Blazon of Arms: Argent a lion rampant qules crowned with an antique crown or. Translation: A standing red lion with a gold crown on a background of silver.  The lion represents Generosity, Courage and a Foe to Fear - an old symbol of Scotland.

Crest: An eagle of sable, displayed proper.
Translation: A black eagle with wings outspread.  The eagle denotes a Man of Action occupied with Affairs of State.

Origin: The Grant of Armes states that in Northumbria, England, in the year 1640, one ARTHUR T. SLOAN of KILCRANNIC, SCOTLAND was granted said armorial device by Norrcy, King of Armes of England, for Meritorious Service for King and Realm. That the device is to be used by the memorialist and his heirs. The latin inscription reads "Given unto this gentleman, this year of our lord; I take my hand and affix my seal".The grant bears the signature and seal of the heraldfic officer certifying the Armes.

The Progenitor Memorialist for Sloan - As a Scotsman was awarded a grant of armes by an English King of Arm by petition of His Majesty King James VI of Scotland; King James I of England for quelling border raids and quarrels.

Etymology of Surname: Onomatology - The science of names and their derivation, is, in part, very important to the heraldic researcher. Many names have undergone great changes through the centuries. The Sloan name first appeared in the British Isles circa the 5th century, and is derived of the Gaelic - Anglo languages. The name is classed as a patronymic of " Slaughan "- A soldier or warrior.

This historical information was contributed by Lyle Sloan, Jan 1998.  All of the foregoing research information and the emblazoning of the heraldic armes were completed by The American Heraldic Institute, a certified heraldry house, Sacramento, California.

References; Heraldic- Burkes General Armory- pg-934
           Richmond, Herald of England
           Lyon Registery of Scotland- Genealogical- ibid- Clan Things of Scotland - pg 197.
           Onomatological-Reaney- British Surnames.

The Sloan motto is from the Royal Book of Crests of Great Britian & Ireland, Dominion of Canada , India & Australasia, Vol. I, by James Macveigh, London 1883.  Thanks to Major Mike Sloan of Guernsey, British Channel Islands for providing the information.

The Historical Research Center states: "The surname Sloan, ultimately Scottish in Origin is an anglicised form of the Gaelic O’Sluaghain or O’Sluagahadain. The prefix "O" signifies "grandson of" or descendant and indicates the patronymic orgin of the name while the first name, a form of the Middle Irish personal name suluagadach. is derived from "sluagh", a hosting or army, hence the "leader of a military expedition".

Early recorded instances of the name include a reference to William Slowane who held a tenament (i.e. he held land by tenure) near Dalkeith in 1504 and Johnne Slowane who was a juror at Kirkcudbright in 1508. John Aslowane, a burgess of Edinburgh, was the contractor for the "leid mynis of Gengoner and Wenlok" in 1562 and another John Sloan had asine (legal possession) of land in the parish of Traquair in 1565. Finally, George Aslowane was charged in 1613 with taking part in the performance of mass against the Act of parliament.
Source: The Historical Reseach Center®

Colette Sloan Stoneking has discovered that  "Von Sluaghain" is Welsh for The Sloan Family Name, Von means Son or Son Of  and Sluaghain is the Gaeilge form of Sloane/Sloan.  She came across a spoon engraved with the Family name of Von Sloane and her Seanaithair (gaelic for grandfather) said that it was a Sloan Family Heirloom. She believes this Gaeilge form of Sloan was established in Wales in about 1248. 

Blazon of Arms: Gules a sword in pale, point downards proper, pommel and hilt or,  between two boars' heads couped at the neck of the third, on a chief ermine a lion passant of the first between two mascles sable.

*****

This Coat of Arms was contributed in Nov 1997 by David Jon Sloan and came from a Sloan researcher in Northern Ireland.  David offers this explanation : "I believe this coat of arms is widely accepted in the UK, especially in Ulster, Northern Ireland, where the SLOAN name was gaelicised/anglicised.  The meaning ties in directly with the version of the Celtic word "Sluagh" which means "host or army", and has it's origin in Ulster.  It can be associated with the Gaelic family name " O'Sluaghadan " in Ancient Kirkcudbright(shire) in south west Scotland. It means "leader of a military expedition" (Hence, the sword, the color red, the Boar representing a hunting expedition, the walking lion searching for his enemy, and the mascle representing the meshes of net in armor or the links of a chain used to bind the hands of captives.)

