The lands of Cathcart take their name from the River Cart in Renfrewshire (‘caeth-cart’ means ‘straight of cart’).
The founder of the Cathcart clan appears to have been Rainaldus de Kathcart who, in 1178, can be traced to a charter of the King’s steward at Paisley Abbey.
The historic seat of the Cathcart clan is at Cathcart Castle in Glasgow, a now destroyed castle – the remains of which were pulled down in 1980.