Surname profile
Anderson
The surname Anderson is a patronymic name meaning “son of Andrew.” It originated in England and Scotland from the personal name Andrew, itself derived from the Greek Andreas.…
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Origins & naming traditions
Scottish surnames
Explore family names connected to Scottish places, languages, and naming traditions. Follow their meanings and histories through surname profiles and research sources.
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Showing 1–12 of 24 profiles
- Surname profile
Borthwick
Borthwick is a Scottish territorial surname, traditionally derived from lands named Borthwick, with the supplied clan history pointing to Borthwick Water in Roxburghshire. The name is closely associated…
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Brown
The surname Brown is a descriptive nickname first recorded in the 11th century, with documented origins in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In each tradition it arose independently, meaning…
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Cameron
The surname Cameron derives from Gaelic elements meaning “crooked nose” or a reference to a river, and it can also come from place names in Scotland. It is…
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Campbell
The Campbell surname is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic nickname cam beul meaning “wry or crooked mouth.” The name also appears in Latin documents as de…
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Cranstoun
Cranstoun is a Scottish territorial surname associated with the lands and barony of Cranstoun in Midlothian. Its place-name meaning is uncertain: it may refer to a place of…
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Dalziel
Dalziel is a Scottish surname, most often explained as an anglicisation of Scottish Gaelic Dail-gheal, meaning 'bright dale,' from the former barony of Dalzell in Lanarkshire. The spelling…
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Douglas
The surname Douglas derives from the Scottish Gaelic dubh glas, meaning "black stream," and is a habitational name from several places in Scotland, most notably Douglas in South…
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Fraser
Fraser is a Scottish surname that most scholars trace back to a French personal name meaning “from France” or “Frenchman”, making it a locational surname. The spelling has…
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Hill
The surname Hill means “person who lived on a hill” and is of English and Scottish topographic origin. It ranks among the most common surnames in England, Scotland,…
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Kelly
The surname Kelly has several documented origins: an Irish patronymic from Ó Ceallaigh, a Scottish locational name from Kelly near Arbroath or Kellie in Fife, and an English…
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Kennedy
Kennedy is an Irish Gaelic patronymic meaning ‘grandson of Cinnédidh’ and also a distinct Scottish clan name from Carrick, Ayrshire. The Gaelic personal name combines elements meaning ‘chief’…
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This directory includes published profiles. Review status is shown on each card. A surname may belong to more than one origin or formation type.