The surname Stewart (or Stuart) is a variation of the name Steward. This name is thus an occupational name, and as such it derives from the Old English word meaning ‘steward or keeper of a household’. The changing of the final ‘d’ in the original to the more usual ‘t’ is typical of Scottish usage, and accounts for why the name is so widespread in that country. Stewardson and Stewartson are occasional variations.

After the Norman Conquest, the rank of steward became synonymous for ‘an official who controls the domestic affairs of a household’ and became similar to chamberlain, though stewards were frequently more exalted in the hierarchy. For instance, the Lord High Steward of Scotland was the first officer of the Scottish kings and had the doubtful privilege of leading the Scots army into battle. Despite this hazardous occupation, a steward soon rose to the highest position in the land. Robert the Steward became King Robert II of Scotland in 1371 and founded the House of Steward (now known as the Stuarts, the French form of the word, adopted by Mary Queen of Scots).

In Scotland, steward (or Stewart) was also often another name for a magistrate. For this, and the more domestic occupational reason, the name became very widespread in Scotland. Thus, only in the rarest of cases would the family name Stewart indicate royal descent (and most of these are already traced in the records).

The first mention of the surname occurs in the early records for Devon covering the years 1100—30, where one Rogere se Stiwerd appears.

‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, the Young Pretender, is one of the great heroes of Scottish history. As Charles Stuart (1720— 88) he laid claim to the English throne and led the Scottish clans in the great ’45 rebellion. His loyal highlanders rallied round him and he marched south, reaching as far as Derby-only to be defeated at the Battle of Culloden. After this massacre he fled to France disguised as a woman. He finally died, a drunkard, in Rome.

Frances Teresa Stewart (1647—1702) was the favourite of Charles II, her legendary beauty giving her the edge over her many rivals, such as Nell Gwynne. Known as ‘La Belle Stewart’, she was considered by Samuel Pepys as the greatest beauty of her time, and was immortalised when she posed for the image of Britannia on the coin of the realm.

The Australian town Alice Springs was formerly known as Stuart.

Scottish-born explorer John McDouall Stuart made six expeditions into the Australian interior between 1858 and 1862, finally reaching the Indian Ocean.

‘Walking Stewart’ was the baldly apt nickname bestowed upon John Stewart (d. 1822), an intrepid English wanderer who travelled on foot through Hindustan, Persia, Nubia, Abyssinia, the Arabian desert, Europe and the US.

The US Stuart tank, an M3 mounting a 37-millimetre gun, saw heavy action during World War II, playing a major role in the Italian Campaign and the post-D-day offensive.

Five towns in the United Kingdom are related-Stewartby, Stewarton (2), Stewartstown and Stuartfield. Canada has 5 as well, the United States has 9, but Australia and New Zealand have none. Both New Zealand and Chile have Stewart Islands while Australia has numerous mountains, points and bluffs named Stewart or Stuart. Name-related bodies of water and other topographic features are also common. Canada alone has 2 rivers named Stewart and 2 named Stuart.

There are over 41,000 Stewarts in Scotland where it is 7th in popularity. In Ireland it is estimated that with about 12,000 namesakes Stewart is the 58th most popular surname. (The name is not common enough throughout England and Wales to be counted separately.) Stewart is notably popular in and around Glasgow where an estimated one in about 140 families bears the name, while in Edinburgh the figure is one in 145. Around the world Stewarts are most common in Vancouver (one in 455 families), Wellington (one in 484) and Canberra (one in 500). The United States has more Stewarts than the entire population of Sunderland-an estimated total of just over 345,000 makes this their 47th most popular surname.