Scottish Surnames, Gair to Guthrie

GAIR
An outcry, an alarm.

GAIRDEN
An alarm hill.

GALBREATH
The strange Briton - from gall, strange, and Bhreaton, a Briton.

GALLOWAY
Local: from Galloway in Kircudbrightshire.

Galloway, Sir Alexander (1895-) of Dunbar. High Commissioner and Commander in Chief, British troops, Austria (1947-50). Chairman Jordan Development Bank (1951-52).

Galloway, Sir Archibald (1780-1850) of Perth. Major-General and writer on India.

Galloway, Thomas (1796-1851) of Symington. Mathematician, astronomer and writer.

GALT, John (1779-1839) of Irvine. Novelist. His best works incl. The Steamboat, The Provost and Sir Andrew Wylie (1822), and The Entail (1824). His biographical works included Life of Byron (1830). He founded the Canada Company, a commercial enterprise that was disappointing. The town of Galt in Canada is named after him.

GARDEN, Graeme (1943-) of Aberdeen. Actor and scriptwriter. His I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again began his TV and showbusiness career. Best known for his part in The Goodies.

GARDINER
A gardener.

GARTH
A hill.

GARVIE
Local: from the Island of Garvie in the Firth of Forth. The family bear three garvin fishes in their arms.

GEAR, William (1915-) of Methil. Painter. Head of the Faculty of Fine Art and Design, Birmingham (1964-). Has works in permanent collec-tions in many parts of the world.

GED
A pike fish. The family bear three pike fishes in their arms.

Ged, William (1690-1749) of Edinburgh. Printer and goldsmith. In-vented a process of stereotyping in 1725.

GEDDES
The plural of Ged. The family hear three pike fishes in their arms.

Geddes, Sir Anthony Reay Mackay (1912-), son of Sir Eric Geddes. Chairman of Dunlop Holdings Ltd. (1968-78), President (1978-).

Geddes, Alexander of Glass near Huntly. Went to America as a young man in the nineteenth century, and later became known as the 'Chicago Grain King'.

Gedde, Alexander (1737-1802) of Ruthven, Banffshire. Theologian, Bible critic and writer. Made a new translation of the Bible for Catholics (1792-1800). He was also a poet.

Gedde, Andrew (1783-1844) of Edinburgh. Painter and etcher.

Gedde, Sir Auckland Campbell, 1st Baron (1879-1954) Surgeon, soldier, professor of anatomy. Cabinet Minister and Ambassador. Sometime Chairman of the Dunlop Rubber Co., and first Chairman Imperial Airways. Co. in 1924. British Ambassador to Washington (1920-24).

Gedde, Sir Eric (1875-1937), born in Agra, India, of Scottish parents, brother of Sir Auckland. Presided over, what became known as 'The Geddes Axe' committee on National expenditure. Was Director-General of Military Railways (1916-17), and Vice-Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty (1917). A man of tremendous drive and ability.

Gedde, Ford Irvine (1913-). Chairman, British Shipping Federation (1965-68), and of P & 0 Steam Navigation Co. (1971-72).

Gedde, Jenny, of Edinburgh. A vegetable seller. In 1637, in St Giles she threw a stool at the Dean after the introduction of Land's new prayer book, and shouted, "Thou false thief, dost thou daur say mass at my lug."

Gedde, Sir Patrick (1854-1932) of Ballater. Botanist, sociologist and pioneer town planner. Has been described as the 'Father of modern town planning', and fifty years ahead of his time. It was he who invented the term 'conurbation'.

Geddes, Ross Campbell, 2nd Baron, (1907-). Chairman, British Travel Assoc. since 1964. President, Chamber of Shipping of the UK (1968-).

GEDDIE, John Liddell (1881-1969) of Edinburgh. Lecturer d'Anglais at Univ. of Lyons (1903-04) and at Sorbonne, Paris (1905-06). Editor of Chamber's Journal (1915-47).

GEIKIE, Sir Archibald (1835-1924) of Edinburgh. Geologist. Was (1882-1901) Director-General of the survey of the UK and head of the Geological Museum, London. President of the Royal Society (1908-13).

