| 1. Smith 2. Brown 3. Wilson 4. Anderson 5. Thompson 6. Clark 7. Walker 8. Young 9. Scott 10. Mitchell 11. Campbell 12. Stewart 13. Bell 14. Bailey 15. Cooper 16. Watson 17. Ross 18. Henderson 19. Patterson 20. Alexander 21. Hamilton 22. Graham 23. Wallace 24. McDonald 25. Marshall 26. Murray 27. Crawford 28. Boyd 29. Kennedy 30. Burns 31. Gordon 32. Shaw 33. Robertson 34. Ferguson 35. Rose 36. Duncan 37. Cunningham 38. Armstrong 39. Elliott 40. Austin 41. Carr/Kerr 42. Montgomery 43. Johnston(e) 44. Morrison 45. Reid 46. Frazier/Fraser 47. Douglas 48. Fleming 49. Davidson 50. McKinney |
51. Craig 52. Fletcher 53. McDaniel 54. Ramsey 55. Cummings/Cumming 56. Stevenson/Stephenson 57. Maxwell 58. Lindsey/Lindsay 59. McBride 60. McLaughlin/MacLachlan 61. Buchanan 62. Logan 63. McKenzie 64. Burnett 65. Nicholson 66. Monroe/Munro 67. Calhoun/Colquholn 68. Bruce 69. Gilmore 70. McClaine/McLaine 71. Keith 72. McDowell 73. McLean 74. McCall 75. McKee 76. Livingston(e) 77. McIntosh 78. McCulloch/McCullough 79. McKnight 80. McMillan 81. McIntyre 82. Gillespie 83. McNeil/McNeal/McNeill 84. McFarland/McFarlane 85. Dunlap/Dunlop 86. McKay 87. McCarty 88. McPherson 89. Stuart 90. McCray 91. McFadden 92. McLeod/McCloud 93. Forbes 94. Guthrie 95. Rankin 96. Hanna/Hannah 97. Lockhart 98. Sinclair 99. Kirkpatrick 100. Dunbar |
101. McElroy 102. Leslie/Lesley 103. Sterling/Stirling 104. McLellan/McClelland 105. Burrell/Birral 106. Ritchie 107. McQueen 108. McKinley 109. McLendon 110. McCain 111. McCord 112. Carmichael 113. McCauley/MacAulay 114. Pollock/Polk 115. Irvin/Irvine/Irving 116. McGraw 117. McCollum 118. Kilgore/Kilgour 119. Trotter 120. Akins/Aiken/Eakins 121. McRae 122. McKenna 123. Drummond 124. McNair 125. Laird 126. Abernathy 127. Napier 128. Weir 129. Christie 130. McCracken 131. Crenshaw 132. Witherspoon/Wotherspoon 133. Kincaid/Kincade 134. MacBain/McBean 135. Sherer/Shearer 136. McKinnon 137. Duff 138. Nesbitt/Nisbet 139. McHugh 140. Bowie 141. McGregor 142. Snodgrass 143. Kilpatrick 144. Moffett 145. McCrary 146. McWhorter 147. McDuffie 148. McCurdy 149. McAdams 150. Chisholm |
| 1
Smith 2 Brown 3 Wilson 4 Stewart 5 Thomson 6 Campbell 7 Robertson 8 Anderson 9 Scott 10 MacDonald 11 Murray 12 Reid 13 Taylor 14 Clark 15 Young 16 Ross 17 Watson 18 Morrison 19 Mitchell 20 Walker 21 Paterson 22 Fraser 23 Kerr 24 Miller 25 Duncan 26 Hamilton 27 Cameron 28 Gray 29 Johnston 30 Graham 31 Davidson 32 McDonald 33 Henderson | 34
Martin 35 Grant 36 Bell 37 Hunter 38 Ferguson 39 Kelly 40 Simpson 41 Allan 42 Black 43 McLean 44 MacLeod 45 MacKenzie 46 Wallace 47 Mackay 48 Marshall 49 Gibson 50 Russell 51 Kennedy 52 Wright 53 Stevenson 54 Gordon 55 Wood 56 Sutherland 57 White 58 Milne 59 Burns 60 Muir 61 Watt 62 McKay 63 McMillan 64 Millar 65 McIntosh 66 Craig 67 Cunningham | 68
Munro 69 Hughes 70 Johnstone 71 McKenzie 72 Sinclair 72 Williamson 74 Ritchie 75 Murphy 76 Bruce 77 Jones 78 McGregor 79 Boyle 80 Crawford 81 Fleming 82 Dickson 82 Douglas 82 Shaw 85 McLaughlin 86 Alexander 87 Docherty 88 Jamieson 89 Lindsay 90 King 91 Donaldson 92 Christie 93 Hill 94 McIntyre 95 Findlay 96 Ramsay 97 Aitken 98 McFarlane 99 McLeod 100 Mackie 100 MacLean |
