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Understanding given names and surnames can help you trace your ancestors. This is particularly true once the origin of the name has been established.  
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== Online Databases ==
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'''Understanding customs used in German names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.'''
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==Online Tools==
*[http://www.clanscottsociety.org/linked/ MostCommonScottishSurnames]  
*[http://www.clanscottsociety.org/linked/ MostCommonScottishSurnames]  
*[http://surnames.behindthename.com/ Surnames Behind the Name]  
*[http://surnames.behindthename.com/ Surnames Behind the Name]  
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== Surnames  ==
== Surnames  ==


The nobility and wealthy land owners first began using surnames. Merchants and townspeople adopted the custom, as eventually did the rural population. This process took several centuries. Surnames developed from several sources and include the following types:
===Patronymic Surnames===
 
'''A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father.'''
*Occupational: based on a person’s trade, such as -
<br>
**Soutar (a shoemaker), Carter (also derived from MacArthur), Stewart (a steward), Dorward (door keeper) or Smith.
Patronymic names changed with each generation.  Based on a person’s father’s name they often containi Mac- or -son -  
**MacGowan/Gow (Mac a' Ghobhainn, son of the Smith), Neillie (Mac an Fhilidh, son of the poet), MacIntyre (Mac-an-t-Saoir, son of the carpenter)
*Dickson/Ritchie (Richard), Thomson, Williamson/Wilson, Duncan, Rollo, Watt/Watson (Walter's son)
*Geographic: based on a person’s residence
*MacConnochie (MacDhonnchaidh, son of Duncan), MacWilliam (MacUilleim), Quayle/MacPhail (MacPhòill, son of Paul)
**Aberdein (i.e. Aberdeen), Buchan, Dalziel, Dunbar, Peebles, Sutherland, Tweedie (River Tweed) or Glasgow.  
* Unlike Ireland, names based on Ò (grandson) are rare. However there are one or two exceptions such as Ogilvy (Ò Ghillebhuidhe grandson of the blonde man, MacGhillebhuidhe in modern Gaelic). O' in Scotland tends to mean "of" and comes from Lowland Scots.
**Murray (Moireach, someone from Moray), Boyd (Boideach, someone from the Isle of Bute),
**Craig (Creag, meaning a rock) Forrest, Milne (a mill), Muir (moorland or summer grazing area, Ross (someone living on a headland), Wood
*Patronymic, based on a person’s father’s name often containing Mac- or -son -  
**Dickson/Ritchie (Richard), Thomson, Williamson/Wilson, Duncan, Rollo, Watt/Watson (Walter's son)
**MacConnochie (MacDhonnchaidh, son of Duncan), MacWilliam (MacUilleim), Quayle/MacPhail (MacPhòill, son of Paul)
** Unlike Ireland, names based on Ò (grandson) are rare. However there are one or two exceptions such as Ogilvy (Ò Ghillebhuidhe grandson of the blonde man, MacGhillebhuidhe in modern Gaelic). O' in Scotland tends to mean "of" and comes from Lowland Scots.
 
*Descriptive or nickname, often referring to hair colour,&nbsp;complexion, or personality traits&nbsp;-
**Braidfute (Broad footed), Fairbairn (Beautiful child), Reid (red), Black
**Dow (Dubh, dark haired), Keir (ciar, swarthy, or ceàrr, left handed), Breck (Breac, freckled), Douglas (Dùghlas from Dubh-ghlas, dark-grey haired), Gilroy/Kilroy (MacGhilleruaidh, son of the red headed person), Bowie (Buidhe - blonde person), Glass (glas - grey haired)
**Armstrong, Godard (good natured), Hardie (bold, daring, also a derivative of McHardy), Kenard (kind-hearted), Sharp (sharp or keen, also a derivative of McKerran), Smart (smeart, meaning active), Truman (true or trusty man)&nbsp;
*Ethnic origins
**Wallace (Wealys, a Brython or Welshman), Bremner (Brabant), Inglis (English), Scott, Fleming
**Galbraith (Mac a' Bhreatannaich, son of the Brython or Welsh speaker), MacDougall (MacDhùghaill -&gt; MacDhubhghaill, son of a Dubhghall, a certain type of Norseman), Gall
* Surnames based on animals
** Matheson (MacMhathain, son of the bear), MacKechnie (MacEacharna, son of the horse lord), MacCalmain (son of the dove)
** Hogg, Dove, Brock (broc - a badger), Todd (a fox)
*Ecclesiastical, many beginning with (Mac)gil (MacGhille-)
**Kirk (church), Bell
**MacLean (MacGhill-Eain, son of the servant of St John), Gilchrist (MacGhilleChriosd, son of the servant of Christ), MacPherson (Mac a' Phearsain, son of the ecclesiastic), MacMillan (MacMhaolain, son of the tonsured one, i.e. a monk), Dewar (Mac-an-Deòir or Deòrach), Gilmour (MacGhilleMhuire - servant of St Mary), Mellis (MacGhilleIosa or Maol-Iosa - servant of Jesus)
 
It should be noted that in the Celtic Church until surprisingly late, that churchmen and monks could marry, hence the proliferation of names such as MacNab (Mac-an-Aba, son of the abbot).
 
===Books on Scottish surnames===
Many books discuss Scottish surnames:
 
*Black, George Fraser. ''Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History.'' New York: New York Public Library, 1946. (Family History Library&nbsp;book {{FHL|941 D4b|disp=941 D4b}}.)
 
