Scottish Place Names A
ABERARGIE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Aberargie EARLIEST RECORD: Apurfeirt DATE: c.970 MEANING: from BRYTHONIC aber `mouth of a river' and feargach `fierce'. As the 970 record is both very early and corrupted, a probable spelling is shown on the map.
ABERCHALDER OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Abbircaledouer DATE: 1238 MEANING: BRYTHONIC aber `mouth of a river' and an uncertain river name ending in BRYTHONIC dobhar `stream'.
ABERCHIRDER OLD COUNTY: Banff NAME ON MAP: Abirkerdor DATE: 1291 EARLIEST RECORD: Aberkerdouer DATE: 1291 MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of a] GOIDELIC chiar `dark' BRYTHONIC dobhar `stream'".
ABERCORN OLD COUNTY: West Lothian NAME ON MAP: Abourcorn DATE: a.1300 EARLIEST RECORD: Aebbercurnig DATE: c.720 MEANING: BRYTHONIC corniog `horned' aber `mouth of a river'.
ABERCROMBIE OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Abbercrumby DATE: 1270 EARLIEST RECORD: Abercrumbi DATE: a.1165 MEANING: from BRYTHONIC aber, here probably meaning `marsh', and crumb `crooked'.
ABERDALGIE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Aberdalgy DATE: 1348 EARLIEST RECORD: Abirdaglyn DATE: 1150 MEANING: BRYTHONIC aber `river mouth' with GOIDELIC dealg `thorns'.
ABERDEEN OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Aberden DATE: 1214 EARLIEST RECORD: Abberdeon DATE: 1100 MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of the] Don". Don is a common river name throughout Europe and means `water'. The settlement has spread south over the centuries and is now located on the Dee rather than the Don.
ABERDOUR OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Abirdaur DATE: 1126 MEANING: from BRYTHONIC aber `mouth of a river' and dobhar `water, stream'.
ABERDOUR OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Aberdour (a conjectural spelling) EARLIEST RECORD: Abbordoboir DATE: 12th century MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of the] Dour". The river name derives from BRYTHONIC dobhar `water, stream'.
ABERLADY OLD COUNTY: East Lothian NAME ON MAP: Abirleuedy DATE: 1328 EARLIEST RECORD: Aberlessic, in the Life of Kentigern MEANING: BRYTHONIC aber `mouth of a river' followed, possibly, by a reference to the Virgin Mary. There is an appropriate chapel there, but lady (an ANGLO‑SAXON word deriving from hlaf `dough' and a verb‑root gig‑ `to kneed') is a surprising word to find with aber. It is probably a corruption of an earlier BRYTHONIC name.
ABERNETHY OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Abernithi DATE: 1130 EARLIEST RECORD: Aburnethige DATE: c.970 MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of the] Nethey"; the river name may derive from GOIDELIC an eitighich `gullet', but Nedd and Nidd, possibly meaning `shining', occur as BRYTHONIC river names in England and Wales.
ABOYNE OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Obeyn DATE: 1282 MEANING: "river of the white cow": from GOIDELIC abh (the root of abhain `river'), bo `cow' and bhán `white'. The first element might be ath `ford'. See the entry for Boyndie.
ACKERGILL OLD COUNTY: Caithness NAME ON MAP: Akirgill DATE: 1567 MEANING: OLD NORSE acr `field' and gil `ravine'. Although the 1567 record is late, tradition has it that the Keiths gained their land in Caithness by marriage to the heiress to the Cheynes of Ackergill in the 14th century.
AIRTH OLD COUNTY: Stirling NAME ON MAP: Erth DATE: 1296 EARLIEST RECORD: Hereth DATE: 1128 MEANING: GOIDELIC airidh, here meaning `level pasture among hills'.
ALFORD OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Afford DATE: c.1200 MEANING: probably from GOIDELIC ath `ford' and ard `high'. If the name is as late, however, it might be OLD ENGLISH alor `alder' and `ford'.
