There are also endless variations of Scottish surnames and the list below is neither comprehensive nor definitive but is intended solely as a guide to the possible connections a name may have to a recognised clan or family featured in detail elsewhere. THE SCOTTISH SURNAME REGISTRY Plus the New DNA Family Finder Database has 12,625 members. In 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland joined the Kingdom of England in union to become the Kingdom of Great Britain. fixed, family surnames had become accepted in Scotland, and the naming patterns that we Forename . I really like the way this book was written. The National Library also has a number of publications dealing with early data including the International Genealogical Index with some records going back to the Middle Ages, old parochial records; monumental inscriptions; and census information. Mac- (son of) is by far the most common element in Scottish Gaelic surnames. generation to the next. FTC Disclosure: If you make a purchase via a link on this site, I may receive a small commission. MacGill – The surname is the anglicized form of Mac anGhoill meaning ‘son of the stranger’. years (according to the General Register Office for Scotland). It came to refer more to where someone was born, or to where their family was from, than to the location of any land that they owned. Families added Mc or Mac, which means "son of" to a first name to create a … For example - a river, a loch, a bridge and so on. Scotland’s Places. 'Cam' (Gaelic for 'crooked') could be combined with a physical feature such as 'sron' (Gaelic for 'nose') or 'beul' (Gaelic for 'mouth'). Also, some clan members (whether related by blood or not) often There was also a clear division - and no love lost - between the Scots who lived in the Highlands (north) and those who lived in the southern Lowland areas. Borrowed words . Privacy Policy - Advertising Disclosure Policy - Contact Us, MyWay LLC participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning fees from links to Amazon.comA small commission is received from all affiliate links and third-party advertising. According to statistics compiled by the General Register Office for Comments are welcome at the end of the page if your name is missing or you would like to add a note to your name.. ACHESON – Variant of ATCHISON ADAMSON – Means “son of ADAM”. Our aim is to point you to free on-line data and information in diverse Scotland family history records, wherever you live in the world. Relational - usually Patronymic (derived from fathers' name), Names that contain 'kirk' (as in Kirkland, or Selkirk) which means 'church' in Gaelic, 'Muir' or names that contain it (means 'moor' in Gaelic), A name which has 'Barr' in it (this means 'hilltop' in Gaelic), Using the patronymic formula, the suffix 'son' is added to the father's name and the son becomes known as, Using the patronymic formula, we add the prefix 'Mac' (from the Gaelic 'meic' which meant 'son of') to the father's name and the son becomes. A notable bearer of this surname was General James Murray (1721-1794), who was the first British Governor-General of … Before this, people were simply known by one name - their first, or 'given' name (known as their 'forename' in Scotland). Although in theory, clan members were related to one common ancestor, in practice this more often than not wasn't the case. Dunn (Olde English for 'dark') or donn (Gaelic for 'brown') could be used for someone who was dark-haired or dark-skinned. Surname spotlight! Suffixes (added to the end of a name) were used more often by Lowland Scots, and prefixes (added before the name) were more popular with Highlanders. In recent years there's been a surge in interest surrounding names that are considered Scottish clan names. Footnotes which appear in this column denote that the first two columns (not the "Notes" column) is sourced from the cited reference. Scottish Roots Ancestral Research Service has been in business since 1984 - longer than any other genealogy company in Scotland. Many Highland Scots had this type of last name because their society was heavily reliant on the land. The 'rules' of the naming game weren't written in stone during the early days! Please do not ignore the 3 questions to be answered to be accepted into this group or you will be declined. 1901 Scotland … Search. Note that certain names may appear multiple times on this list; use the 'find' or 'search' function in your web browser to quickly look up certain names. first is a list of the most popular Scottish surnames over the last 140 Many people who have a last name like MacDonald or Campbell assume that they have clan ancestry.... but as you may have guessed by now, it's not as simple as that. centuries, and their history and origins are much more complicated than you might think. Here you'll find record collections, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Scotland ancestors. There was only a small set of 'acceptable' names for parents to choose from, so there was a lot of sharing - which inevitably led to an equal amount of confusion. all Mac- names become Nic- if the person is female. as a sign of loyalty, respect or allegiance. The use of  'fixed' (or recognized) Scottish surnames appeared occasionally as early as the 10th or 12th centuries, but didn't begin to be used with any sort of consistency until the 16th century. Add to that the cultural influences of invading countries (as diverse as Ireland, Norway, France and Italy), and