Scottish Surnames and their Origins

[Ánleifr]

Is there a way to tell if a Scottish surname originated with the Scots, Picts, Normans, Anglo-Saxon or Norse? Would it be accurate to assume that most "Mc" and "Mac" prefixes came over from Ireland with the Scots?

[Graham]

Would have to have good local and national knowledge of Scottish surnames to know. Mc Mac is gaelic yes but also Norse-Gael. For example Like MacAuley, Macleod are Norse-Gael etc.. which have been anglicised much later to complicate it.

[Ánleifr]

I found this interesting site, what do you think?

http://www.scottishhistory.com/articles/misc/macvsmc.html

[Supreme American]

How about the name Donaldson? I can't figure what it is, I assume Scottish?!

[Graham]

I found this interesting site, what do you think?

http://www.scottishhistory.com/articles/misc/macvsmc.html

looks good, shall give it a sound look.


How about the name Donaldson? I can't figure what it is, I assume Scottish?!

easy Scottish like all Donalds/McDonalds,MacDonalds originally, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Donald

[Ánleifr]

How about the name Donaldson? I can't figure what it is, I assume Scottish?!

It is ironic that you asked about that name as I am myself wondering about the name Donelson........I have read that Donaldson is a sept of McDonald, and that Donelson is a sept of Donaldson...but I don't know, LOL

[Graham]

I have read that Donaldson is a sept of McDonald, and that Donelson is a sept of Donaldson...but I don't know, LOL

Think it may one of those names that are both Scottish and Irish. I know in Ireland you have O'Donnell or Donnelly. Not sure.

[Graham]

Also MacDonnell near Northern Ireland/Scotland


Rathlin has been the site of a number of infamous massacres. An expedition in 1557 by Sir Henry Sidney in 1557 devastated the island. The massacre in July 1575, when the Earl of Essex ordered a force to the island, led by Francis Drake and John Norreys. The English killed hundreds of the women and children of Clan MacDonnell, who had taken refuge there. Also in 1642 Covenanter Campbell soldiers of the Argyll's Foot were encouraged by their commanding officer Sir Duncan Campbell of Auchinbreck to kill the local Catholic MacDonalds, near relatives of their arch Clan enemy in the Scottish Highlands Clan MacDonald. This they did with ruthless efficiency throwing scores of MacDonald women over cliffs to their deaths on rocks below. The number of victims of this massacre has been put as low as one hundred and as high as three thousand.

and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacDonell_of_Glengarry

[Ánleifr]

Graham, does the clan system in Scotland come from the Scots or the Picts?

[Peyrol]

Northern italian surname "Scotti", for example, derived from medieval mercenaries used by Lombardy, Venice and Savoie-Piemont.

Quite diffused surname, btw.

http://www.gens.info/lib/cog/maps/cognomi/S/SCOTTI.gif

[Graham]

Northern italian surname "Scotti", for example, derived from medieval mercenaries used by Lombardy, Venice and Savoie-Piemont.

Quite diffused surname, btw.


The name Scotland comes from latin Scotti, A roman word for the Irish raiders. So there could be a link of some sort.

Or perhaps a link with Duns Scotus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duns_Scotus

"The Kingdom of the Picts just became known as Kingdom of Alba in Gaelic, which later became known in English as Scotland; the terms are retained in both languages to this day. By the late 11th century at the very latest, Scottish kings were using the term rex Scottorum, or King of Scots, to refer to themselves in Latin."


Graham, does the clan system in Scotland come from the Scots or the Picts?

Picts and the Scots both probably.

[Ánleifr]

Picts and the Scots both probably.

Thanks....I was just wondering since they don't really have the clan system in Ireland like they do in Scotland and the Scots came from Ireland.

[Weedman]

Is there a way to tell if a Scottish surname originated with the Scots, Picts, Normans, Anglo-Saxon or Norse? Would it be accurate to assume that most "Mc" and "Mac" prefixes came over from Ireland with the Scots?

surnames by themselves dont have as much info as you think. The best thing is to do a Y-DNA test (if you are a male) to decide the true origin of your Scottish surname
many "Mac" names dont have Atl-Celtic Y-DNA at all and there are also many that have a Celtic Y-DNA type found common in Scotland that pre-date the arrival of the Gaels.

My own surname sounds Germanic, but my Y-DNA is a marker of a Brythonic-Celtic speaker, who was in Scotland (Ayrshire) even before the arrival of the Scotti/Gaels

many Norse settlers in the Isles and NE Highlands adopted Gaelic culture and assimilated before surnames well established. Not to mention the people in the NE who adopted the Norman surname of the local landlord that immigrated there as well.
Many people of the lowlands who were descendants of the Celts in those areas assimilated and adopted the surname system of groups like the Northumbrians and Normans

Plus the fact that many traditional Gaelic/Highland names were Anglicized as people migrated to the Lowlands at various stages.

The book called The Scots: a genetic journey is a good place to start. It shows how most of the Chiefs of Clan MacDonald have Norse/Viking Y-DNA and how many MacGregors have a Celtic marker that pre-dated the arrival of the Gaels and is not hardly found at all in Ireland (Pictish)

The Britons, Picts, Scots, Northumbrians, and Norse were all significant populations in Scotland long before the arrival of the surname system there, and they would have adopted to the particular culture/naming system that was prevalent in their regional area.