ALLOA OLD COUNTY: Clackmannan NAME ON MAP: Alwey DATE: 1347 MEANING: GOIDELIC aileach `rocky' or ail `rock' with mhagh `plain'.
ALLOWAY OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Auleway DATE: 1302‑4 EARLIEST RECORD: Auilway DATE: 1236 MEANING: same as Alloa.
ALNESS OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Alenes DATE: 1226 MEANING: a river name which is BRYTHONIC or, possibly, PRE‑CELTIC and may mean `holy, mighty'.
ALVA OLD COUNTY: Clackmannan NAME ON MAP: Alwthe DATE: 1301 EARLIEST RECORD: Alueth DATE: c.1180 MEANING: same as Alloa.
ALYTH OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Alyth DATE: 1327 EARLIEST RECORD: Alicht DATE: a.1249 MEANING: from GOIDELIC aileach `rocky place'.
ANCRUM OLD COUNTY: Roxburgh NAME ON MAP: Ankrom DATE: 1275 EARLIEST RECORD: Alnecrumba DATE: c.1116 MEANING: from either GOIDELIC crom or OLD ENGLISH crumb, both of which mean `crooked', and the river name Ale, possibly deriving from GOIDELIC aluin `fair, lovely'.
ANGUS OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Anegos DATE: c.1175 EARLIEST RECORD: Engus DATE: a.1150 MEANING: from an early Scottish or Pictish king called Aonghas: the name means `unique choice'. It is possible that it refers to Angus, the son or Erc, who with his two brothers, Fergus and Loarn, came to Scotland from Dalriada (Ulster) in the 5th or 6th centuries.
ANNAN OLD COUNTY: Dumfries NAME ON MAP: Annan DATE: 1300 EARLIEST RECORD: Anava DATE: 7th century MEANING: an old river name probably related to a BRYTHONIC root‑word simply meaning `water'.
ANSTRUTHER OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Aynestrother DATE: 1270 EARLIEST RECORD: Anestrothir DATE: c.1205 MEANING: GOIDELIC an `the' sruthair `stream'.
ANWOTH OLD COUNTY: Kirkcudbright NAME ON MAP: Anewith DATE: c.1200 MEANING: uncertain.
APPLECROSS OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Appillcroce DATE: 1510 MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of the] Crossan"; the river name means `little cross'. St Maelrubha founded the monastery here in AD 673.
ARBROATH OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Abbirbroth DATE: a.1300 EARLIEST RECORD: Aberbrothoc DATE: 1178 MEANING: "BRYTHONIC aber `mouth' [of the] Brothock", from GOIDELIC brothach `boiling, turbulent'.
ARBUTHNOTT OLD COUNTY: Kincardine NAME ON MAP: Aberbothenoth DATE: 1206 EARLIEST RECORD: Aberbuthenot(h) DATE: 1202 MEANING: BRYTHONIC aber here meaning `marsh' and, possibly, GOIDELIC baothanaich `silly fellow'.
ARDNAMURCHAN OLD COUNTY: Argyll NAME ON MAP: Ardenmurich DATE: 1292 EARLIEST RECORD: Art Muirchol DATE: a.700 MEANING: probably "GOIDELIC ard `height, headland' of muirchon `sea‑hounds, otters'", but GOIDELIC muir‑chol `sea‑sins', ie. `piracy', is a romantic alternative.
ARDROSSAN OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Ardrossan DATE: 1375 MEANING: "GOIDELIC ard `height' [of the] rosan `little headland'".
ARGYLL (the name does not appear on the map) EARLIEST RECORD: Arregaithel DATE: 970 MEANING: "GOIDELIC oirer `coastland' of the Gaels". These were the immigrants from Ireland (called Scotia by the Romans), who came to Scotland (then called Caledonia or Alba), bringing their name with them.
ARISAIG OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Ariseg DATE: a.1292 EARLIEST RECORD: Arasech DATE: 1250 MEANING: OLD NORSE ár `of the river', ós `mouth' and vik, vágr `bay'.
