Scottish Border surnames such as Armstrong, Elliot, Graham, Scott and Kerr grew from kin groups shaped by life on the Anglo-Scottish frontier. Learn how Border Reiver family names developed, where they were concentrated and how to research a possible connection.
Category Archives: Names
Highland surnames often preserve Gaelic kinship and clan connections, while Lowland surnames more often reflect Scots, English, Norman, occupational and place-name traditions. The boundary is far from absolute: families, languages and surnames moved across Scotland for centuries.
Scottish royal last names include Stewart or Stuart, Bruce, Balliol and Douglas, each tied to medieval power, landholding and the Scottish crown in different ways. Learn where these surnames came from and what their royal connections actually mean.
Scottish Norse last names preserve traces of Viking-age settlement in Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and the Hebrides. Learn how names such as Gunn, Raven and Harold connect to Old Norse language, personal names and places.
Scottish Norman surnames arrived with families connected to the Anglo-Norman world in the 12th century, then became part of Scotland’s own political, regional and family history. Learn the background to names including Bruce, Fraser, Sinclair, Hay, Graham and Balliol.