How much do you know about the history of surnames in your family tree? I’ve been exploring the potential origins of some of the surnames on the Scottish branches of my family. Here are just a few of them.

Addison: A patronymic Scottish name meaning ‘son of Addie’, Addison is derived from the nickname for Adam. Variations of Addison, such as Eddison or Adamson, may be the result of alternative spellings, accents, etc.

Bain: Bain is a Gaelic nickname for someone with fair hair. There are many derivations and variations of spelling and meaning including McBain and Bean.

Joss: Popular in Scotland, Switzerland and Germany, Joss is from an Old French name derived from the Breton name Iodoc, meaning lord. The Norman derivation is Josse. It’s Latinised as Jodocus, otherwise known as Joyce, which is popular in Ireland. Other spelling of the name may include Joce, Joice, Joass.

According to legend [Josse] was the brother or son of the 7th-century Breton king Judhael … and gave up his inheritance to become a hermit in the place recorded in the 8th century as Sanctus Jodocus now Saint-Josse-sur-Mer near Étaples in Pas-de-Calais. 

– Ancestry, ‘Joyce Family History: Joyce surname meaning’, https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=joyce, accessed 4 January 2025.

Pyper: Pyper is a surname with mainly Scottish and Irish origins. As might be expected it’s derived from the occupation of a bagpiper. Variations include Piper, Pypar, and Pypur,

Reid: Reid is the modern Scottish spelling of Reed, which is derived from the Gaelic word for red, ruadh. Other variations may include names like Rede and Read.

Ritchie: Ritchie is a common surname in Scotland, believed to be a derivative of the name Richard, meaning ‘son of Richard’. Spelling and other variations include Richie, Riche, MacRitchie, and McRitchie.

The next angle on Scottish names is to investigate is any link to Scottish clans.

Did you know?

• Use of surnames as we know them today wasn’t common in some areas of the Scottish highlands until the 1700s. In some areas further north, it wasn’t until the 1800s.

• Like elsewhere in the world, the origins of Scottish surnames may include occupation, location, Gaelic language and patronymics.

• Many people stopped using clan names after the Battle of Culloden because clan names were associated with being in opposition to the British government.

Selected references

Scotland’s People, ‘Surnames’, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/help-and-support/guides/surnames, accessed 4 January 2025.

Ancestry Team, ‘Scottish surnames: Kilts, clans and culture’, Ancestry Blog, 11 July 2023, https://www.ancestry.com/c/ancestry-blog/scottish-surnames-kilts-clans-and-culture, accessed 4 January 2025.

Rachel J. Trotter, ‘Scottish Names-What Are They All About?’, FamilySearch Blog, 30 September 2019, https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/scottish-names, accessed 4 January 2025.