How to research your Scottish heritage

Tombstone of John Geddes, glover, in Elgin Cathedral. 1660.

Scotland's history is rich and complex, spanning thousands of years. It dates from the earliest known human presence in Scotland around 10,000 BCE. Scotland's recorded history began with the arrival of the Romans in the 1^st century AD. Scotland as a national entity began to take shape in the early medieval period when the tribes of Picts and Gaels united to form the Kingdom of Alba in the 9^th century. This period also saw the influence of Vikings and the establishment of feudalism. By the early 14^th century Scotland fought for its independence from England. Three hundred years later James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and then the Acts of Union in 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain. The 18^th and 19^th centuries saw Scotland become a center of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. The early 21^st century saw a resurgence of Scottish nationalism, fired even further by the decision of the UK to leave the European Union ("Brexit"). But more recently mounting domestic economic and social problems, as well as scandals involving the ruling Scottish National Party, have worked against the push for independence.

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Scottish regions

Modern Scotland is divided into 32 administrative councils, but from a genealogical perspective what is more relevant is its six historical regions. These are:

• Highlands and Western Islands: generally defined as the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east. It includes the islands of the Outer Hebrides.
• Central Belt: stretches from Glasgow in the west to Edinburgh in the east, and contains the majority of the current population
• Northeast Scotland: includes the northern city of Aberdeen and the surrounding areas.
• South of Scotland: covers the Scottish Borders and the country of Dumfries and Galloway.
• West of Scotland: Argyll and Bute, as well as the islands of the Inner Hebrides.
• East of Scotland: incudes Fife, Angus, and Perth and Kinross.

Each of these regions has distinct or unique characteristics. Often their topography has shaped each region's history and the lives of its inhabitants. This is especially over the centuries before modern times, when travel and movement away from their place of origin was rare for most people. Furthermore Scottish clans are generally associated with one of these regions.

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Scottish surnames

Scottish birth certificate. 1989

See also: Scottish surnames

As in many other countries many Scottish surnames fall into one of several broadly defined functional descriptions. These help explain their origins. But note that sometimes a surname might have several different potential origins (marked with an *, below). Here are some examples of each category:

Scottish surnames of geographic, regional and clan origins

• Allanach: found in western Ross.
• Ambarsan: associated with Sleat.
• Aris (Ariss Bànach): linked to Clan John Aris in Wester Ross.
• Beitean (Beaton, Bethune): common in Ross.
• Campbell: Clan Campbell, historically dominant in the Highlands.
• Caolaisdean (Kelso): found on Arran.
• Douglas: Clan Douglas, a powerful Lowland family.
• Fleming: associated with Flemish settlers.
• Fraser: Clan Fraser, prevalent in the Inverness area.
• Galbraith: from the Gaelic Breathnach, meaning "Briton" or "Welshman."
• Gordon: Clan Gordon, influential in the northeast of Scotland.
• MacDonald*: Clan Donald, one of the largest and most powerful clans.
• MacGregor: Clan Gregor.
• MacKenzie: Clan MacKenzie, prominent in the northwest Highlands.
• MacLeod: Clan MacLeod, with branches in Harris and Skye.
• Murray: connected to the region of Moray.
• Scott: initially denoted a person from Scotland or someone who spoke Gaelic.
• Sinclair: Clan Sinclair, with roots in Caithness and Orkney.
• Stewart*: Clan Stewart, with royal connection.

Scottish surnames of topographical origin

• Burns: derived from "burn," meaning a stream or small river.
• Craig: living near a "rock" or "cliff".
• Hill: living near a hill.
• Shaw: living near a thicket or copse.
• Wood: living near a forest.

Scottish surnames of occupational origin

• Smith: blacksmith.
• Stewart*: steward or manager.
• Soutar: shoemaker.
• Carter: cart driver or transporter
• Clacher: stonemason

Socttish surnames of patronymic and matronymic origin

• MacDonald: son of Donald (from the Gaelic MacDhòmhnaill).
• MacGregor*: son of Gregor (from the Gaelic MacGriogair).
• MacKenzie*: son of Kenneth" (from the Gaelic MacCoinnich).
• MacLeod*: son of Leod" (from the Gaelic MacLeòid).
• Thomson: son of Thomas.
• NicDhòmhnaill: daughter of Donald (from the Gaelic nighean mhic Dhòmhnaill).
• NicLeòid: daughter of Leod (from the Gaelic nighean mhic Leòid).

