The Famous Faces of Clan Hunter

There are actually two famous William Hunters. The first of which was credited with the conception of the clan as we know it today! He was called Willielmo Venator -- William the Hunter. He was the First Laird of Clan Hunter and the Hunter territories in North Ayrshire were given to him by King David I. It was this William that began the legacy of the Hunter's and their early connection to royalty as royal huntsmen.

There was also an 18th century William Hunter, brother of John who you'll meet later, and he was one of the most impressive anatomists of his time. He was the physician to Queen Charlotte and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1767. From 1768, he was a Professor of Anatomy to the Royal Academy, and his legacy as a teacher of anatomy aided in his brother's prosperity as a physician.

Perhaps one of the most well known famous faces on our list is American actress, Holly Hunter. And it’s no wonder because her impressive list of awards includes an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Also, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008! Some of her credits are The Piano, The Incredibles, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She is also married to Gordon MacDonald, another actor of Scottish descent.

Jeffrey Hunter was a well known American actor, with the bulk of his starring roles having been in the 1950’s and 60’s. Jeffrey Hunter was only his stage name, but despite this, he still boasts prominent Scottish heritage. His true name was Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. and he was born on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana. You might recognise him from classics such as King of Kings and The Searchers. In addition to film, he was certainly a sought after television actor, having played Captain Christopher Pike in the original pilot episode of Star Trek.

This female Scottish footballer currently plays as a defender for Hibernian in the Scottish Women's Premier League. Though at the time of publishing, she is only 27 years old, she has had quite an impressive career. When she was only 9 years old, she signed with Hiberian youth. Since then, she has been capped for the Scotland Under 15, Under 17, Under 19 and Women's teams. In 2017, she scored the winning goal against Glasgow City in the Scottish Cup final.

Sophie Hunter is an English playwright and theatre director most known for her avant-garde and opera directorial works. She has her own theatre company called Boileroom, which came to prominence after it won the Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award. It was then that she made her directorial debut with the experimental play The Terrific Electric at London’s Barbican Pit. Since then, she has worked on projects like Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts at Access Theatre and Shackleton Project which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Theatre. Sophie is also married to popular actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Robert Hunter was most famously the lyricist for the Grateful Dead. While he was an American musician, his Scottish connection is undeniable, especially considering that his birth name was actually Robert Burns. According to historian Charles Perry, he was a great-great Grandson of Robert Burns -- it’s no wonder that this famous Hunter became a writer of songs. Later, he worked with Bob Dylan and wrote several songs on Dylan’s albums Down in the Groove, Together Through Life, and Tempest. In 1994, Robert was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is the only non-performer to be inducted as a member of a band.

John Hunter was an 18th century surgeon whose legacy is quite significant among the Hunter clan. He helped to infiltrate medicine with the scientific method and made several medical and surgical discoveries over the course of his career. In 1767, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1787. The Hunterian Society of London and the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons were named after him and have preserved the legacy of his work. John Hunter also worked with Edward Jenner, who pioneered the smallpox vaccine.