Note that different spellings have not been added together. If they had been:
Mac/McDonald would come after Brown
Miller/ar would come after Scott
Johnston/e would come after Miller/ar
Mac/McLean would come after Clark
Mac/McLeod would come after Mac/McLean
Mac/McKenzie would come after Taylor
Mac/McKay would come after Mac/McKenzie.
All of the 'top 50' except McDonald, Kelly, McLean, Wallace and Marshall were in the 'top 100' in 1858, and of the current 'second 50', only Sutherland, White, Munro, Sinclair and MacLean were in the 'top 100' in 1858. This is a significant change in a relatively short time.
Black states quite specifically that the Scottish patronymic is "Mac" and that he regards the contraction to "Mc" or "M' " as incorrect. This, no doubt, will annoy many a good Scot, both at home and overseas!
Webmaster's Note: Mac is the same word as the Gaelic word "meic" meaning "son of" and was used to identify someone, like "son of Dougall," before MacDougall was a surname. "Mc" is an abbreviation of "Mac". It was written with an apostrophe or two dots below the "c" or other ways, to show that the full "Mac" was shortened. "M'" is the same. There is no significance if Mc or Mac or M' are used. Some people will tell you Mc is Irish and Mac is Scottish. This isn't true. The "O'"s (e.g. O'Sullivan) are strictly Irish so any in Scotland probably can trace their ancestors back to 19th century Irish immigrants. But "Mc" and "Mac" are found in both countries. In some cases, leaving off the "Mac" all together may have occurred somewhere along the way, so someone with the surname MacDonald ("son of Donald") is of the same global family as another person with the surname Donald. So, when looking for a surname organization or doing genealogy research, be sure to look for the other forms of the surname.
1. Smith - occupational, as in 'blacksmith or goldsmith' (English)
2. Brown - descriptive, from the colour (English)
3. Wilson - patronymic - 'son of William' (English/Norman/Germanic)
4. Anderson - patronymic - 'son of Andrew' (English/Greek)
5. Thompson - patronymic - 'son of Thomas' (English/Hebrew) the normal spelling in Scotland is Thomson
6. Clark - occupational, as clerk (Latin)
7. Walker - occupational, from 'wealcere' meaning a fuller (Old English)
8. Young - descriptive (English)
9. Scott - (1) a Scotsman (English) or (2) descriptive, from 'scutt' (English)
10. Mitchell - patronymic - 'son of Michael' (English/Hebrew)
11. Campbell - descriptive, from 'cam beul' meaning 'crooked mouth' (Gaelic)
12. Stewart - occupational, from 'stig-weard' meaning 'sty-warden (Old English)
13. Bell - (1) descriptive, from 'bel' meaning 'beautiful' (French) or (2) territorial, meaning 'one who lives near a bell (English) or (3) matronymic, meaning 'son of Isabella' (English)
14. Bailey - occupational, meaning 'bailiff' (French)
15. Cooper - occupational (English)
16. Watson - patronymic - 'son of Walter' (English/Norman/Germanic)