Scottish surnames based on nicknames or personal characteristics of an ancestor ("bynames")

• Armstrong: with strong arms.
• Bain: "fair" or "white" (from the Gaelic Bàn)
• Black: with dark hair or complexion.
• Campbell*: from the Gaelic Caimbeul, meaning "crooked mouth."
• Cameron*: from the Gaelic Camshron, meaning "crooked nose."
• Duff: from the Gaelic Dubh, meaning "dark" or "black."
• Fairbairn: "beautiful child."
• Gray: with gray hair or a gray complexion.
• Little: of small stature.
• White: with a pale complexion or white hair.

Scottish surnames of Patronage and Estate origins (reflecting an ancestor's link to a powerful family, individual or land estate)

• Cameron: associated with the Cameron family lands in Lochaber.
• Grant: associated with the Clan Grant, which received lands from the Scottish crown.
• Forbes: linked to the Forbes family, who were patrons in Aberdeenshire
• Leslie: associated with the Leslie family lands in Aberdeenshire.
• Hamilton: linked to the Hamilton estate in Lanarkshire.

Unusual Scottish surnames

Online resources provide easy access to the most common surnames in modern Scotland as well as their likely meaning or origin. But there are also some unusual surnames or unusual pronunciations, perhaps reflecting specific events, relationships or personally unique history:

• Cockburn: often pronounced Coe-burn. One theory is that the name first came to be pronounced Coke-burn in a regional dialect, then over time the middle consonants were rounded out to produce the modern Coe-burn.
• Dalziel - often pronounced Dee-ell.
• Dewer: origin unclear, may be derived from a specific locality or family history.
• Erskine: associated with nobility.
• Keddie: In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Keddie family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Keddie is derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Adaidh, which means son of Adam.
• Meikle: meaning "big" in Gaelic.
• Menzies: in Scotland often pronounced Mingus.

Scottish first names

These are some typically Scottish first names, along with their meanings:

Male

• Alasdair: Scottish variant of Alexander, meaning "defender of men.
• Duncan: "dark warrior".
• Fergus: "man of force."
• Hamish: Gaelic version of James.
• Rory: "red-haired king," this name has both Gaelic and Irish origins.
• Finlay: from the Gaelic Fionnlagh, meaning "white warrior."
• Kenneth: "born of fire" or "handsome," associated with the first King of Scotland.
• Lachlan: "from the land of lakes," this name became popular during the Viking era.

Female

• Ailsa: derived from the island of Ailsa Craig, meaning "elf victory.
• Eilidh: Gaelic form of Helen, meaning "light" or "bright."
• Fiona: "fair" or "white," a Gaelic name now popular worldwide.
• Isla: from the name of a Scottish island, it literally means "island."
• Mairi: Gaelic form of Mary, meaning "beloved."
• Shona: Scottish variant of Joan, meaning "God is gracious."

Researching your Scottish ancestry

Birth certificate of Alexander Marland Nelson, born 5 May 1858 at 'Glenduik' in Colmonell, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

These steps and resources will get you started on researching your Scottish heritage :