*Dorward, David. ''Scottish Surnames''
 
*Guppy, Henry Brougham. ''Homes of Family Names in Great Britain''. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. (Family History Library book 942 D4g 1968.) This book discusses the geographic origins and meanings of certain surnames.
 
*Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Digital version at [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx Ancestry] - free; (Family History Library book {{FHL|412254|title-id|disp=929.42 H194d}}. BYU&nbsp;FHL book CS 2385 .H27 1988.) The book contains entries for most major surnames of European origin and some rare surnames.
 
*Lasker, G. W. and C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor. ''Atlas of British Surnames: With 154 Maps of Selected Surnames''. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press, 1990. (Family History Library book 942 D4Lg.) This book charts with maps the density of surnames in Scotland.
 
*Titford, John . ''Searching for Surnames: A Practical Guide to their Meanings and Origins''. Newbury, England: Countryside Books, 2002. (Family History Library book 942 D4tj.) This book discusses the meaning and origins of early surnames.


Several websites help you map the geography of Scottish surnames. To learn more, see [[Surname Distribution Maps]]. [http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/genmap01.htm GenMap UK] (£) helps you create your own United Kingdom surname distribution maps.<br>
===Surnames Historical Development===


Projects that study specific surnames are called one-name studies. [[Guild of One-Name Studies|The Guild of One-Name Studies]] is an example of an organization that has identified several thousands such projects.  
*Before record keeping began, most people had only one name, such as John.
*As the population increased, it became necessary to distinguish between individuals with the same name. The problem was usually solved by adding descriptive information. John became John the smith, John the son of Matthew, John the short, or John from Heidelberg.
*At first surnames applied only to one person, not to the whole family. After a few generations, these names became hereditary and were passed on from generation to generation.
*Surnames developed from several sources. For example:
**'''Occupational'''
***Soutar (a shoemaker), Carter (also derived from MacArthur), Stewart (a steward), Dorward (door keeper) or Smith.  
***MacGowan/Gow (Mac a' Ghobhainn, son of the Smith), Neillie (Mac an Fhilidh, son of the poet), MacIntyre (Mac-an-t-Saoir, son of the carpenter)
**'''Geographical,''' based on a person's residence
***Aberdein (i.e. Aberdeen), Buchan, Dalziel, Dunbar, Peebles, Sutherland, Tweedie (River Tweed) or Glasgow.  
***Murray (Moireach, someone from Moray), Boyd (Boideach, someone from the Isle of Bute),
***Craig (Creag, meaning a rock) Forrest, Milne (a mill), Muir (moorland or summer grazing area, Ross (someone living on a headland), Wood


The [http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/ British Surnames] website can help you learn a wide variety of information about Scottish surnames. Genuki.co.uk maintains a '[http://www.genuki.org.uk/indexes/SurnamesLists.html Surname List]' by county which could prove to be helpful.  
**'''Patronymic''' (based on a person’s father’s name, see above)
**'''Descriptive''' or '''nickname''' often referring to hair colour,&nbsp;complexion, or personality traits&nbsp;-
***Braidfute (Broad footed), Fairbairn (Beautiful child), Reid (red), Black
***Dow (Dubh, dark haired), Keir (ciar, swarthy, or ceàrr, left handed), Breck (Breac, freckled), Douglas (Dùghlas from Dubh-ghlas, dark-grey haired), Gilroy/Kilroy (MacGhilleruaidh, son of the red headed person), Bowie (Buidhe - blonde person), Glass (glas - grey haired)
***Armstrong, Godard (good natured), Hardie (bold, daring, also a derivative of McHardy), Kenard (kind-hearted), Sharp (sharp or keen, also a derivative of McKerran), Smart (smeart, meaning active), Truman (true or trusty man)&nbsp;
**'''Ethnic origins'''
***Wallace (Wealys, a Brython or Welshman), Bremner (Brabant), Inglis (English), Scott, Fleming
***Galbraith (Mac a' Bhreatannaich, son of the Brython or Welsh speaker), MacDougall (MacDhùghaill
***MacDhubhghaill, son of a Dubhghall, a certain type of Norseman), Gall
** '''Surnames based on animals'''
*** Matheson (MacMhathain, son of the bear), MacKechnie (MacEacharna, son of the horse lord), MacCalmain (son of the dove)
*** Hogg, Dove, Brock (broc - a badger), Todd (a fox)
**'''Ecclesiastical, many beginning with (Mac)gil (MacGhille-)'''
***Kirk (church), Bell
***MacLean (MacGhill-Eain, son of the servant of St John), Gilchrist (MacGhilleChriosd, son of the servant of Christ), MacPherson (Mac a' Phearsain, son of the ecclesiastic), MacMillan (MacMhaolain, son of the tonsured one, i.e. a monk), Dewar (Mac-an-Deòir or Deòrach), Gilmour (MacGhilleMhuire - servant of St Mary), Mellis (MacGhilleIosa or Maol-Iosa - servant of Jesus)
It should be noted that in the Celtic Church until surprisingly late, that '''churchmen and monks could marry''', hence the proliferation of names such as MacNab (Mac-an-Aba, son of the abbot).


Another aspect of Scottish surnames is pronunciation. [http://archive.org/stream/glossaryofdialec00hopeuoft#page/148/mode/2up "A List of Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests" (1883)]<ref>Robert Charles Hope, ''A Glossary of Dialectal Place-nomenclature, To Which is Appended A List of Family Surnames Pronounced Differently from What the Spelling Suggests'' (London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1883). Digitised by [http://archive.org/details/glossaryofdialec00hopeuoft Internet Archive] - free.</ref>, available online, identifies some more unusual examples.


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== More Information ==
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