Many people from the western Lowlands, especially Galloway have gaelic/Irish Y-DNA though many of the surnames common to that area come from Old Scots, not Gaelic.

Even a surname like Wallace in Scotland can mean a native Old British/Welsh speaker (Strathclyde), which was still being spoken by a minority of the population in the western Lowlands at the time the surname system began to take root there in the early middle ages.

IMO,If you want to know the true origin of your particular Scottish surname, the best way is to do DNA testing and to look up all the info you can find on the surname and how it relates to Scottish history.
Even surnames that are similar but are historically from different regional locations in Scotland can have entirely different histories and origins.

[Nihtgenga]

How common is the surname Dowell in Scotland?

[Nehellenia]

My recent family surnames are McDougall, Ruthven, Annand, McDonald and Traill, All Norse and Norman derived, only MacGregor is gaelic. Mac doesn't necessarily refer to Gaelic origin, it depends who the clan progenitor was, Mac simply denotes 'son of' like O' does.

[Nihtgenga]

Dougall and Dowell have the same origins I believe?

[Nehellenia]

Thanks....I was just wondering since they don't really have the clan system in Ireland like they do in Scotland and the Scots came from Ireland.

Western Scots are primarily Gaelic

[Nehellenia]

Dougall and Dowell have the same origins I believe?

I don't think so, Dowell sounds Norman to me.

[Thor2009]

I was talking to someone in the chatbox yesterday who said that I looked Scottish.
I told them that I didn't have many Scottish names in my family, showed him my family tree, and to my surprise, more of the names were Scottish that I thought.

I guess they don't all start with Mac/Mc, then.
Had no idea that "Young" and "Thompson" could be Scottish, rather then English.

[Balmung]

My first name is Gaelic.

[Smaug]

Some "Macs" in my family include McRory, McElroy, McDonald and McFergus. I also have McNaught and McLochlan down the line.

[Weedman]

How common is the surname Dowell in Scotland?
McDowell is more common

but it's the same name


most of the Scottish names in my tree are Lowland and Border names (Ulster-Scots)

Gaelic names-
1. Brown-(originally Dunn/Duinn/Donne from Ayrshire)
2. Campbell
3. Murray-(from Galloway, not Highlands)

Anglo-Bernician names-
4. Smyth (Smith)
5. Thompson
6. Chester-(from Durham, English Borders)

Anglo-Norman names-
7. Oliphant-(from Cumbria, English Borders)

[Oneeye]

I have a McDonald several generations ago.

[Caismeachd]

I have a highland Scottish surname. It is an Anglicised Gaelic version of a biblical name.

[SaraNM]

Think it may one of those names that are both Scottish and Irish. I know in Ireland you have O'Donnell or Donnelly. Not sure.

What about "Murphy"? i know it's a typical irish surname, but could it be considerated scottish too?

[Graham]

What about "Murphy"? i know it's a typical irish surname, but could it be considerated scottish too?

nah it's easily Irish. My Step-Cousin has this surname. :)

[SaraNM]

nah it's easily Irish. My Step-Cousin has this surname. :)

Really? that's my mother's surname too

[portusaus]

Interesting. Does anybody know about McGrory?

[Learning_Genetics]

In my family tree we have mostly Angle sounding names, not really Scottish. For example, Johnston/e, a family which settled in the borders from England. Am I a Scot or a Sassenach? :(

[Graham]

In my family tree we have mostly Angle sounding names, not really Scottish. For example, Johnston/e, a family which settled in the borders from England. Am I a Scot or a Sassenach? :(

Johnstone's a Scottish surname. Johnson is English or Shetlander.

[Grace O'Malley]

My recent family surnames are McDougall, Ruthven, Annand, McDonald and Traill, All Norse and Norman derived, only MacGregor is gaelic. Mac doesn't necessarily refer to Gaelic origin, it depends who the clan progenitor was, Mac simply denotes 'son of' like O' does.

Mac is son yes but O means grandson or descendant.

[Graham]

Mac is son yes but O means grandson or descendant.

Never knew that. Live and learn.


My mums surname and a great grans surname is in this list. Anyone else with these names? :)

Clan Farquharson
Barrie, Bowman, Brebner, Christie, Coutts, Findlay, Findlayson, Finlay, Finlayson, Greusach, Hardie, Hardy, Kerracher, MacCaig, MacCartney, MacCuaig, MacEaracher, MacFarquhar, MacHardie, MacHardy, MacKerchar, MacKerracher, MacKindlay, MacKinlay, Reoch, Riach, Tawse.


Slap bang in the Cairngorms.


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g156/irnbru293/map_zps86437175.jpg

[LouisFerdinand]

My mother's cousin married a Campbell.
Clan Campbell History
http://www.ccsna.org/jsep10a.htm

[TheOldNorth]

The Campbell name comes from old irish "cam-beul" meaning crooked mouthed. I know because I'm descended from them.

[PAGANE]

Map of the Scottish Clan lands
https://scontent-sof1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/81255843_2840452235998506_1762337412123459584_n.jp g?_nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=6f1fXKnhg94AX8hOA-q&_nc_ht=scontent-sof1-1.xx&oh=5da86f9d2a71f115799dcfdbf3212b71&oe=5EAFF284