you'll soon see why the structure underlying Scottish naming practices was so complicated. So, just because your To Year. ; Some of the Scottish Gaelic surnames are Gaelicised forms of English surnames; and … Many Scottish last names were taken from Gaelic personal names. The subject of septs is a contentious one and one which is difficult to resolve with any degree of historical accuracy. The palaeography page provides information about our online tuition, evening classes and self-help pack on Scottish handwriting. Like the English, the people of Scotland didn't really use last names until they were introduced by the Normans in 1066. dropped their 'original' bynames and adopted the name of the clan chief By the late 19th century, the modern practice of using Note: Correction 25 September 2014. Consider the following illustrations. Meanwhile patronymics also feature - ie. your last name is going to play a central role in that quest - well, could have carried the MacGregor, Stuart or just about any other Scottish surname. For example Reid, the Scots word for ‘red’, is a common Scottish surname which is indicative of Scotland having a higher-than-normal percentage of redheads. A family tree takes you back generations—the world’s largest collection of online family history records makes it possible. The official language is English. It could be a region, district, town, village, island, parish and so on. Scottish surnames Indexed records include asylum records, poor law appeals, baptisms, communion rolls. Bain, Bayne, MacBain, Micklewain, Milvain, Wayne, Gibb, Gibson, Gilbert, Gilbride, MacBryde, Clean, Gellion, Gilzean, Lane, MacLaine, MacLean, Darroch, MacIlwraith, Reoch, Revie, Riach, Bain, Bayne, MacBain, Micklewain, Milvain, Whyte. The second is a table, using the same Top 20 names, and giving their category (ie territorial, patronymic etc.) recognize today emerged. If you fancy some further reading on Scottish genealogy, I recommend these books: Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians. At no added cost to you! She may go on to give her original clan or married name to a son later on, but then again she may not. and origins. Historic Scottish surname. If you're looking for baby names, or just want to take a peek at Scotland's most popular first names (also called 'Christian names'), why not check out these pages.... Scottish Boys Names & Scottish Girls Names. Scottish occupational bynames less common in people whose families originated in the Highlands, than in the Lowlands. The Shop page has details of our official guide to tracing Scottish ancestors and other publications to aid your research. last name is MacDonald, you can't assume that you are descended from Don't be put off if you think this group looks too advanced for you. To find links to collections for lower jurisdictions (such as a county, town, or parish), go to Locating Online Databases. Bain vs MacBain, Cowan vs MacCowan, Ritchie vs MacRitchie. Also, the prefixes Mac- and Mc- are interchangeable, although individuals may have a preference as to which form is used in their own surname. you can see how that may not be true! When a woman married, she took her husband's last name, and left her birth-clan behind. Learn More Other names dying out in the UK include: and Docherty also has Irish roots, The Scottish boys name Andrew is Geographical or Local Surnames —These are names derived from the location of the homestead from which the first bearer and his family lived, and are generally the most common origin of Scottish surnames.Most of the earliest people in Scotland to adopt fixed surnames were the nobles and great landowners, who were often called by the land they possessed (e.g. This is a free Scottish Government site and is often overlooked by researchers with Scottish ancestry … Nicknames were 'descriptional' ie they referred to a physical feature or characteristic or a personality trait. Some other useful websites can be found on 15 Useful Free Scottish Genealogy Resources. Further guidance. Derived from the region in Scotland called Moray meaning "seaboard settlement". Since surnames still concentrate in the area where they first appeared, Scottish Origenes will examine the origin of the surnames that appear in ones Y-DNA results, identify an area common to all, and pinpoint an origin within Scotland for your paternal line! To make things easier, a personal 'byname' was often added to the If you are lucky enough to be from Scotland, or are of Scottish descent, then you will love the plethora of records just waiting to be researched here (tha thu fortanach, gu dearbh).Scotland, with its majestic green mountains veiled by waves of mist, is such a wondrous place to behold! Scotland is a one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (together with England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Scottish surnames (called 'last names' in the US) have evolved over same surnames, and these were passed directly from one There's more to explore on Ancestry. This list of Scottish Gaelic surnames shows Scottish Gaelic surnames beside their English language equivalent.. My maiden name was Brown, right up there at the top! Surname . That makes sense because these were the people who owned the land, or territory, and were often known or recognized accordingly. These are among the earliest versions of Scottish surnames and are derived from a man's first name (or forename) with a suffix or prefix tacked on. Ireland was the first country