Armstrong Surname
A Name Given for Strength in Battle
The Armstrong family was anciently settled on the Scottish border; their original name was Fairbairn, which was changed to Armstrong on the following occasion:
An ancient and brave king of Scotland led his men into battle on horseback. Amidst the tumult the king’s horse was slain from under him. Fairbairn, the king’s armour-bearer, immediatley grasped the king, and only using one arm, lifted the king up onto his own horse thus preserving their leader in the face of battle. For this courageous and timely assistance Fairbairn was rewarded with lands on the borders, and to perpetuate the memory of so important a service, as well as the manner in which it was performed (for Fairbairn took the king by the thigh, and set him on the saddle), his royal master gave him the new name of Armstrong.
The Armstrong clan has always been noted for their courage and daring. In the “Lay of the Last Minstrel,” when the chief was about to assemble his clans, he says to his heralds: “Ye need not go to Liddisdale, For when they see the blazing bale, Elliots and Armstrongs never fail.”
Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import; Arthur, William, M.A.; New York,