Scottish Family Names S
SCOTT
NAME ON MAP: LE SCOT OLD COUNTY: Roxburgh DATE: 1296 MEANING: see the entry for Scotland. The first on record is Uchtred filius Scot who witnessed a the foundation charter of Selkirk in c.1120. His grandsons, Richard and Michael, were the ancestors of the Dukes of Buccleuch and of the Scots of Balwearie respectively. The name generally appears as Le Scot or Lescot for the next three centuries.
SCRYMGEOUR
NAME ON MAP: SKIRMESCHUR OLD COUNTY: Angus, Fife DATE: 1297 MEANING: MIDDLE ENGLISH skrymsher `swordsman', from OLD FRENCH eskermisor. It is likely that the family was originally based in Fife, but in 1297 Sir Alexander Skirmeschur was granted the lands in Angus and created Constable of Dundee by William Wallace after his valiant services as Hereditary Bannerman (Standard Bearer) at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
SEMPILL
NAME ON MAP: SEMPILL OLD COUNTY: Renfrewshire (inset map). DATE: 1280 MEANING: the name may come from St Paul, a common place‑name in France, but may be NORMAN‑FRENCH simple `honest, guileless'. Robert de Sempill witnessed a charter by the Earl of Lennox in c.1280.
SHAW, SCHAW (Lowland)
NAME ON MAP: SHAWE OLD COUNTY: Renfrewshire DATE: 1296 MEANING: from OLD ENGLISH scaga `copse, grove'. Early spellings from the Renfrew area include: de Schau, 1284, and de Schawe, de Shawe and de Schawe in 1296.
SHAW (Highland), SETH, MacAY
NAME ON MAP: SCAYTH OLD COUNTY: Invernesshire DATE: 1338 MEANING: a member of the Clan Chattan confederation, the clan's origins, like those of the closely related Clan MacKintosh, go back to the very early MacDuffs who, although based in Fife, had enormous estates in the north. Both clan names contain GOIDELIC toiseach `chief', a word which derives from an old INDO‑EUROPEAN root, the basis of words such as shah, tsar, caesar and kaiser. The name has a wider variety of forms than any other Scottish surname: Sceth, Seth, Sheath and Shay are obvious derivatives, but the fact that the genitive form of Shaw was pronounced Ay means that MacAy, Ayson and Easson are also members of the clan. The clan was probably known as Clann Ay in the 14th century, but versions of Shaw was current at the time. The spelling on the map is Scayth, recorded in 1338. In the next century three individuals appear with their names spelt Scheo, Scheho, Schetho, Schethou, Schethow, Scheoch, Schethock and Scheok.
SINCLAIR
NAME ON MAP: ST CLARE OLD COUNTY: Midlothian DATE: 12th century (in LATIN ) MEANING: a territorial name from St. Clare in Normandy. William de Sancto Claro received the barony of Roslyn in the 12th century. Sir Henry St Clair fought for Bruce and his son was killed by the Moors in Spain while accompanying Sir James Douglas as he tried to take the heart of Bruce to Jerusalem. The great Sinclair holdings in Caithness came by marriage to the heiress to the Earl of Orkney, in c.1350, and many Caithness retainers adopted the clan name.
SKENE
NAME ON MAP: SKENE OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen DATE: 1296 MEANING: GOIDELIC sceathin `bush'. Traditionally the ancestor of the clan was the younger son of Robertson of Struan who saved the king's life by killing a wolf. He was rewarded with the lands of Skene. Robert de Skene supported Robert the Bruce and received a charter erecting the lands into a barony.
SPENS
NAME ON MAP: SPENS OLD COUNTY: Fife DATE: 1260 MEANING: from MIDDLE ENGLISH spence, derived from NORMAN‑FRENCH despense `butler, dispenser of provisions'. The name appears in various forms from the 13th century generally in Fife. John de Spense together with other merchants lost money when a ship was lost near Newcastle in 1365.
STEWART
NAME ON MAP: STEWARD OLD COUNTY: Lanark DATE: 13th century MEANING: `steward, keeper of the household'. In the early 12th century Alan Fitz Flaad came to England from Brittany. He settled in Shropshire. His elder son, William FitzAlan was ancestor to the present Duke of Norfolk; his younger, Walter went to Scotland where he was appointed High Steward of Scotland by David I (1124‑53). The office was later made hereditary. Walter, the 6th Steward, who had commanded a wing of Bruce's army at Bannockburn, married Marjorie, Bruce's daughter; their son, Robert, succeeded his uncle and became the first of the Stewart kings. See the entry for Wallace.
STIRLING
NAME ON MAP: see under place‑names. HISTORY: Gilbertus de Striuelin witnessed David I's gift of the lands of Perdeyc (Partick) to the church of Glasgow in 1136.
SUTHERLAND
NAME ON MAP: CLAN MHUIRICH and SUTHERLARACH (in GAELIC ) OLD COUNTY: Sutherland MEANING: from OLD NORSE sudrland `southern land', ie. south of the Orkneys. Traditionally the clan, like the Murrays, is believed to have descended from the Flemish nobleman, Freskin. William de Moravia was created 1st Earl of Sutherland in about 1235. The 5th earl married Robert the Bruce's daughter Margaret; their son might have gained the throne had he not died of plague.