Scottish Family Names G
GORDON
NAME ON MAP: GORDUN, DATE: 13th century MEANING: probably from the place‑name Gordun in Berwickshire ‑ BRYTHONIC `great hill fort'. Far less likely is a tradition that the village was named after an Adam de Gordon, whose name came from a place‑name in NORMANDY, and who died with King Malcolm III at Alnwick in 1093. The family moved to the Highlands at the end of the 13th century. Sir Adam, a friend of `Red' John Comyn, initially opposed Robert the Bruce, but was later reconciled to him and was granted extensive lands in Strathbogie.
GOW
See the entry for Clan Chattan. The name, which is not shown separately on the map, derives from GOIDELIC gobha `smith'.
GRAHAM
NAME ON MAP: GRAHAM OLD COUNTY: Forfarshire, Perthshire DATE: 13th century MEANING: the name probably came from Grantham, England ‑ "Granta's OLD ENGLISH `homestead'". Granta was an ANGLO‑SAXON nickname `the grinner, the snarler'. An Anglo‑Norman, William de Graham, came Scotland in the time of David I (1124‑53) and was granted lands at Abercorn and Dalkeith. There is no basis for the legend associating the family name with the Antonine Wall, although part of the remains of this Roman fortification is called Graeme's Dyke. David de Graham was granted land north of Dundee by William the Lion and another David acquired the barony of Kincardine in Perthshire. The latter's son, Sir John, was known as the `Richt hand of Wallace' and was killed at Falkirk in 1298.
GRANT
NAME ON MAP: GRANT OLD COUNTY: Inverness, Banff DATE: 13th century MEANING: one tradition has the Grants descending from Kenneth MacAlpine, king of Scotland in the 9th century, but the name is NORMAN‑FRENCH grand `tall, large or chief'. The Grants were probably brought to Scotland by the Bissets who were neighbours to them in England during their exile from Scotland. (See the entry for Bisset.) Sir Lawrence le Grant was Sheriff of Inverness by 1263 and his son John was granted lands in Strathspey in 1316.
GUNN
NAME ON MAP: CLAN GUINNE (in GAELIC ) OLD COUNTY: Caithness MEANING: from OLD NORSE gunnr `war, battle'. Gunni, son of Olaf, was a Viking chieftain in Caithness in the 12th century; his name was presumably a diminutive of a longer name such as Gunn‑arr, Gunn‑laug or Gunn‑olfr.
GUTHRIE
NAME ON MAP: see under place‑names. HISTORY: the Laird of Guthrie is recorded as going to France in 1299 to escort Sir William Wallace back to Scotland.