GEIKIE, James (1839-1915) of Edinburgh. Geologist brother of Sir Archibald. Wrote a standard work on the Glacial period (1874) and several other geological books.

GEMMELL, Alan Robertson (1913-86) of Troon, Ayrshire. Professorof Biology, Univ. of Keele (1950-). Lecturer and regular broadcaster, since 1950, with the BBC in Gardeners' Question Time.

Gemmill, Archie, is synonymous with Scottish football. Scorer of one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, Gemmill had at a hugely successful career in England, Scotland and on the international scene.

GEORGE
A husbandman.

George, Sir Robert Allingham (1897-1967), son of the late Wm. George of Invergordon. Air Vice-Marshal, Air Attache, Turkey, Greece and RAF Middle East (1939-44). Governor of Southern Australia (1953-60).

GIB
A contraction of Gilbert.

GIBB, Robert (1845-1932) of Laurieston. Military artist. His Thin Red Line brought him international fame in 1881. Curator of the Scottish National Gallery (1895-1907).

GIBBON, Lewis Grassic (1901-35), pen name of James Leslie Mitchell of Aberdeenshire. Novelist famed for his trilogy Sunset Song (1932), Cloud Howe (1933) and Grey Granite (1934).

GIBBS, James (1682-1754) of Aberdeen. Architect. St Martin-in-the-Fields and Radcliffe Camera Library at Oxford (1737-47) are two of the fine buildings designed by him. His Book of Architecture (1728) helped to spread the Palladian style and influenced the design of many churches in America. He was a friend of Wren.

GIBSON
The son of Gib, or Gilbert, sometimes contracted from Gilbertson.

Gibson, Alexander (1800-67) of Laurencekirk. Botanist. Became, in 1838, Superintendent of the botanical gardens at Dupuri, India, and Conservator of Forests in Bombay (1847-61).

Gibson, Alexander, of Motherwell. Conductor and Musical Director, Scottish National Orchestra, (1959-). Musical Director, Sadler's Wells Opera (1954-57).

GIFFIN, Sir Robert (1837-1910) of Strathaven. Journalist, economist and statistician. Sometime Comptroller-General of the Commercial Labour and Statistical Dept. of the Board of Trade.

GILBERT
Bright pledge.

GILCHRIST
The servant of Christ; from gille, a servant, and Chriosed, Christ.

Gilchrist, Sir Andrew (1910-) of Lesmahagow. Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland (1967), Under-Sec, of State, Commonwealth (1966-67) and Consul-General at Chicago (1960-62). Chairman High-lands and Islands Development Board (1970-76).

Gilchrist, Rae (1899-) of Edinburgh. Consulting physician and lecturer on disorders of the heart and circulation. Lectured in England, America and Africa.

Gilchrist, Robert N. (1899-) of Aberdeen. Held many high posts in the Indian Educational Service (1910-37).

GILL, Sir David (1843-1914) of Aberdeen. Astronomer at the Cape Observatory (1879-1907). Pioneered the use of photography as a means of charting the heavens.

GILLESPIE
A prompt servant; from speach, prompt.

Gillespie, Dame Helen (1898-) of Edinburgh. Brigadier, Matron-in-Chief and Director of the Army Nursing Services, War Office (1952-56).

GILLIES, John (1747-1846) of Brechin. Historian. Appointed Historiographer Royal for Scotland in 1793. His writings incl. A History of Greece (1786) and A History of the World from Alexander to Augustus (1807).

GILLIES, Sir William (1898-1973) of Haddington, E. Lothian. Landscape painter. Principal of Edinburgh School of Art (1960-66). Perhaps the best loved of Scottish landscape painters.

GILMOUR
A great servant; from mohr, great.

Gilmour, Andrew (1898-) of Burntisland. Shipping Controller, Singapore (1939-41), Defence Intelligence Officer, Hong Kong (1941) and Planning Economist UN Technical Assistance Mission to Cam-bodia (1953-55).