*****
Harlan Soan was able to confirm that the Coat of Arms awarded to Sir Hans Sloane matches the description of this Blazon of Arms.  Sloane (Chelsea, co. Middlesex, baronet, extinct 1753; Sir Hans Sloane, M.D., youngest son of Alexander Sloane, Esq., Of Killyleagh, co. Down, was created a baronet 1716, left two daus. his co-heirs: Sarah, m. George Stanley, Esq., of Poultons, co. Southampton, and Elizabeth, m. Charles, second Lord Cadogan). 
*****
Bill Sloan of Geilo, Norway found the crest (gold lion's head) and motto separately in a weekly newspaper coat of arms clipping, exact description and source were not given.

I ran across this handwritten note from an unknown Sloan researher “ A branch of this family was that of Peter Sloan, landowner of Rochester, County Kent, who was granted a Coat of Arms in 1522.  This is the oldest Sloan Arms, it is the custom today for modern branches to adopt these arms in order to preserve tradition.”  Does anyone have a picture or description of this Coat of this Coat of Arms?

SLOAN IS A THIRTEEN LETTER WORD!!
This additional Sloan surname information was contributed by David Lang, Sep 1998

Variant spellings:  O'Sloane, Sloyan, O'Slowey, Sloane, Sloyan or Sloyne (a rare Mayo name) & Sloane (of east Ulster) are both stated by Woulfe to be anglicized forms of O' Sluaghain, an abbreviated form of O'Sluaghadhain, which is derived primarily from the Irish word slaugh, a host, legion. Woulfe further suggests that it is a variant of O'Sluaghadhaigh (Slowey) of west Ulster, which is now a rare surname but was of importance in early mediaeval times.  In north Connacht, Maelpatrick O'Slowey, who died in 1015, is described by the Four Masters as "sage of Ireland". After 1200 references to both these names are very infrequent until the seventeenth century:  from there on Sloane is closely connected with Co. Down.  In 1659 the census enumerators found Slowan one of the most numerous Irish names in the barony of Newry, while one Alexander Sloane is returned as a titulado in the barony of Kinelarty.  Slowey has become Molloy in counties Cavan and Monaghan though the elision of the C in Mac and aspiration of the S.

An Explanation of the SLOANE spelling

Martin Sloan's research of the name indicates that the clan originated in the Connemara region of Ireland. Martin states: "The old Irish spelling for the name is O'Sluaigheain (the modern standardized Irish spelling is O'Sluain) from the root Slua meaning crowd or many (basically rent a mob), apparently we made up a large part of Queen Meadbh's army that attacked Ulster in tain legend and many of the clan settled in Ulster after that battle. From there many traveled to Scotland during the 16th and 17th century, this is where my part of the clan originates.  What may be of slight interest is the English spelling of the name, when an e is added to the end it usually indicates the person being of Presbyterian descent."

Now that makes sense!  I suspect that Presbyterian and the Catholic Sloans/Sloanes wanted to make the distinction.  I would be interested to know if that held true in Catholic areas of the North America.  I'm quite sure the tradition was lost in the Scot-Irish areas of central and southern United States.

By the way, I've now run across a "SLOANES" spelling.  Colin Sloanes tells me his family is from Sunderland (northern England) and that it's rare spelling.  Richard Bulmer says: “This variant of the original name of Sloane was peculiar to Sunderland until modern times…. I have done a lot of research the Sloanes family - another branch changed the name to Sloan. Others continued with Sloane.”  Frank Mitchell

The SLONE spelling

I have never seen any authoritative explanation for this spelling.  It probably got started as a mis-spelling of the Sloan/Sloane.   Some of the East Kentucky clan have explained that the SLOANE people were rich, the SLOANs the regular crowd and the SLONEs were the poor folks.  I guess you need to have money to buy a vowel!!  If you have had a chance to look at as many old Sloan wills, estate papers and census records as I have, then you've noticed that the spelling changes all the time.  Frequently going back and forth between Sloan and Slone in the same county, and sometimes even the SAME DOCUMENT!!  Most of the time, the person doing the writing (county clerk, census taker) was not the person bearing the Sloan/Slone name.  It appears that permanent spellings were established after 1900 with the use of Birth Certificates and Social Security Cards.  Several researchers have stated that their ancestor's Slone spellings got converted to Sloan when the SS cards were issued.  Over time, it appears the Slones of east Kentucky and West Virginia have maintained the SLONE spelling.  The Sloan/Slone distribution maps confirm this.

