Scottish Surnames: Meaning, Origin & Coat of Arms

Defender of men

Son of Alice, or son of Allan

Son of Andrew

Strong in the arm

Uncertain, perhaps poet

Hilltop

Dark-haired, swarthy

From Blair, "plain, field"

Of Bute

From Brix in Normandy

From Buchanan in Stirlingshire

Brown-haired, of brown complexion

Dweller by a stream; descendant of Bran

From Caldwell, "cold spring"

From the lands of Colquhoun

Crooked nose; crooked hill

Crooked mouth (Gaelic)

From the lands of Cochrane

Son of Eoghan

Dweller by the crag

From the crow ford

From the Norman Comyn family

From Cunninghame (Ayrshire)

Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Mhuirich or Ó Comhraidhe

From Douglas in Lanarkshire ("black water")

Brown warrior

From the lands of Dunlop

Dark brown, swarthy

From the personal name Elias or Elliot

From Eòghann

Son of Fergus ("man of vigour")

Fair warrior

Man from Flanders

From the lands of Forbes

Of uncertain Norman origin

Bird settlement

From Galloway

Son of Gib (Gilbert)

Son of the bishop's servant

Glassmaker, or grey-green

Valley

From Gordon ("spacious fort")

From Grantham, "gravelly homestead"

Tall, great

From Guthrie in Angus

From Hambleton, "crooked hill"

Son of Henry

Hugh's town

Huntsman

From Irvine, or boar-friend

From John's settlement (Johnstone)

From the lands of Keith

Dweller by the marshy scrubland

Young goat

Dweller by the church

From the knock (round hill)

Son of Law (Lawrence)

Small, a nickname

Leving's settlement

From Logan, "little hollow"

Wolf, or a term of affection

Son of Aodh ("fire")

Son of Coinneach (Kenneth)

Son of Leod

Horse servant; farrier

From Maxwell, "Maccus's pool"

Son of the sallow lad

Son of Domhnall ("world ruler")

Son of Gregor

Son of the leader

Son of the carpenter

Son of Neachtan

Son of the servant of St John

Son of the tonsured one

Son of the parson

From Montgomery in Normandy

Son of Morris, or son of the servant of Mary

Traditionally "man from the Roe"

From Muireadhach ("mariner, lord")

Dun, sallow

Nobleman (from Patricius)

Son of Patrick

Little Pate (Patrick)

Red-haired

From Ryedale or Riddell

Little Richard

Son of Robert ("bright fame")

Promontory; heath; red

A Scot

From Saint-Clair

Spearman

Hard as steel, or dweller by a steep slope

Son of Steven

Steward

Son of Thomas ("twin")

Welshman, Briton of Strathclyde

Son of William