17. Ross - (1) territorial, from Ross in northern Scotland or (2) descriptive, meaning red-haired (Old English)
18. Henderson - patronymic - 'son of Henry' (English/Norman/Germanic)
19. Patterson - patronymic - 'son of Patrick' (English/Latin)
20. Alexander - patronymic (Greek)
21. Hamilton - territorial, from Hambleton or Hambledon in England
22. Graham - territorial, from 'graeg-ham' meaning 'grey home' (Old English/Norman)
23. Wallace - descriptive, meaning 'Welsh' or 'foreign' (Celtic)
24. McDonald - patronymic - 'son of Donald' (Gaelic)
25. Marshall - occupational, meaning 'horse servant' (French)
26. Murray - territorial, from the province of Moray
27. Crawford - territorial, from the barony in Lanarkshire
28. Boyd - possibly territorial, from the Isle of Bute (Gaelic)
29. Kennedy - origin obscure (Irish)
30. Burns - territorial, from 'bourne' meaning 'stream' (English)
31. Gordon - probably territorial, from Gordon in Berwickshire
32. Shaw - (1) territorial, possibly from a place name meaning 'thicket' (English) or (2) an anglicisation of Sithig (Gaelic)
33. Robertson - patronymic, meaning 'son of Robert' (English/Norman/Germanic)
34. Ferguson - patronymic, meaning 'son of Fergus' (English/Gaelic)
35. Rose - see Ross
36. Duncan - descriptive, meaning 'brown warrior' (Gaelic)
37. Cunningham - territorial, from Cunningham in Ayrshire (English)
38. Armstrong - descriptive (English)
39. Elliott - occupational?, from Aelfwald (Old English)
40. Austin - (1) patronymic, from Augustine (Latin) or (2) used for Uisdean (Gaelic)
41. Carr/Kerr - territorial, meaning 'copse' (Old Norse)
42. Montgomery - territorial, from Sainte Foy de Montgomery, Lisieux, France (French)
43. Johnston(e) - patronymic - 'son of John' (English/Hebrew)
44. Morrison - patronymic - 'son of Maurice' (which means 'Moorish') (English/Latin)
45. Reid - descriptive, meaning 'red' (English)
46. Frazier/Fraser - occupational, from 'fraise' meaning 'strawberry' (French)
47. Douglas - descriptive, meaning 'dark stranger' (Gaelic)
48. Fleming - territorial, meaning a person from Flanders (English)
49. Davidson - patronymic, meaning 'son of David' (English/Hebrew)
50. McKinney/McKenna - patronymic, meaning 'son of Cionaodh' (Gaelic)
51. Craig - territorial, from 'crag' meaning 'rock' (English)
52. Fletcher - occupational (English)
53. McDaniel - patronymic, meaning 'son of Daniel' (Gaelic/Hebrew)
54. Ramsey - territorial, from Ramsey in Huntingdonshire, England. Usually spelled Ramsay in Scotland
55. Cummings/Cumming - territorial, from Comines near Lille in France
56. Stevenson/Stephenson - patronymic, meaning 'son of Stephen' (English/Norman/Greek)
57. Maxwell - territorial, from 'Maccus' weal', a pool in the River Tweed (Old English)
58. Lindsey/Lindsay - territorial, either from de Limesay near Rouen, France or from Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England
59. McBride - matronymic, meaning 'son of Bridget' (Gaelic/Irish)
60. McLaughlin/MacLachlan - patronymic, meaning 'son of Lachlan' (Gaelic)
61. Buchanan - territorial, from the district in Stirlingshire
62. Logan - territorial, from Logan in Ayrshire. might be related to 'lag' meaning 'hollow' (Gaelic)
63. McKenzie - patronymic, meaning 'son of Kenneth' (which means 'handsome' or 'born of fire') (Gaelic)
64. Burnett - patronymic, from Bernard (Old English/Germanic)
65. Nicholson - patronymic, meaning 'son of Nicholas' (English/Greek) 66. Monroe/Munro - territorial, meaning 'from the foot of the Rover Roe (in Derry, Ireland)' (Gaelic)
67. Calhoun/Colquholn usually Colquhoun in Scotland - territorial, from the lands in Dunbartonshire
68. Bruce - territorial, from Brix in Normandy
69. Gilmore - occupational, meaning 'servant of Mary (Gaelic)
70. McClaine/McLaine - in Scotland usually MacLean - patronymic meaning 'son of the servant of John' (Gaelic)
71. Keith - territorial, from the lands in East Lothian
72. McDowell - patronymic meaning 'son of Dougal' (Gaelic)
73. McLean See No 70 above
74. McCall - patronymic, meaning 'son of Cathal' (Gaelic)
75. McKee - variant of Mackay - patronymic meaning 'son of Aodh' (Gaelic)
76. Livingston(e) - territorial, from the lands in West Lothian
77. McIntosh - patronymic, meaning 'son of the chief' (Gaelic)
78. McCulloch/McCullough - patronymic, possibly meaning 'son of the boar' (Gaelic)
79. McKnight - variant of MacNaught - patronymic, meaning 'son of Nechtan' (Gaelic)
80. McMillan - patronymic meaning 'son of the bald or tonsured one' (Gaelic)
81. McIntyre - patronymic meaning 'son of the carpenter' (Gaelic)
82. Gillespie - ocuupational meaning 'servant of the bishop' (Gaelic)
83. McNeil/McNeal/McNeill -patronymic meaning 'son of Neil' (Gaelic)
84. McFarland/McFarlane -patronymic meaning 'son of Bartholomew' (which means 'son of the twin') (Gaelic/Hebrew)
85. Dunlap/Dunlop - territorial, from Dunlop in Ayrshire
86. McKay - see No 75 above
87. McCarty - not listed in Black - probably a patronymic meaning 'son of Arthur' (Irish?)
88. McPherson - patronymic, meaning 'son of the parson' (Gaelic/English)
89. Stuart - see No 12 above
90. McCray - Usually MacRae in Scotland - a patronymic meaning 'son of grace' or 'son of prosperity' (Gaelic)
91. McFadden - Usually MacFadyen in Scotland - patronymic, meaning 'son of little Pat(rick) (Gaelic/Latin)
92. McLeod/McCloud - patronymic meaning 'son of Leod' (which means 'ugly') (Gaelic/Norse)
93. Forbes - territorial, from the lands in Aberdeenshire
94. Guthrie - territorial, from the barony in Angus
95. Rankin - patronymic meaning 'little Randolph' (English/Germanic)
96. Hanna/Hannah - possibly a patronymic meaning 'son of Senach' (Celtic)
97. Lockhart - patronymic, from the personal name Locard (Old French/Germanic)
98. Sinclair - territorial, from St Clare in Normandy
99. Kirkpatrick - territorial, meaning 'church of St Patrick' (English/Latin)
100. Dunbar - territorial, from the place name
101. McElroy - patronymic, meaning 'son of the red-haired lad' (Gaelic)
102. Leslie/Lesley - territorial, from the lands of Leslie, which are said to have been named after Laszlo, the servant of Queen Margaret (Hungarian). The spelling Lesley is almost unknown in Scotland except as a girl's given name.
