Clan Napier

Inventors of logarithms and Celtic earls of Lennox.

Motto

Sans tache

— Without stain

What does the Napier name mean?

From the occupational 'naperer' — keeper of the linen in the royal household. Tradition links the family to the old Celtic Earls of Lennox.

The history of Clan Napier

Tradition links the Napiers to the old Celtic Earls of Lennox, with the surname itself thought to derive from the occupational 'naperer' — keeper of linen in the royal household. John de Napier first appears in a land charter of 1280; his family held lands at Kilmahew in Dunbartonshire for 18 generations until 1820.

John assisted the defence of Stirling Castle in 1303, and a descendant became Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1401.

John Napier, 7th Laird of Merchiston (1550–1617), is famous for inventing a hydraulic screw for clearing coal pits, an early calculating device, conceptual war machines — and the system of logarithms that revolutionised mathematics. His son Archibald accompanied James VI to London in 1603.

Notable bearers of the Napier name

John Napier of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms

Frequently asked

What does the surname Napier mean?

From the occupational 'naperer' — keeper of the linen in the royal household. Tradition links the family to the old Celtic Earls of Lennox.

Where does the Napier family come from?

Clan Napier was historically based in the Lothian & Edinburgh and Glasgow & Strathclyde of Scotland, in particular Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire.

What is the Clan Napier motto?

The motto of Clan Napier is "Sans tache", which translates as "Without stain".

Who are some famous Napiers?

Notable bearers of the Napier name include John Napier of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms.