SCOTLAND
Scotland is a locational surname deriving directly from the country’s historic designation. The name signifies that the bearer or an ancestor was associated with the land known as Scotland.
The etymological root is the Gaelic word Alba, translated as “land of the hills.” In a Latin context the term appears as Scotus meaning “Scotsman” and Caledonia, the name for the northern Pictish territories. The earliest written reference dates from the 11th century in a Durham manuscript where the region is referred to as “Scotia.”
Three distinct origins are documented. The first is Norman, composed of the personal name elements Scot (ethnic designation) and land (territory). This form appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Scotlandus” in Kent and “Scollandus” in Sussex, with variants such as “Escotland” and “Escolland.” The second origin is English, an ethnic surname for someone coming from Scotland, especially a Gaelic speaker or an Irish immigrant; the first English record is “Galfridus de Scotland” in the Essex Pipe Rolls of 1193. The third origin is Scottish locational, indicating residence in the area near Loch Leven in Kinross; the earliest Irish record is “Richard de Scocia” dated 1178–1180. The very first spelling of the family name known to survive is that of William Escoland, dated 1155 in the Records of Durham Priory during the reign of King Henry XI.
In contemporary use the surname is common throughout the British Isles and in countries with significant Scottish settlement. In Scotland it is most widespread in the north and central regions, notably Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. In Australia it is the 222nd most frequent surname, in the United States it ranks 1,020th, in England 1,045th, in Wales 1,169th, and in Canada 868th. Within the United States the name is represented principally in states with historic Scottish links such as New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California; New York has the highest concentration. The surname also appears with notable frequency among personnel in the U.S. armed forces.
The name has numerous spelling variants derived from the original and from later cultural influences. These include Scoteland, Scotsland, MacScotland, McSclatty, McKiedland, MacClatty, Scotlan, Scoter, Scot, MacScot, McCotland, MacKitty, MacKeiland, Schotland, Schottland, Skotland, and Skoteau. Foreign derivatives appear under Irish, Swedish, Danish, and French forms, illustrating the migration of the name beyond the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Scotland surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- Eric
- James
- John
- Kenneth
- Peter
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Beverley
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Colleen
- Elizabeth
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Lynn
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Susan
- Wendy
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 Scotland in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,274 people named Scotland in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,114th most common surname in Britain. Around 20 in a million people in Britain are named Scotland.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Scotland
- Patricia Scotland - Barrister and baroness
- Matilda of Scotland - Queen consort of England (1080 to 1118)
- Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway - Queen of Norway (1261 to 1283)
- Ken Scotland - Scottish rugby union player
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.