103. Sterling/Stirling - territorial, from the town
104. McLellan/McClelland - patronymic, meaning 'son of the servant of (St) Fillan' (meaning 'wolf') Gaelic/Irish
105. Burrell/Birral - usually spelled Birrel(l) in Scotland - territorial, from Burrill in Yorkshire, England
106. Ritchie - patronymic, meaning 'little Richard' (which means 'rule hard') (Germanic)
107. McQueen - patronymic, meaning 'son of Sweyn' (which means 'pig') (Gaelic/Norse)
108. McKinley - patronymic, meaning 'son of Finlay' (which means 'fair hero') (Gaelic)
109. McLendon - not listed in Black - possibly a variant of MacLennan, meaning 'son of the servant of Finnan' (Gaelic)
110. McCain - Usually McCann in Scotland - patronymic meaning 'son of Annadh' (Gaelic)
111. McCord - patronymic, meaning 'son of Cuart' (Gaelic)
112. Carmichael - territorial, from the barony in Lanarkshire
113. McCauley/MacAulay - patronymic, meaning 'son of Amalgaidh' (Gaelic/Irish)
114. Pollock/Polk - territorial, from the lands in Renfrewshire
115. Irvin/Irvine/Irving - territorial, from places in Dumfries-shire and Ayrshire
116. McGraw - not listed in Black - probably an Irish variant of No 90
117. McCollum - usually MacCallum in Scotland - patronymic meaning 'son of the servant of Columba' (Gaelic/Latin)
118. Kilgore/Kilgour - territorial, from the place in Fife
119. Trotter - occupational, meaning a messenger (Old French)
120. Akins/Aiken/Eakins - usually Aitken in Scotland - patronymic, meaning 'little Adam' (English/Hebrew)
121. McRae - see no 90 above
122. McKenna - patronymic meaning 'son of Cionaodh' (Gaelic)
123. Drummond - territorial, from the barony in Perthshire, or Drymen in Stirlingshire
124. McNair - patronymic meaning (1) 'son of brown John' or (2) 'son of the heir' or (3) 'son of the smith' or (4) 'son of the stranger' (Gaelic)
125. Laird - occupational, meaning landowner (English)
126. Abernathy - usually Abernethy in Scotland - territorial, from the place in Perthshire
127. Napier - occupational, meaning the person who looked after the linen (French)
128. Weir - territorial, from various places named Vere in France
129. Christie - occupational, meaning a Christian
130. McCracken - patronymic, possibly related to No 79
131. Crenshaw - not listed in Black
132. Witherspoon/Wotherspoon - possibly territorial, meaning 'sheep pasture' (Old English)
133. Kincaid/Kincade - territorial, from the lands in Stirlingshire
134. MacBain/McBean - patronymic, meaning 'son of Bean' (which means life) (Gaelic)
135. Sherer/Shearer - occupational (English)
136. McKinnon - patronymic, meaning 'son of Finguaine' (which means 'fair born') (Gaelic/Irish)
137. Duff - descriptive, meaning 'dark' (Gaelic)
138. Nesbitt/Nisbet - territorial, from the barony in Berwickshire
139. McHugh - patronymic, meaning 'son of Hugh' (which means 'mind') (Gaelic/Germanic)
140. Bowie - descriptive, possibly meaning 'yellow' (Gaelic)
141. McGregor - patronymic, meaning 'son of Gregor' (Gaelic/Latin)
142. Snodgrass - territorial, from lands in Ayrshire
143. Kilpatrick - territorial, meaning 'chapel of St Patrick' (English/Latin) (see No 99)
144. Moffett - Usually Moffat in Scotland - territorial, from the town
145. McCrary - not listed in Black - perhaps a variant of No 121
146. McWhorter - Usually MacWhirter in Scotland - patronymic, meaning 'son of the harper' (Gaelic)
147. McDuffie - patronymic, meaning 'son of the black man of peace' (Gaelic)
148. McCurdy - Usually McKirdy in Scotland - patronymic, meaning 'son of the sea -ruler' (Gaelic/Norse
149. McAdams - patronymic, meaning 'son of Adam' (Gaelic/Hebrew)
150. Chisholm - territorial, from the barony in Roxburghshire
Didn't find your surname in any of the lists above? Try:
- Scottish District Families Association
A study of Scotland shows that approximately seventy percent of all the families of Scotland and their descendants were not affiliated with, or members of, the ancient Scottish Clans.