    An interesting footnote, Violet Spencer of Saskatchewan, Canada did a telephonic survery of the Sloans/Sloanes/Slones in Ottawa.  When she phoned a "Slone" she was told that the name is not Irish and that it comes from Eastern Europe and is a Jewish name.  Ben J. Slone, III in his researh of the Slone name came across a similar story of a Jewish Slone family from Slovenia. 

J. Eric Slone provides a more detailed explanation:"The name "Slone" and it's other spellings, when dealing with Eastern European origins, generally comes from "Slonimsky."  This is generally a name someone has who's family came from (at one time) Slonim in Belarus.  There was a large Jewish population in this area before WWII.  This is the case with my family, which came to the US in the early 1900's.  My grandfather Americanized his name at Ellis Island and the clerk there spelled it "Slone".  His brothers came over later (and together) and it was spelled "Sloane."  Slon in Russian means elephant.  Some Slone's are derived from this word, like other names (Ptak = bird).  We are Jewish, but I've corresponded with Slone's (Slonimsky's) who were
not. 

 I haven't run into an Irish or English Slone yet.  Are there any out there??   Frank Mitchell

Be sure to take a look at Ben's Slone Family Homepage for more Slone Information.

SLAAENS of Norway

Eva Seim of Oslo, Norway indentifed some of her family in the US that imigrated from the "Slaaen" farm in Fron, Oppland County, Norway.  The Norwegian "aa" is pronounced as a long "o" so "Slaaen" is pronounced as "Sloan" and that spelling was adopted after in arrival in Minnesota & South Dakota.  Eva explains that in early Norway, people were named both with patronyms (as Olsen = son of Ole, Olsdatter = daughter of Ole etc.), but also with name of the farm they lived at. Of course the farm name was more of an address and it would change if the person moved to another farm.  Slaa (or slå) also means 'to cut grass'.  Since the Slaaen farms often are high up in
the mountain area, this is probably the origin of the name is this particular case.  There are other Norwegian Sloans, I don't know if this explanation applies to all of them. 

THE NAME AND FAMILY OF “SLOAN”
by Henry Bacon McKoy

The name of Sloan or Sloane is of ancient Celtic orgin, and it is said by some historians to have been derived from the name Sluaghan, meaning “soldier” or “warrior.”  One writer on the subject says, “In Scotland a Sloan is a covetous person,” but the derivation given above is more generally accepted.  In early records the name is found in various forms of Sluaghan, Slughain, Sluaighin, Slone, Slon, Sloyan, Sloyne, Sloan, Sloane and others of which the two spellings last mentioned are those most frequently found in America in modern times.

On branch of the family was represented in the early seventeenth century by Alexander Sloan, of Killileagh or White’s Castle, in the county of Down Ireland.  He, like most of the family, was of the landed or merchant class and held the office of Receiver General to the Lord Claneboy of the taxes of that county.  Alexander married Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Hicks, of Winchester, chaplain to the Archisbhop Laud, and had seven sons, James, Alexander, Henry, William, John, Robert, and Hans.  Of these brothers Alexander, Henry, John and Robert died without issue.

James Sloane, eldest son of Alexander and Sarah, was a lawyer and a member of Parliament for the County Norfolk.  He died in 1704, leaving issue by his wife, Mary Rumbold, a son named Joseph.

William Sloane, fourth son of Alexander and Sarah, resided in Chelsea, County Middlesex, England.  He married Jane, daughter of Alexander Hamilton, of County Down, and was the father by her of two children, William and Sarah, of whom the son married three times.  His first was (?) Barret, daughter of Dacres Leonard Barret, Esq. of Essex; his second was Hesther, daughter of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Knight and alderman of London; and the third was Elizabeth, the daughter of John Fuller, Esq., of Sussex.

Hans Sloane, the youngest son of Alexander and Sarah, became a physician and attained distinction in his profession.  He presided for several years over the College of Physicians and in 1716 was created a Baronet by King George I.  Sir Hans married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Langly of London and the widow of Fulk Rose, of Jamacia.  Sir Hans, however, left only female issue, two daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, surviving him.

Another branch of the family was seated at an early date at Kirkeudbright, Scotland, and was represented about the middle of the eighteenth century by a Mr. Sloane (christian name uncertain) who was the father in 1750 of a son, Ebeneazer Sloane.  This Ebeneazer married Jane Brydson in 1772 and had issue by her of at least one son, named James, who was a prominent merchant at Glasgow, where he resided for over forty years.