GILROY
A king's servant; from roy, the king.

GLADSTONE, William Ewart of Fasque (1808-98), born in Liverpool of Scots descent. One of the great statesmen of the nineteenth century. He was Prime Minister four times (1868-74), (1880-85), (1886) and (1892-94) during Queen Victoria's reign.

GLAISTER, John (1892-) of Glasgow. Emeritus Professor of Forensic Medicine at the Univ. of Egypt, Cairo, and Medical and Legal Consultant to the Govt. of Egypt (1928-32). External examiner in Forensic Medicine at the Univs. of Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Aberdeen, St Andrews and Sheffield.

GLASFORD
The green ford.

GLASGOW
Local: from the city of Glasgow in Lanarkshire, or the town of Glasgow in Renfrewshire.

GLASS
Green.

GLEIG, George Robert (1796-1888) of Stirling. Novelist and biographer. Took Orders in 1820 and became Chaplain-General of the Army (1844) and Inspector-General of Military Schools in 1846.

GLEN
A valley.

Glen, Sir Alexander (1912-) of Glasgow. Chairman, British Tourist Auth. (1969-). Leader of Oxford Univ. Arctic Expedition (1935-36). Holder of several British and foreign awards for Anthropology and Geography.

GLENDONWYN
The family are descended from Adam de Glendonwyn of that ilk, temp. Alexander III.

GOODALLE
A corruption of good hall.

GOODSIR, John (1814-67) of Anstruther. Anatomist best known for his work in Cellular Pathology.

GORDON
A round hill; from gour, round, and dun, a hill. The family are descended from Adam Gordon, Lord of Gordon in Berwickshire, and of Strathbogy, in Aberdeenshire, temp. Robert Bruce.

Gordon, Alexander (1669-1751) of Auchintoul. Soldier who was a general in the Russian army for many years.

Gordon, Sir Archibald M. (1892-) of Seaton Lodge. Barrister-at-Law, Counsellor and Labour Attache, British Embassy, Washington D.C. (1942). President UN League of Lawyers (1956).

Gordon, Charles George (1833-85) descendent of the House of Huntly. Major-General 'Gordon of Khartoum'. Governor of the Sudan (1877-80).

Gordon, Donald (1901-) of Old Meldrum. Chairman and President, Canadian National Railways (1950-). Sometime Director, Trans-Canadian Airlines. Was Deputy Governor, Bank of Canada (1938).

Gordon, Lord George (1750-93). Agitator. Leader of the 'No Popery' riots in London in 1780.

Gordon, Hannah, of Edinburgh. Actress with wide radio and TV experience. Best known for her parts in TV's My Wife Nextdoor, Dear Octopus; Upstairs, Downstairs and Telford's Change.

Gordon, Harry Alexander Ross (1893-1957) of Aberdeen. Comedian. Made famous by the mythical village of Inversnecky.

Gordon, Hugh W. (1897-) of Dumfries. Professor and consulting physician to Dept. of Skin Diseases, St George's Hosp. Consulting dermatologist to Royal Marsden Hosp. and West London Hospital.

Gordon, lan A. (1908-) of Edinburgh. Professor of English Language and Literature, Wellington, New Zealand (1936-).

Gordon, Sir James Alexander (1782-1869). Sometime Admiral of the Fleet.

Gordon, Sir John Watson (1790-1864) of Edinburgh. Portrait painter. RA (1851). Appointed Limner to the Queen in Scotland in 1850. Painted many distinguished personages in his time, Sir Walter Scott among them.

Gordon, John Rutherford (1890-1974) of Dundee. Journalist. Editor of the Sunday Express (1928-54), Editor-in-Chief (1954-74). Trustee of Beaverbrook Foundation. Gordon introduced the first crossword puzzle to be published in a British newspaper.

Gordon, Noele, London born daughter of an Aberdeen marine engineer. Actress who became famous in the long running TV series Crossroads. Winner of the Sun, Top TV personality award 1975.

Gordon, Patrick (1635-99) ofAberdeenshire. Soldier of fortune, became a General in the Russian Army in 1688.

Gordon, Percival H. (1884-) of Craigmyle. Judge of Court of Appeal, Saskatchewan (1934-61).

Gordon Sir Robert (1647-1704) of Gordonstoun. Inventor and reputed warlock. Designed a pump for raising water.

Gordon, Thomas, described as 'Father of the Russian Navy'. Made an Admiral by Peter the Great.

GOW
A blacksmith.

Neil Gow. ( 1727 - 1807 ) By far the best known of the Scots fiddle composers, from whose dance tunes Robert Burns drew many of the airs for his songs. Gow (the first of a family of Scots dance music composers) was 60 when Burns met him on his Highland tour. In his Journal, Robert Burns described Gow, who played for him, as 'a short, stout-built Highland figure, with his greyish hair shed on his honest social brow — an interesting face, marking strong sense, kind open heartedness mixed with unmistrusting simplicity'. Robert Burns later visited Gow's house in Inver. Gow's main publications were a Collection of Strathspey Reels, 1784, 1788 and 1792, and the Complete Repository of Original Scots Slow Strathspeys and Dances, 1799, 1808, 1822. Neil was appointed fiddler to the Duke of Atholl, and, along with his brother and sons he formed an ensemble which played at Highland Weddings and balls in the great houses of Britain. Neil had his portrait painted several times by Raeburn.

GOWDY, Revd John (1869-) of Glasgow. President, Anglo-Chinese College, Foochow (1904-23), Fukien Christian Univ. Foochow (1923-27). Teacher Anglo-Chinese Coll., Foochow (1928-30).

GOWAN
A daisy.

GRAHAM
Originally Graeme, savage, gloomy. The family are descended, it is supposed, from Greme, a general in the army of Fergus II.

Graham, Fredrick C. Campbell (1908-) of Helensburgh. Major-General, served with distinction (1939-45) in Palestine, North Africa, Crete, Syria, India and Italy. Sometime adviser on recruiting Min. of Defence.

Graham, John Anderson, (1861-) of Dumbartonshire. Philosopher, traveller and missionary to India.

Graham, R.B. Cunningham (1852-1936). Born in London, son of a Scottish laird. Traveller, writer and politician. With Kier Hardie he organized the Scottish Labour Party. Wrote over 30 books on travel and many other stories and biographies. Was elected first president of the Scottish National Party.

Graham, Ronald (1896-1967) of Scottish descent. Air Vice-Marshal. Deputy senior Air Staff Officer, Fighter Command (1939), SASO Flying Training AOA Tech. Training Commands (1940), AOA Bomber Command (1941-42), and Air Officer and Air Chief of Staff HO Combined Operations (1943). AOC West Africa (1944), Comman-dant RAF Staff Coll. (1945-46) and of Scottish Police College (1949-57).

Graham, Thomas (1805-69) of Glasgow. Chemist. Became first president of the Chemical Society of London. Sometime Master of the Mint. Developed 'Graham's Law' of the diffusion rates of gases. Known as father of Colloid Chemistry.

GRAHAME, Kenneth (1859-1932) of Edinburgh. Author. Descendent of Robert the Bruce. Secretary to the Bank of England (1898-1907). Wrote books for children including The Wind in the Willows (1908). The play Toad of Toad Hall (1930) was based on Grahame's book.

GRANT
Swarthy, grey headed. The family are descended from one of the Clan McGregor, named Gregory, dicti Grant, temp. Alexander III.

Grant, Alexander L. (1901-) of Aviemore. Appointed Director of Barclay's Bank Ltd. in 1945.

Grant, Sir Andrew (1890-1967) of Edinburgh. Air Marshal (1946). Director-General, RAF Medical Services, Air Ministry (1946-48). GRANT, Anne (1755-1838) of Glasgow. Poetess and essaysist. Her Letters from the Mountains was a great success.

Grant, Duncan James C. (1885-) of Rothiemurchus. Painter and designer of textiles and pottery. His painting Girl at the Piano is in the Tate Gallery, London.

Grant, Sir Francis (1803-78) of Perthshire. Has been described as the leading portrait painter of his day.

Grant, George Munro (1835-1902). Canadian of Scottish descent. Scholar and writer. Ocean to Ocean was his most famous book (1873).

Grant, James Augustus (1827-92) of Nairn. Traveller, explorer and writer. Was an associate of Capt. Speke on expeditions in Central Africa.

Grant, Sir James H. (1808-75) of Kilgraston. Soldier and General in the British Army. Distinguished himself in the two Sikh wars and the Indian Mutiny.

Grant, Sir James M. (1903-) of Edinburgh? Lord Lyon King of Arms (1969-). Sec. to the Order of the Thistle (1971-). Writer to the Signet.

Grant, James Macpherson (1822-85) of Alvie, Inverness-shire. Australian statesman. One of the most prominent land reformers in Australia in his day.

Grant, John Peter (1807-93). Sometime Indian and Colonial Governor. GRANT, John S. (1909-) of Inverness-shire. Chief Medical Officer, Brit. Railways Board (1965-). Medical Consultant, National Freight Corp.

Grant, Neil F. (1882-1968) of Forres. London editor of the Cape Times, Natal Mercury, Rand Daily Mail and Sunday Times of Johannesburg.

Grant, Sir Patrick (1804-95) of Auchterblair. Soldier who became a Field-Marshal in 1883.

Grant, Robert (1814-92) of Granton-on-Spey. Astronomer.

Grant, Sir Robert McVitie (1894-1947) of Edinburgh. Sometime Chairman of McVitie and Price Ltd.

Grant, Sir Thomas Dundas (1854-1944) of Edinburgh. Consulting Aurist and Laryngologist, London.

GRAY
Local: from the castle of Croy in Picardy. The Scottish family are descended from Sir Andrew Gray, Lord of Longforgan in Perthshire, temp. Robert Bruce ; who was descended through Anchestil de Croy, who came into England with the Conqueror, from Fulbert Great Chamberlain to Robert of Normandy.

Gray, Sir Alexander (1882-) of Angus. Professor Emeritus of Political Economy, Univ. of Edinburgh, (1956-). Sat as chairman and member of Govt. Commissions, Committees, Courts of Enquiry, Advisory Councils, etc.

Gray, James (1877-1969) of Edinburgh. Director, Union Castle Mail Steamship Co. Ltd. (1950-55). Was Chief Superintending Engr., Canadian Pacific Steamships (1913-15). General Manager, and later, Director of Harland and Wolffs Works, London, Liverpool and Southampton (1925-35).

GREEN, Charles E. (1866-1920) of Edinburgh. Publisher. Founded the Juridical Review (1887), Scots Law Times (1891), Green's Encyclopaedia (14 vols. 1895) and many important works on agriculture.

GREENLAW
A green hill.

GREGORY
Originally MacGregor. The name was assumed by some members of the clan on being outlawed.

Gregory, David (1661-1708) of Kinairdy, Perthshire. Mathe-matician. In 1691 became Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. He first suggested an achromatic combination of lenses.

Gregory, Sir David (1909-) of Perthshire. Admiral Supt., HM Dockyard, Devonport (1960-64). Flag officer, Scotland and N. Ireland (1964-66).

Gregory, James (1638-75) of Drumoak, Aberdeenshire. Mathematician and Astronomer. A leading contributor to the discovery of the differential and integral calculus. Invented the reflector telescope.

Gregory, James (1753-1821) of Aberdeen. Physician who gave his name to 'Gregorie's Mixture'.

GREIG
Hoarse.

Greig, Alexis Samuilovich (1775-1848), son of Sir Samuel Greig. Became an Admiral in the Russian Navy and distinguished himself in the Russo-Turkish wars (1807 and 1828-29).

Greig, Sir Samuel (1735-88) of Inverkeithing. Admiral and Commander in Chief in the Russian Navy. Fought against the Turks (1770) and Swedes (1788). Was known as 'Father of the Russian Navy'. When Greig died Catherine the Great said to Prince Potemkin, "A light has been dowsed-a light which will not be relit whilst you and I are alive."

