In Scotland - as in the rest of Western Europe - there were four main
ways of acquiring a surname:-
Patronymic - taking the father's Christian name e.g. Robertson
Occupation - e.g. Smith (the most common surname of all)
Locality - e.g. Wood
Nickname - e.g. White, Little.
Patronymics - Lowland names such as Wilson, Robertson, Thomson and
Johnson are among the most common surnames in Scotland. 'Mac' names are also
patronymic. MacManus - son of Magnus. 'Mc' is just a printer's contraction
and has no significance as to etymology.
Occupation - Names which are derived from trades and occupations -
mostly found in towns. The most common of these is Smith (the most common
surname in Scotland, England and the USA) but other examples would be Taylor
(tailor) Baxter (baker) and Cooper (barrel maker).
Locality - In Scotland the tendency is for people to be named
after places (in England the tendency is the opposite). Examples of such
names are Morton, Lauder, Menzies and Galloway.
Nickname - Names which could refer to colour or size, e.g. White,
Black, Small, Little. Scottish names in this category include Campbell
(meaning 'crooked mouth'). Another example of nickname - this time referring
to the bearers origins - is Scott.
Naming patterns
People of all countries tend to use forenames which run in the family. In
Scotland families not only use such names but they tend to follow naming
patterns - the most common of which is:-
1st son - named after his paternal grandfather
2nd son - named after his maternal grandfather
3rd son - named after his father
4th
son = father's oldest brother
5th
son = father's 2nd oldest brother or mother's oldest brother
1st daughter - named after her maternal grandmother
2nd daughter - named after her paternal grandmother
3rd daughter - named after her mother
4th
daughter = mother's oldest sister
5th
daughter = mother's 2nd oldest sister or father's oldest sister
Although this naming pattern was not always used, it can be a useful
indication to genealogists. Unfortunately, this pattern is not used to the
same extent today.
Origins of some Scottish surnames
Fraser - Originally De Frisselle, de Freseliere or De Fresel. The
first recorded bearer of the name was Sir Simon Frasee who held lands in
East Lothian. Fortunate marriages enabled the family to acquire lands all
over Scotland. By such means they acquired Philorth in Buchan in 1375 - this
became the chief seat of the Frasers. The family was raised to the peerage
in the person of the first Lord Lovat. To the Gaels the chief of the Frasers
is known as MacShimidh - 'son of Simon'.
Bruce - A locality name from Normandy - Brix near Cherbourg. The
first recorded bearer of the name accompanied William the Conqueror and the
second accompanied King David to Scotland to claim the throne. This was the
family which produced Robert the Bruce and, although the royal line died out
in 1314, the name Bruce is today among the hundred commonest Scottish
surnames.
Robertson - a patronymic name. The first bearer of the name was
Robert, grandson of Duncan the Fat (Donnchadh Reamhar). The family acquired
lands in the central Highlands. However, the commonality of the name in
Scotland can only be explained, not by any connection to the original
family, but by the large number of people who adopted the name because it
was their fathers' forename. In Gaelic the clan continues to be called Clann
Donnacha - Duncan's children - from their descent from Duncan the Fat.
Stewart - an occupational name. It comes from the office of
steward which was a position of importance under the Crown. Among
alternative spellings of the name are Stuart and Steward. Mary, Queen of
Scots favoured the spelling Stuart as there is no 'W' in the French
language. To the Gaels the Stewarts are known as 'the race of Kings and
Tinkers'.