

  • Burgh records

  • Merchant records

  • Wills and testaments

  • Dundee and Angus parish entries

  • Emigration records

  • Military and maritime records

For Kidd descendants, family history is the castle.

Chapter V: Battles, Wars and Clan Events

Clan Kidd does not have one famous independent clan battle under a recognised Kidd chief.

Its history is better understood through:

  • Medieval surname records

  • Angus and Dundee roots

  • Possible sept traditions

  • Tartan history

  • Maritime migration

  • Diaspora settlement

  • The fame of Captain Kidd

Medieval Dundee Records

The record of Robertus Kyd de Dunde in 1357 is one of the key events in Kidd surname history. 

It anchors the name in medieval Scotland.

Possible Clan Macpherson Tartan Connection

The Kidd tartan has a strong connection with MacPherson tartan history.

The Scottish Register of Tartans states that the pattern was designed by Wilsons of Bannockburn around 1790 and appeared in their 1819 Key Pattern Book as “No. 43, Kidd or Caledonia.” It also notes that in 1817, the Chief of Clan MacPherson certified the tartan as that of his clan, and that today it is still sold and worn as Kidd, MacPherson and Caledonia. 

This makes the Kidd tartan one of the more interesting cases in tartan history.

Possible Clan Fergusson Sept Tradition

Some Kidd society material states that Kidd has been treated as a sept of Clan Fergusson, possibly connected with the Perthshire Tay valley near Angus. That same source also states clearly that the Kidd clan was never officially registered with the Lord Lyon and had no chief to claim rights to the tartan under the Kidd name. 

For accuracy, the best wording is:

Kidd may be associated by some sources with Clan Fergusson, while its tartan is historically entangled with MacPherson and Caledonia tartan naming. Kidd itself does not appear to have a recognised chief in the formal Lord Lyon sense.

Captain Kidd and the Maritime World

William “Captain” Kidd gives the surname an international maritime fame.

His life belongs to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean world of privateering, piracy accusations, empire, trade and execution.

Although he was not a clan chief, his fame made the Kidd name globally recognisable.

Diaspora Migration

Kidd families spread through:

  • England

  • Ireland

  • Canada

  • The United States

  • Australia

  • New Zealand

  • The Caribbean

Ancestry surname data records Kidd families in the USA, UK, Canada and Scotland between 1840 and 1920, with many found in the USA by 1880 and Yorkshire by 1891. 

This makes Kidd a strong diaspora surname with Scottish and wider British roots.

Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge

Crest Tradition

A crest associated with Kidd family material is:

A silver crescent

Scotcrest lists the Kidd crest as:

Crescent Silver 

The crescent can suggest:

  • Growth

  • Hope

  • Renewal

  • Increase

  • A rising family

  • Light in darkness

Because Kidd does not appear to have a universally recognised Scottish clan chief, crest usage should be treated carefully. In Scottish heraldry, a crest belongs to an armiger, not automatically to every bearer of a surname.

For blog accuracy, the best wording is:

Kidd has crest and motto traditions in commercial and family-heritage sources, but it should not be presented as having one universally recognised chiefly crest in the same way as a major chiefly clan.

Motto Tradition

A motto associated with Kidd is:

“Donec Impleat”

This is translated as:

“Until it fill.” 

The motto pairs naturally with the crescent symbol, suggesting growth toward fullness.

Clan Badge

A distinct plant badge for Clan Kidd is not consistently recorded.

For accuracy, the strongest Kidd symbols are:

  • The Kidd tartan

  • The crescent crest tradition

  • The motto “Donec Impleat”

  • Angus and Dundee roots

  • Arbroath connections

  • Possible Fergusson sept tradition

  • MacPherson/Caledonia tartan overlap

  • Captain Kidd’s maritime legacy

Chapter VII: Clan Tartans

Clan Kidd has a recorded tartan, and its history is one of the most interesting aspects of the name.

Kidd Tartan

The Kidd tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 1957.

The register states that the tartan was designed by Wilsons of Bannockburn around 1790 and included in their 1819 Key Pattern Book as:

No. 43, Kidd or Caledonia

It also states that in 1817, the Chief of Clan MacPherson certified the tartan as that of his clan, and that today the tartan is still sold and worn as:

Kidd
MacPherson
Caledonia 

This means the Kidd tartan is historically genuine as a recorded tartan, but its identity overlaps with MacPherson and Caledonia naming traditions.

