Scottish Place Names E
EAGLESHAM OLD COUNTY: Renfrew NAME ON MAP: Eglishame DATE: 1309 EARLIEST RECORD: Egilsham DATE: 1158 MEANING: "Egil's, or Egli's, OLD ENGLISH hám `homestead'".
EARLSFERRY OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Erlsferie DATE: c.1296 MEANING: MIDDLE ENGLISH feri `ferry'. The earls may have been the early MacDuffs, Thanes of Fife.
EARLSTON OLD COUNTY: Berwick NAME ON MAP: Essedoune DATE: a.1320 EARLIEST RECORD: Ercheldon DATE: c.1144 MEANING: "Earcil's OLD ENGLISH dún `hill'".
EAST KILBRIDE OLD COUNTY: Lanark NAME ON MAP: Kellebride DATE: 1181 MEANING: "GOIDELIC cill `church, cell' of [St] Brigid". There are several St Bridgets, the most famous being the Irish Saint, Brigid of Kildare (c.450 ‑ c.525).
EAST LINTON OLD COUNTY: East Lothian NAME ON MAP: Lintun DATE: 1127 MEANING: OLD ENGLISH lín `flax' tun `settlement, village'.
ECCLEFECHAN OLD COUNTY: Dumfries NAME ON MAP: Eglesfeghan DATE: 1303 MEANING: probably "GOIDELIC eaglais `church' of Fechin"; it has also been associated with the 7th century Irish abbot, St Vigean, whose disciples came to Scotland.
ECCLES OLD COUNTY: Berwick NAME ON MAP: Hecles DATE: 1297 MEANING: GOIDELIC eaglais `church'.
ECCLESMACHAN OLD COUNTY: West Lothian NAME ON MAP: Eglismauchin DATE: c.1250 MEANING: "GOIDELIC eaglais `church' of [St] Machan". He was a 6th century disciple of St Cadoc.
ECHT OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Echt DATE: a.1300 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC eachd `an exploit'.
EDDERTON OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Ederthayn DATE: 1275 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC eardar `between' dùn `the hills'.
EDDLESTON OLD COUNTY: Peebles NAME ON MAP: Edwylstone DATE: c.1305 EARLIEST RECORD: Edoluestone DATE: c.1200 MEANING: "Eadwulf's OLD ENGLISH tun `settlement, village'". A Saxon of the this name (`happy wolf') was granted lands here before 1189.
EDINBURGH OLD COUNTY: Midlothian NAME ON MAP: Edenburge DATE: c.1126 EARLIEST RECORD: Din Eidyn DATE: c.600 MEANING: if the date of the earliest form is correct, the name cannot derive from the 7th century King Edwin of Northumbria. It derives either BRYTHONIC din or GOIDELIC dùn `fort' and BRYTHONIC eiddyn or GOIDELIC aodann `mountain face, hill‑slope'.
EDZELL OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Adall DATE: 1267 EARLIEST RECORD: Aydel DATE: 1250 MEANING: probably OLD NORSE å or OLD ENGLISH ea `water, river' and OLD NORSE dal `dale', unless it is simply a corruption of Eskdale.
EIGG OLD COUNTY: Inverness (Hebrides) NAME ON MAP: Egge DATE: 1292 EARLIEST RECORD: Ego (the genitive form) DATE: 725 MEANING: GOIDELIC eag `nick, gap', referring to the feature that runs east‑west across the island.
EILEAN DONAN OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Elandonan DATE: c.1425 MEANING: either "GOIDELIC eilean `island' of St Donnan" (a follower of St Columba who founded a monastery on Eigg and was martyred there with his 52 monks by the Vikings), or, less romantically, "island [of the] GOIDELIC dùnan `little castle'".
ELECHNAVE OLD COUNTY: Argyll NAME ON MAP: Elechnave (a possible 1314 spelling) MEANING: "GOIDELIC eilach `narrow channel' of the naoimh `saints'". The chapel is one of the oldest in Scotland.
ELGIN OLD COUNTY: Moray NAME ON MAP: Elgin DATE: 1140 MEANING: "little Ireland", from a diminutive of GOIDELIC Ealg, one of the early names for Ireland. Some early settler must have been homesick!
ELLON OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Elon DATE: 1265 EARLIEST RECORD: Helian DATE: c.1150 MEANING: probably GOIDELIC eilean `island'.
EMBO OLD COUNTY: Sutherland NAME ON MAP: Ethenboll DATE: c.1230 MEANING: possibly Eyvind's (a Viking name) OLD NORSE ból `settlement'.
ERCHLESS OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Erchelys DATE: 1258 EARLIEST RECORD: Herkele DATE: c.1220 MEANING: possibly GOIDELIC airidh `shieling, shepherd's hut' ghlais `on a stream'.
ERIBOLL OLD COUNTY: Sutherland NAME ON MAP: Erribull DATE: 1499 MEANING: probably "Erikr's (a Viking name) OLD NORSE bol `settlement'".
ERROL OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Erole DATE: a.1199 EARLIEST RECORD: Erolyn DATE: c.1190 MEANING: possibly BRYTHONIC ar ole `on the dingle'.
ERSKINE OLD COUNTY: Renfrew NAME ON MAP: Irschen DATE: a.1300 EARLIEST RECORD: Erskin DATE: 1225 MEANING: uncertain ‑ just possibly BRYTHONIC ir `green' ysgyn `ascent' (literally `mantle').
EYEMOUTH OLD COUNTY: Berwick NAME ON MAP: Aymouthe DATE: 1250 EARLIEST RECORD: Ei DATE: 1098 MEANING: probably OLD ENGLISH ea `stream' mutha `mouth'.