Scottish Surnames Family History Resources

Surnames, their origin and their meaning

Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

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Surname	Origin	Meaning
Allan	Scottish	Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound
Allen	Scottish	Aland, a wolf-dog, a hound
Alpin	Scottish	A pet name, with -in diminutive ending
Anderson	Scottish	son of Andrew
Auld	Scottish	Old
Ault	Scottish	Old
Bannatyne	Scottish	the hill where fires were kindled
Bannerman	Scottish	the king's standard-bearer
Bell	Scottish	Bell
Bonney	Scottish	Genteel, fine, spruce
Boyle	Scottish	Ó Baoithghill descendant of Baoithgheall
Brown	Scottish	complexion, color of hair or garments
Burnett	Scottish	French burnete, a diminutive of brun brown
Burns	Scottish	a small stream
Caddie	Scottish	younger brother
Caddy	Scottish	younger brother
Calland	Scottish	Gallant
Dandy	Scottish	Andrew
Davie	Scottish	David
Dempster	Scottish	arbitrator or officer of justice in the Scottish courts
Dendy	Scottish	Dandy a Scottish pet form of Andrew
Dickeson	Scottish	Dick's Son
Dickson	Scottish	Dick's Son
Macklin	Scottish	son of servant of St. John
Maclean	Scottish	son of servant of St. John
Macleod	Scottish	son of ugly
Marshall	Scottish	master of the horse
Maxwell	Scottish	Macsual, son, and sual, small, little
McDonald	Scottish	son of Donald
McDonell	Scottish	son of Donald
McGregor	Scottish	descendants of Gregor
McIntosh	Scottish	son of the leader or first
McKay	Scottish	son of a champion
McKenzie	Scottish	son of Coinneach
Meiklejohn	Scottish	Large John
Mickle	Scottish	Muckle, big
Miller	Scottish	One who attends a grist-mill
Morrison	Scottish	Son of Morris
Muir	Scottish	moor or fen
Patterson	Scottish	son of Patrick
Cameron	Scottish	Cam, crooked, and sron, nose
Canty	Scottish	Cheerful, Lively, Brisk
Carstairs	Scottish	Terras's Castle
Docherty	Scottish	Dochartach - dochart, a difficulty, hardship
Dogerty	Scottish	Dochartach - dochart, a difficulty, hardship
Doherty	Scottish	Dochartach - dochart, a difficulty, hardship
Donaldson	Scottish	Donald's Son
Drysdale	Scottish	Dryfesdale = the Dale of the River Dryfe
Reid	Scottish	person with red hair or a ruddy complexion
Ritchie	Scottish	Richard
Robertson	Scottish	son of Robert
Rose	Scottish	a place with wild roses
Ross	Scottish	A shire of Scotland
Russell	Scottish	Red-haired
Sangster	Scottish	singer
Shaw	Scottish	lawn
Simpson	Scottish	Son of Sim or Simon
Christal	Scottish	Christopher
Chrystal	Scottish	Christopher
Clark	Scottish	Clerk, a clergyman
Ferguson	Scottish	son of Fergus
Findlay	Scottish	Fionnlagh meaning fair warrior
Fleming	Scottish	Flanders. a County or Earldom of the Low Countries, or Netherlands
Forbes	Scottish	Lands free from military service
Stevenson	Scottish	Son of Steven
Sutherland	Scottish	the former county in Scotland
Todd	Scottish	fox
Watt	Scottish	nickname for Walter
Fraser	Scottish	Fraischeur, French, frshness, coolness, bloom
Gibson	Scottish	son of Gib or Gilbert
Gordon	Scottish	Gurtduine, Gaelic, a fierce man
Gray	Scottish	A town in Burgundy, France
Hamilton	Scottish	Hamell, a mansion, the seat of a freeholder, and dun, an enclosure, a fortified place, a town
Hay	Scottish	A hedge, an inclosure, to inclose, fence in, a protection, a place of safety
Wright	Scottish	maker of machinery
Craigh	Scottish	Rock or Cragg
Cunningham	Scottish	dwelling of the king
Jamieson	Scottish	son of James
Johnston	Scottish	place in Annandale, in Dumfriesshire
King	Scottish	head or leader
Laing	Scottish	long
Lockman	Scottish	public executioner
Loury	Scottish	crafty person, or one who lowers, that is, contracts his brow
Lowry	Scottish	a crafty person, or one who lowers, that is, contracts his brow

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