| Earl of Kilmarnock | |
|---|---|
  Azure, a fess chequy argent and gules | |
| Creation date | 17 August 1661 |
| Created by | Charles II |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | William Boyd, 1st Earl of Kilmarnock |
| Last holder | William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Boyd |
| Status | Forfeited |
| Extinction date | 18 August 1746 |
| Motto | Confido ("I confide") |
Earl of Kilmarnock was a title created twice in the Peerage of Scotland for the Boyd family. It was first created in 1454 for Robert Boyd, Great Chamberlain of Scotland. It was created a second time in 1661 for William Boyd, 10th Lord Boyd. Both titles were forfeited in 1746.
Thomas Boyd, the elder son of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd—and father of the second one—was created Earl of Arran in 1467, but both titles were forfeit in 1469. Considerable confusion exists over the numbering of the Lords Boyd; this article follows the numbering used in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.[nb 1]
The 4th Earl of Kilmarnock was the father of the 15th Earl of Erroll. The Kilmarnock title was revived in 1831 for the latter's grandson, William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll, who was created Baron Kilmarnock in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1941, this title is a separate peerage.
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