There are only approximately 1000 families with our surname on this island Earth, so that makes us a relatively endangered species.

We are not a Clan, though some of our ancestors fought under the banner of the Farquaharsons including both Stuart rebellions.

The Village of BIRSE is located on the South side of the River Dee and the Town of Aboyne in Aberdeenshire. Nearby are the village of BIRSEMORE, Burn of BIRSE, Forest of BIRSE and Castle BIRSE. The Forest of BIRSE became a Royal hunting ground about a thousand years ago, and there is evidence of a permanent settlement in the BIRSE area roughly 6 thousand years ago.

The area of BIRSE is mainly farming country with forestry being another product . Tourism also brings in visitors mainly in the summer time and there are Hotels and Bed and Breakfast places to cater for the visitor. The old BIRSE Manse alongside the Church of the same name was converted to a Bed & Breakfast and made a good base for touring around the countryside, unfortunately that is no longer the case.

Birse Church is now in the hands of the Birse Community Trust which has purchased it from the Church of Scotland.

Origin of the name BIRSE would appear to have come from the Old Scot's or Gaelic language word BRAS, which meant rash or impetuous. The word BIRSE was also used to mean temper, ie 'watch your BIRSE' or with reference to the ridge of hair which appears along a Dog's back when it shows signs of aggression.

Another reference to the origin of the name BIRSE puts it in the same category as names starting with BAL- potentially making it of descent from the Pictish Language. In the Shetland Isles, also ruled at one time by the Picts, the word Birse is found to mean bristly and the name given to hugging a person.

Spellings of the name BIRCE, BIRS, BIRSE, BIRSS, BYRSS, BRISS, BRAS, BRASS.

Earliest recorded date of the name BIRSE in writing appears to be 1157, when the Scottish Crown made a limited grant to the Bishops of Aberdeen, "the Church of BRASS and its Pertinents". Next reference appears to be 1170 when King William the LYON granted to Matthew, Bishop of Aberdeen, "All my lands of BRAS and my Forest of BRASS".

One must remember that in days of old the written word was often spelt phonetically, usually by people who only had the rudiments of an education, resulting in the same word being spelt in different forms, often only by one letter ie.Birse,Birss etc.