GREIR
A corruption of Gregor. Gilbert McGregor, second son of Malcolm Laird of McGregor, settled in Dumfrieshire in 1374; his descendants assumed the names of Greer, or Greir, and Grierson.

GRIERSON
Vide, Grier.

Grierson, Sir Herbert J.C. (1866-1960) of Lerwick. Critic and editor. Edited the poems of Donne (1912). His studies included Cross Currents in the Literature of the Seventeenth Century (1929) and Milton and Wordsworth (1937).

Grierson, Sir James M. (1859-1914) of Glasgow. Lieut.-General. Served with distinction at the battles of Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir.

Grierson, John (1898-1972) of Kilmarnock. British Film Producer. General Manager Canadian Wartime Information Bd. (1942-43), Director, Mass communications UNESCO (1946-48). His productions incl. Song of Ceylon (1934), Night Mail (1936), World in Action series (1942-43) and This Wonderful World (TV 1961). He was the creator of documentary films.

GRIEVE
A superintendent of a coal pit.

Grieve, Christopher Murray (1892-1978) of Langholm. Wrote under the pseudonym 'Hugh McDiarmid'. Author, poet and journalist. Pro-lific writer on political and general matters. His poems incl. 'Three Hymns of Lenin', 'A Kist of Whistles', The Battle Continues'. Was a founder member of the Scottish Nationalist Party.

Grieve, John (1924-) of Glasgow. Character actor. His most popular TV parts incl. Oh Brother, Vital Spark and Doctor at Sea.

Grieve, Sir Robert (1910-) of Glasgow. First Chairman of the Highlands and Islands Development Bd. Prof. of Town and Country Planning at Glasgow Univ. Regarded as one of the top planners of Europe.

Grieve, Thomas R. (1909-) of Edinburgh? Chairman and Managing Director, Shell Mex & BP (1965-), and of UK Pipelines Ltd. (1965-)

GRIMOND, Joseph (Jo) Lord Grimond of Firth (1913-) of St Andrews. Barrister and politician. Leader of the Liberal Party (1956-67). Director of Personnel, European office UNWRA (1945-47) etc. Once described as the best Prime Minister Britain never had.

GROSIERT
A gooseberry.

GRUB, George (1812-93) of Aberdeen. Church historian. Was the author of An Ecclesiastical History of Scotland (1861).

GUN
A plain.

GUNN, Alexander (1844-1914) of Lybster, Caithness. Surgeon. As-sisted Lord Lister in his researches into the use of antiseptics.

GUNN, Sir James (1893-1965). Portrait painter. Best known for his portraits of King George VI, G.K.Chesterton, HilairfBelloc and other celebrities. Became President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. GUNN, John C. (1916-) of Glasgow. Cargill Professor of Natural Philosophy. Lecturer on applied mathematics, Univ. of Manchester (1945-46) and Univ. Coll., London (1946-49).

GUNN, Neil Millar (1891-1973) of Dunbeath, Caithness. Novelist. His best known books incl.- Grey Coast, Morning Tide (1931), Butcher's Broom, (1934), Highland River (1937), The Drinking Well, (1947) and Silver Darlings (1951).

GUTHRIE
Local: from the lands of Guthrie in Forfarshire.

Guthrie, Sir Giles (1916-) of Wigtownshire. Merchant Banker. Chairman, Air Transport Insurance, Lausanne, Switzerland. Director-ships in several Companies incl. Prudential Assurance Ltd., and Radio Rentals Ltd.

Guthrie, Sir James (1859-1930) ofGreenock. Painter. Elected RSA (1892) and PRSA (1902-19).

Guthrie, Thomas (1803-73) of Brechin. Divine and philanthropist. In eleven months (1845-46) he raised £116,000 for providing Free Church Manses. He used his singular gifts of oratory in the causes of temperance and other social reforms, and in favour of compulsory education.

If you have a web site devoted to any of the above family surnames, please e-mail me your web address for free inclusion on this page.

Return to Scottish Surnames