Scottish Baby Names

SCOTLAND IS divided into three physical regions: the Highlands, the Southern Uplands, and the Central Lowlands, where two-thirds of the population live. Many traditional Scottish names come from the Feen, the heroic Celtic ancestors of the Scots race whose fantastic exploits form the basis of many legends and myths. English and Norman names are also widely used, though more so in the Lowlands than in the Highlands, where Scots Gaelic is still widely spoken and cultural pride is strong. Surnames developed in the Scottish Lowlands after the Norman Conquest, as they did in England. But, being some distance from the Norman seat of power, they came about more slowly and were not hereditary for some time. In the Highlands the clan was the source of power and protection. When people joined a clan, they added the clan surname to their own, even if there was no familial relationship. The surname usually consisted of the name of the chieftain to which was prefixed the word mac (son). Thus, though Lowland surnames developed as patronymics and matronymics, and from occupational names, locales, or personal characteristics, the majority of Highland surnames are patronymics and did not become hereditary until the 18th century.