While most of the Sloans and Sloanes of America are thought to have come from Ireland many of them were undoubtedly of Scottish descent.  It is probable that in many cases at least, they originated through the lines above mentioned, although the exact connections are not in evidence.

On of the first of this name in this country was William Sloan, who came from Ireland to Rutland, Massachusetts, sometime before 1729.  He left a least on child, named Sarah, and probably had others as well, although his records are not complete.

Several members of the Sloan or Sloane family settled in Pennsylvania in the the early eighteenth century, but their dates of emigration are difficult to determine.  One John Sloan died in Hanover, Pennsylvania, in 1741, leaving issue by his wife, Jean, of James, Robert, William, John George, Sarah and Cinquas.

As early as 1751, the names of John and Samuel Sloan appear as adults at Hanover, and in 1769 the names of Samuel, James, Archibald and Alexander are recorded.  The exact connection between these lines has not, however, been ascertained.

One Samuel, of Pennsylvania, who died during the Revolutionary period, left four brothers -- John, James, Archibald, and William.  The brother  Archibald may have been he who married Margaret Sloan in 1759, and took a second wife, Mary Crain {sic, Craig}, in 1766, but this fact is not certain. {!it’s not correct! fem}

Alexander Sloan (b. 1744) was married at Hanover before 1767 to Jean Moor, by whom he had issue:  John, Robert, Alexander, Isabella, James, William, and Jean.  Of these, John married Elizabeth French, by whom he left issue in Ohio; Robert, who married in 1799 to Sarah McCormick, who gave him six children, Eliza, Alexander, Isabella, John, William, and Mary; Alexander, who married Jane French (sister of his brother’s wife) and died at Williamsport, Pennslyvania;  James, who married Nancy McCraight; and William, who died unmarried in 1818.

General Samuel Sloane, whose ancestry is not known, was born before 1748, possibily in Massachusetts.  He resided at Williamston in that colony and married Olive Douglas, of N.Y.  Their children were Olive, Mary, Maria, and Douglas Wheeler Sloane.

David Sloan (ancestry unknown) was living at Shirley, Mass., about 1750 and was the father of a son of the same name, who married Rachel Gould in 1774.  Both father and son served in the Revolutionary War.

Samuel Sloan, of Massachusetts, whose connection, if any, with the above lines is not known, was married in 1760 to Mary Sigourney, of Boston.  Their children were Mary, Andrew Sigourney, Samuel, Agnes, and Hans.

William Sloan, who was living at Lyme, N.H. at an early date, removed to Palmer, Mass., probably about 1760.  By his wife Mary whom he married shortly before that date, he was the father of Joseph, Margaret, Mary, John, and Sarah.

The Sloans of Virginia, probably a branch of the Pennsylvania family, were represented about the middle of the eighteenth century by one John Sloan, who died 1830, leaving issue by his wife, Polly Shiled{sic,Shields}, of Alexander, James, Mary, Robert, Jackson, Rachel, Mathew{sic, Martha} and John.  This family resided in Rockbridge Co. Va.

The patriotic, idealistic race, the Sloans and Sloanes have shown themselves to possess considerable ingeunity, determination of purpose, leadership and executive, legislative and intellectual ability.

Among those of the name who served the American cause during the Revolutionary War were Lieutenant Alexander Sloan of Connecticut; Lieutenant Archibald Sloan of New Hampshire; Lieutenant David, Alexander, Allen, Andrew, Archibald, John Harket, James, Lawrence, Patrick, Robert, Samuel, Thomas, and William Sloan or Sloane of Pennsylvania; Captain Samuel, Lieutenant Sturgin, Lieutenant Alexander, Captains George, David, David Jr. George Jr, Ezekiel, Hugh, Israel, James, Captain John, Norman, Robert, and Sergeant William Sloan or Sloane, of Massachusetts.  Bryant, David, John, Thomas, and William Sloan, or Sloane, of Virginia.  Hugh and Stephen Sloan of New York, Thomas Sloan of New York, and many more from the various other states of that period.

*************************

from "The Carpenter-Weir Family of Upper South Carolina" by Henry Bacon McKoy, 1959. My copy is a poor transcription I found independantly of the publication. No sources were cited, however, I recognized the Pa. Sloan info and material from “The Sloans of Hanover” by Ingle.  If anyone can  identify the sources, please contact me. Frank Mitchell