GEDDES

Geddes is a surname of Scottish origin, with roots in the Gaelic language of the British Isles. The name is associated with the region of Nairn, and it is first recorded as a locational name derived from a place called Geddes in Nairnshire.

The Gaelic word gad – meaning “pike” or “spear” – forms the base of the surname. The name was originally a topographic or occupational designation, applied to an inhabitant of the ridge or to someone who lived near or worked with a pike or spear. Over the centuries the surname has spread beyond Scotland and appears in many English‑speaking countries.

Early medieval records show the surname in various forms such as de Geddes, Geddas, Gaddis, Gaddes and even Jedd. The first document containing the name is that of Master Matthew de Geddes, dated 1405, in the Records of those granted a safe conduct to England during the reign of King Robert, II of Scotland (1390‑1406). The name appears in the Lonson lists, for example, John Gaddes marrying Hannah Beasley at St Martin’s in the Field, Westminster, on 10 July 1786.

In 1406 a grant is recorded for the lands of Ladyurd in the barony of Kirkurd to an individual named William of Geddes, indicating the family’s status as local landowners. Two years later, Matthew de Geddes is noted as rector of the Church of Forest. In 1452 Alexander Geddes is listed in the Episcopal Registers of Glasgow as a licenciate in theology, further evidence of the family’s clerical influence.

Variations of the surname are linked to pronunciation and regional spelling differences, giving rise to forms such as Gedde, Geddy, Geddies, Geddas, Geddys, Geddis, Gedds, Kiddes and Gettys. In Scotland the surname is a sept of the Clan Chattan and has been associated with the Clan Geddes, which held a family seat in the medieval era in the counties of Nairn and Moray.

The family crest is blazoned as a red shield with a silver inescutcheon between three gold pikes’ heads couped, and the crest features a pike’s head couped proper. The familial motto is Capta majora.

While historically concentrated in the north of Scotland, the name Geddes has proliferated through migration, notably to England, the United States, Canada and Australia. The diaspora has preserved the surname’s heritage while it remains moderately common within Scotland and among communities of Scottish descent worldwide.

Typical given names associated with the Geddes surname

Male

• Alexander
• Andrew
• David
• Ian
• James
• John
• Michael
• Paul
• Robert
• William

Female

• Anne
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Fiona
• Helen
• Jacqueline
• Jean
• Laura
• Margaret
• Mary
• Nicola
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Geddes in...

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Morse

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Semaphore

Origin: Celtic

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: Scotland

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: Gaelic

Famous people named Geddes

• Patrick Geddes - Scientist and town planner (1854 to 1932)
• Chris Geddes - Musician
• Auckland Geddes, 1st Baron Geddes - Politician (1879 to 1954)
• Eric Geddes - Politician (1875 to 1937)
• Euan Geddes, 3rd Baron Geddes - Peer
• Bobby Geddes - Football player
• Keith Geddes - Rugby union player (1918 to 1991)
• Irvine Geddes - Scottish rugby union player (1882 to 1962)
• Andy Geddes - Football player (1922 to 1958)
• Roy Geddes - Dean of Science and Engineering at Auckland Institute of Technology (1940 to 2006)
• Gavin Geddes -
• Leslie A. Geddes - Engineer (1921 to 2009)
• John Geddes - Scottish Catholic bishop (1735 to 1799)
• Tex Geddes - Scottish author and adventurer (1919 to 1998)
• William Duguid Geddes - Scottish scholar and educationalist (1828 to 1900)
• James Lorraine Geddes - Union Army General (1827 to 1887)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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