1. Gather available information from family: Carefully collate and organise the information you already have. Systematically document names, dates, and places from family records, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as photographs. Speak to older family members about their recollections, if possible recording their comments. Ask if they can suggest further lines of inquiry or potential sources of additional information on family history.
2. Utilise official online resources: ScotlandsPeople is the Scottish Government genealogy resource. It offers access to a wide range of records, including birth, marriage, death, census, and church records. Another official online source is the National Records of Scotland. Its research collections include registers of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, civil partnerships, dissolutions and adoptions; Scottish government records from the 12^th century to the present day; records created by Scottish courts of law, churches, businesses, landed estates and other corporate bodies; Scottish census enumeration books; and the National Health Service Central Register.
3. Visit Scottish archives and libraries in person: A visit to Scotland is the perfect opportunity to advance your family history research. In addition to the online collection described above the National Records of Scotland, located in Edinburgh, holds a vast collection of physical records that can be invaluable for genealogical research. The Highland Archive Centre, in Inverness, holds archives relating to the history of the Highlands. Its collections date from the 14^th century and cover the counties of Inverness, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty and Sutherland. Many other regions in Scotland have their own archives. As a starting point you can consult the Scottish Archives Network (SCAN) online catalogue. This is a database describing historical records held in more than fifty Scottish archives.
4. Engage a Professional Genealogist: It may be come necessary to consider the services of a professional genealogist who specialises in Scottish ancestry. This could be an option if a personal visit to Scotland is not feasible or you hit a problem in resolving a key piece of family history. A specialist should have the inside knowledge and access to additional information sources not readily accessible by the amateur family historian.
5. Join appropriate genealogy groups: Once you've narrowed down your interest to a specific region or clan consider membership of dedicated Scottish genealogy societies. These can be a valuable place to share information and get advice from others who are interested in similar research.

See also

• Scotland
• Clans of Scotland
• Scottish military records
• Scottish cemeteries

Explore more about your Scottish heritage

MyHeritage includes over 132 collections containing almost 61 million records relevant to Scotland. These cover every facet of Scottish heritage including census records; birth, marriage, death & military records; offical gazettes; newspapers; clan & family histories; peerages; regional records & histories and publications of Scottish historical societies.

MyHeritage has a DNA testing service that may offer insights into your genetic heritage and connect you with previously unknown Scottish relatives.

LegacyFamilyTrees offers a number of different webinars to drive your Scottish research. These include a 12-part series entitled "The Foundations of Scottish Genealogy", guidance on how to get a Scottish Coat of Arms and tips for overcoming barriers in your research.

Once you've exhausted mainstream Scottish genealogical information here are several less common sources that may be worth exploring:

• Scotland’s Placesoffers access to a variety of historical records, including tax records like the Clock and Watch Tax Rolls from 1797-1798, which can provide unique details about ancestors' lives and occupations.
• The Glasgow Herald on Google provides digitized editions of "The Glasgow Herald" from 1806 to 1990. With patience you can uncover obituaries, announcements, and other personal mentions that are not typically found in official records.
• The Scottish Emigration Database, which is maintained by the University of Aberdeen, records over 21,000 passengers who emigrated from Scottish ports between 1890 and 1960, providing insights into migration patterns and family movements.
• The Moving Image Archive is the National Library of Scotland’s film collection. It spans 100 years and includes documentaries, home movies, and newsreels. These visual records offer a unique glimpse into the daily lives and environments of Scottish ancestors.
• The Edinburgh Gazette is an official newspaper of record for the United Kingdom, published by H. M. Stationery. It contains information going back to 1699 on companies, wills and probate, awards, and insolvency. It can provide unexpected details about ancestors' professional and personal lives.
• Statistical Accounts of Scotland, compiled by University of Edinburgh, offer historical information about Scottish parishes, including economic activities, population statistics, and local customs.
• Scottish Handwriting, specialist section of ScotlandsPeople, offers online tutorials and in-person classes in palaeography, helping researchers decipher old Scottish documents written in various scripts, which is crucial for understanding historical records.
• Barry Griffin’s Name Heatmaps is an online tool that provides "heatmaps" of surnames based on the 1901 census. It shows the geographical distribution of family names across Scotland. This may assist you pinpoint the regions where ancestors lived.
• The University of Aberdeen Archive Collections include records of families, estates, organisations, and businesses. This archive provides access to a wealth of information not typically found in other Scottish genealogical sources.
• The Glasgow Story documents the history of Glasgow with thousands of images and stories, offering a rich source of background information on the everyday lives of ancestors who lived in Glasgow.

Exploring specialist sources like these will take time but you maybe rewarded with unexpected details about your Scottish ancestors. In this way you may gain a richer and more nuanced understanding of your family history.

References

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