ARNGASK OLD COUNTY: Kinross NAME ON MAP: Ardgrosc DATE: 1250 EARLIEST RECORD: Arringrosk DATE: c.1147 MEANING: "GOIDELIC ard `height' [of] an `the' croisg `crossing, pass'".
AROS OLD COUNTY: Argyll (Mull) NAME ON MAP: Aros DATE: 1410 MEANING: from OLD NORSE ár `of the river' and ós `mouth'.
ARRAN OLD COUNTY: Bute NAME ON MAP: Aran DATE: c.1294 EARLIEST RECORD: Arran DATE: as at 1154. MEANING: probably derived from a BRYTHONIC word related to GOIDELIC ard `height'. The Aran Islands off Ireland derive from GOIDELIC ára `loin, kidney', however, and it is not impossible that the names are related.
ARROCHAR OLD COUNTY: Argyll NAME ON MAP: Arrochar DATE: c.1350 MEANING: a unit of measurement. It is a corruption of LATIN aratrum, literally meaning `plough', but denoting a carrucate, an area of 104 or 160 acres.
ATHOLL OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Athole DATE: c.1250 EARLIEST RECORD: Atholach DATE: c.970 MEANING: possibly "GOIDELIC ath `second' Fhodla" (a poetic name for Ireland). It would have been a name given by the Gaels, or Scots, who came from Ireland in the 5th or 6th centuries. "Fhodla's GOIDELIC atha `ford'" is a possible alternative.
AUCHENBOWIE OLD COUNTY: Stirling NAME ON MAP: Auchinbothy DATE: 1329 MEANING: "GOIDELIC achadh `place' [of] na `the' botha `house'".
AUCHINLECK OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Auchinlec DATE: a.1239 MEANING: "GOIDELIC achadh `place' [of] na `the' leac `flat stone'". The local name, Affleck, is from achadh leac.
AUCHTERARDER OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Huchtirardor DATE: 1330 EARLIEST RECORD: Eohterardeuar DATE: c.1200 MEANING: probably from GOIDELIC uachdar `upper, top', GOIDELIC ard `high' and BRYTHONIC dobhair `water, stream'. The 1330 spelling shows an ENGLISH attempt at the name!
AUCHTERMUCHTY OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Utremukerty DATE: 1294 EARLIEST RECORD: Vchtermukethin DATE: 1204‑14 MEANING: GOIDELIC uachdar `upper, top' muc `pig' tigh `house'; ‑muchty may, however, be a single element meaning `pig place'.
AUCHTERTOOL OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Huctartule DATE: c.1240 MEANING: GOIDELIC uachdar `top' tulaich `of the hill'. The man's name Tuathal, or Toole, (meaning `tribe rule') is a possible alternative.
AULDEARN OLD COUNTY: Nairn NAME ON MAP: Aldheren DATE: 1238 MEANING: "GOIDELIC allt `stream' of Earn". The river name derives from eren `water'.
AULDHAME OLD COUNTY: East Lothian NAME ON MAP: Aldeham DATE: 1094 MEANING: OLD ENGLISH ald `old' ham `homestead'.
AVOCH OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Auauch DATE: 1333 MEANING: GOIDELIC abh `river' ach `place'. It is now pronounced auch.
AYR OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Air DATE: c.1230 EARLIEST RECORD: Ar DATE: a.1177 MEANING: from the river on which it stands. BRYTHONIC , or possibly PRE‑CELTIC , it is also found in England (Rivers Aire, Oare) and in mainland Europe (Rivers Aar, Ahr). It probably means `river'.
AYTON OLD COUNTY: Berwick NAME ON MAP: Aytun DATE: 1250 EARLIEST RECORD: Eitun DATE: 1098 MEANING: "OLD ENGLISH tun `settlement' [on the] Eye". The river name comes from OLD ENGLISH ea `water, stream' or eg, ieg.