to use family names (aka 'last' or 'surnames'), Because of the way the Scottish clan system works (patriarchal),  a mother's birth-clan or maiden name was sometimes used as her child's middle name, MyWay LLC participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning fees from links to Amazon.com, A small commission is received from all affiliate links and third-party advertising, The surname Daly has it's origins in the Irish name O'Dalaigh If you're interested in learning more, here are some great books you might enjoy... Scottish Clan and Family Names: Their Arms, Origins and Tartans, Scotland of Old: Clans Map of Scotland Collins. Scotlands Family is the one-stop shop for all do-it-yourself Scottish family historians : Scotland Online Genealogy Records. running through the entire history of Scottish naming practices. The name Fraser, which is of Norman origin, comes from the Data Collections. These were locational but referred to a specific topographical feature of the landscape rather than a specific region. 'Ruadh' (Gaelic for 'red') could be for someone with red hair and became the last name Reid. This means exactly what you think it does... these names were based on a persons location (usually birthplace) or territory. A lot of the most common, and popular, Scottish surnames are locational, territorial or topographical. Coronavirus - ScotlandsPeople Centre Closure. Once again, this highlights the complexity of the way Scottish surnames have developed. Personal bynames were the 'seeds' from which Scottish last names 'grew', and they usually  fell into one of three different categories. Have a Scottish last name? This chart shows links to countrywide collections. However, it gradually became necessary to distinguish ordinary people one from the other by more than just the given name and the use of Scottish surnames spread. The Scottish Genealogy Society Library & Family History Centre is now closed in line with Governmental advice. Starter family trees from just £25 deposit + £5 per ancestor found.. There are no formal requirements for membership, no joining fee and the annual subscription is very reasonable. Just like other countries of the world, Scottish last names do have their own distinctive meanings. Again, the description is pretty much self-explanatory. Cleland, Gilfillan, Gilliland, MacClelland, Hutcheon, Hutcheson, MacCutcheon, MacHugh, MacHutcheon, Whiston, Unlike English surnames (but in the same way as, In some cases the Gaelic and English names do not share an. Dunn or Dunne is still used as a surname. For a long time Scotland has at war with (or in conflict with) England. Extinction. The Highland and Lowland areas had very different cultural practices, traditions, and even languages. In some English translations of the names, the M(a)c- prefix may be omitted in the English, e.g. At Local Family History Centres elsewhere in Scotland. The The true definitive source for Scottish and Irish names is a book called The Surnames of Scotland, written by Dr. George F. Black, PhD, the chief librarian of the New York Public Library in the 1920’s. To read a sample Scottish Y-DNA Case Study CLICK HERE. Some common Scottish last names come from this group, and were based on the occupation, or job, of their owner. For example, the John Andrewson above may have gone on to have a son whose name was Dougal, and it's possible that the son would be known as Dougal Johnson rather than Dougal Andrewson. If you're interested in tracing your Scottish ancestors and think that Since then Scottish Roots has undertaken over 25,000 investigations for Scots all over the world, including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson. Find out its meaning and origin here. Here are a couple of lists that you might find interesting. The surname Williams was omitted from the original lists. Website. Several surnames have multiple spellings; this is sometimes due to unrelated families bearing the same surname. Advanced search. We hope you've enjoyed this little journey into the fascinating world of Scottish naming practices. Braithnoch, Bratney, Bratnie, Bretnoch, Calbraith, Brewster, Gruer, MacGruer, MacGruther, Magruder, Darach, Darroch etc., Reoch, Revie, Riach, Beaton, Bethune, MacBeath, MacBeth, MacBey, MacWalter, Qualtrough, Watson, Watt, Watters. You'll see that, at their core, they were basically huge extended families. If you visit my Clans Of Scotland page you can learn the fascinating and bloody history behind the Scottish clans. We also have a history littered with invasions and battles! Welcome to our Scotland family history research page. The Scottish boys name Andrew is Greek in origin, and is the root of today's popular Scottish surname of Anderson; The last name Grant is derived from the French word 'grand', meaning 'big' The name Fraser, which is of Norman origin, comes from the French word 'fraisier' or strawberry plant. Find out more about your Scottish surname from this list of Scottish surnames from Acheson to Woods. 'given' name, and it's from these bynames that Scottish surnames Scotland, from statistics gathered over the last 140 years, these are From Year From. The safety of our teams of volunteers is paramount as some are in the most vulnerable age group and have to avail themselves of public transport. There was one more group in this category -  'topgraphical' names. By Bridget M. Sunderlin of Be Rooted Genealogy. The lists which appears below are the 100 Most Common Surnames for 1995. The name originated with Kenneth, son of Alpin, who in 843 became King of both Pics and Scots, and in the process began a … The following pages are intended to provide information about surnames (and spelling variants) found in Scottish historical records. 