Kidd or Caledonia

The name Kidd or Caledonia is important because it shows that the tartan was not always used in the strict modern idea of one tartan belonging exclusively to one clan.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, tartans could be sold, renamed, certified or associated in ways that later became more fixed.

Kidd and MacPherson Connection

Because the Chief of Clan MacPherson certified the same pattern as MacPherson in 1817, many modern sources connect the Kidd tartan with MacPherson. 

This does not mean every Kidd is automatically MacPherson by blood.

It means the tartan history overlaps.

Kidd Ancient and Modern Tartans

Modern suppliers often offer Kidd tartan in:

  • Ancient

  • Modern

  • Weathered

  • Muted

  • Dress or variant forms where available

The usual difference is dye tone:

  • Ancient colours are softer and lighter.

  • Modern colours are deeper and stronger.

  • Weathered colours are more muted and aged.

The Meaning of Kidd Tartan Today

For modern Kidd descendants, tartan represents:

  • Angus and Dundee roots

  • A recorded Scottish tartan identity

  • The old Kidd or Caledonia pattern

  • MacPherson tartan overlap

  • Scottish surname pride

  • Diaspora connection

The Kidd tartan gives this Scottish surname tradition a visible and wearable identity.

Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions

Clan Kidd represents a Scottish surname identity built on Angus roots, tartan history, maritime fame and diaspora survival.

Its story includes:

  • Dundee and Arbroath associations

  • Early records such as Robertus Kyd de Dunde in 1357

  • Spellings such as Kidd, Kyd and Kydd

  • A recorded Kidd tartan

  • The old Kidd or Caledonia pattern

  • MacPherson tartan connection

  • Possible Fergusson sept tradition

  • Captain Kidd’s global fame

  • A crescent crest tradition

  • The motto “Donec Impleat”

Associated spellings include:

  • Kidd

  • Kid

  • Kyd

  • Kydd

  • Kyde

  • Kydde

The Kidd story is not the story of a great chief in a Highland fortress.

It is the story of an old Scottish surname, rooted in the east, carried through records, tartans, sea-routes and the global Scottish diaspora.

Chapter IX: Clan Kidd Today

Today, Kidd is best described as a Scottish surname and sept tradition.

It does not appear to have a current recognised chief in the formal Court of the Lord Lyon sense. Kidd society material also states that the Kidd clan was never officially registered with the Lord Lyon and therefore had no chief to claim rights to the tartan under the Kidd name. 

Modern Kidd identity can be found through:

  • Family history research

  • Tartan wearing

  • Scottish heritage events

  • Dundee and Angus records

  • Arbroath family research

  • Possible Fergusson sept tradition

  • MacPherson tartan association

  • Diaspora communities across the world

For Kidd descendants, the best first step is to trace the known family region:

Dundee?
Arbroath?
Angus?
Perthshire?
Yorkshire?
Ireland?
Canada?
The United States?
Australia?

That will determine whether the strongest heritage path is Scottish, English, Irish, or diaspora-based.

The name stands today as a symbol of east-coast Scottish roots, tartan identity, maritime legend and family endurance.

Chapter X: Legacy of Clan Kidd

The story of Clan Kidd begins in the old east of Scotland, among the records of Dundee, Angus and Arbroath.

It does not need a great castle to matter.

Its strength lies in surname survival, tartan memory, family records and global recognition.

Its tartan, once known as Kidd or Caledonia, links the name to the great weaving history of Scotland.

Its crescent crest tradition suggests growth toward fullness.

Its motto gives the name a quiet voice:

Donec Impleat — Until it fill.

From medieval Dundee to the wider Scottish diaspora, from Angus records to Captain Kidd’s global legend, Clan Kidd continues to carry its history forward.

Its legacy is written in tartan, crescents, old parish records, sea stories, family names and the pride of those who still honour the name.

Tartan Time Machine Closing Paragraph

At Tartan Time Machine, we bring Scotland’s past into the present by exploring the clans, castles, battles, kirkyards, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.

Clan Kidd is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Angus roots, Dundee records, Arbroath heritage, Kidd or Caledonia tartan, crescent symbols, maritime legend and the enduring Scottish surname tradition carried across the world.

Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:

www.tartantimemachine.com