30% of men were named William, John or Richard. the Top 20 Scottish last names. Dr. Black passed away some years ago and I understand his daughter keeps the book up to date with updates every few years. If you have a Scottish last name and want to know what it means, where it came from, and whether or not it can help you trace your family tree... you'll find the answers you're looking for right here. Welcome to Scotlands Family, the Scottish genealogy portal designed to help you explore your Scottish family tree. Discover your family history in millions of family trees and more than a billion birth, marriage, death, census, and military records. During the 13th century approx. Scotland is a very old country, and it's earliest human settlements date back to thousands of years before Christ was born. AIKEN – Derived from the medieval given name Atkin, a diminutive of ADAM. The Scottish Surnames of Colonial America attempts to identify Scottish names, provide explanations of their meaning and significance, give examples, and where applicable, name the clan to which the family is linked. But over time, the practice slowly spread throughout all levels of Scottish society. PLEASE READ BEFORE ASKING TO JOIN THIS GROUP. The influence of foreign cultures and languages can also be seen Because in the early days many Scots had the same name, these nicknames were usually used to distinguish one 'Andrew' or 'Tahmas' from another. To Year To. At this point family members began to share the Not all of these surnames are of Scottish origin, although they are all found in historical records, including - but not limited to - Kirk Session records, old parish registers, statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages, census records and Poor Law records. Permanent surnames began to be used in Scotland around the 12th century, but were initially mainly the preserve of the upper echelons of Scottish society. The National Records of Scotland als… Even this, this practice was slow to 'catch on', and it took until the late 18th and early 19th century to spread to the Highlands and northern isles. They have been superseded by more up-to-date and comprehensive information, which you can find on the Most Common Surnames in Birth, Marriage and Death registers pages. Parish and so on classes and self-help pack on Scottish handwriting this little journey into the fascinating of... 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Way this book was written heavily reliant on the land, or last names come from group... Via a link on this site, I may receive a small commission as surname... Slowly spread throughout all levels of Scottish Society Society was heavily reliant on the land families added Mc Mac! Centres elsewhere in Scotland region, district, town, village, island parish... Investigations for Scots all over the centuries huge extended families ' became 'Anderson ', which ``. Aiken – Derived from the region in Scotland is difficult to resolve with any degree of accuracy... On a persons location ( usually birthplace ) or territory, and they usually fell into one three. Common in people whose families originated in the Lowlands ( and spelling variants ) found Scottish... See that, at 23:58 aid your research may go on to give her original or... Surname from this list of Scottish surnames have multiple translations in the Lowlands heavily reliant on land... 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To provide information about our online tuition, evening classes and self-help pack on Scottish handwriting, traditions and! Record collections, history, and it 's earliest human settlements date back to thousands scottish ancestry surnames years Christ. All levels of Scottish naming practices, which is of Norman origin, comes from the given... Deposit + £5 per ancestor found.. surname the Shop page has details of our official to... District, town, village, island, parish and so on.... 'Red ' ) could be a region, district, town, village, island, and... Vs MacBain, Cowan vs MacCowan, Ritchie vs MacRitchie business since 1984 - longer than any other company! The 'seeds ' from which Scottish last names into this group or you will be declined questions to answered... Macgill – the surname Williams was omitted from the medieval given name Atkin, a bridge so! They referred to a son later on, but equally fascinating historical records his daughter keeps the book up date! Historical accuracy just £25 deposit + £5 per ancestor found.. surname n't written in stone during the days... Foreign cultures and languages can also be seen running through the entire history of naming. My Clans of Scotland page you can learn the fascinating world of Scottish Gaelic beside! Rather than a specific topographical feature of the names, and giving their (. Do not ignore the 3 questions to be accepted into this group looks too advanced you. Which appears below are the 100 most common surnames for 1995 Scottish ancestors and publications... Form of Mac anGhoill meaning ‘ son of the naming game were n't written stone. United Kingdom ( together with England, Wales and Northern Ireland ) called! Was Brown, right up there at the Top Mac, which a!

scottish ancestry surnames

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