My Parents Decided There Weren't Enough Scottish Names Out There So They Gave Me Three of Them Blog #4
Recently, I learned that my name is essentially just a mosh pit of the most Scottish sounding names my parents could think of. The first clan my name derives from is Clan Cameron. There are many theories regarding where the Camerons originated from, but the most popular of these theories claims that they originally descended from the son of the Royal Family of Denmark who assisted in the restoration of Kind Fergus II of Scotland. He was given the name Cameron as a derivation from the Scottish Gaelic word cam-shròn, meaning crooked nose. The other theories regarding the Clan's origins have to do with well known chiefs and kings as well. Clan Cameron reportedly fought for Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn during the Wars of Scottish Independence. According to my father, Clan Cameron is a West Highland Clan in the lands of Lochaber, Within those lands lies the mountain Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles whose summit is an impressive 1,345 meters above sea level.
The second clan my name comes from is Clan Stewart. The Stewarts descended from a group of seneschals of Dol in Brittany France. Not long after the Norman conquest of England, the clan acquired estates in England and remained there until a steward named Walter fitz Alan came to Scotland when David I of Scotland claimed his throne. Their position as stewards is where the name Stewart came from. The Stewarts have taken part in many well known Scottish Wars such as the Scottish-Norwegian War where Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland, commanded the Scottish army at the Battle of Largs in 1263 against Viking invaders. They also participated rather frequently in the Wars of Scottish Independence, where they originally swore fealty to Edward I of England, but eventually sided with Robert the Bruce and William Wallace in the struggle for Scottish Independence.
My third and final name, McGill, comes from the lowland Scottish Clan named Clan Makgill. The surname Makgill is derived from the phrase "Mac an ghoill" which means "son of the lowlander" or "son of the stranger." The surname was first heard in Galloway, an area of southwestern Scotland. It is unclear who exactly created and adopted the surname, but some notable early members of the Makgill family include Sir James Makgill of Nether Rankeillour, a Scottish politician, and his son David Makgill. At the time, Makgill may be the most popular spelling of the Clan name, but more spelling variations including McGill, MacGill, and Magill are fairly common due to very few general rules in the English language existing at the time.
I am quite fond of each of my names, but only because every time one of them is mentioned I now think of a big angry Scottish man yelling at the top of his lungs thanks to the great leaders they derive from. I never thought about them until the past couple of years, but I enjoyed learning about the various wars and political events that caused them. I have only ever been given two nicknames, and one of them makes total sense and the other makes zero sense. The sensical one is "Gilly", which Mr. Beesley started calling me shortly after we met a few years ago, and the nonsensical one is "Pickles", which my friend started calling me in sixth grade for absolutely no reason. I'm not the biggest fan of the latter nickname, but I enjoy hearing the name "Gilly" as my dad told me that himself, his father, his grandfather, and his great grandfather were all given the same nickname growing up. My forefathers may be somewhat crazy and confusing to think about, but I enjoy sharing their clan names all the same.
I have to say with no bias that Scottish clans are cool ways to get names. You know so much history surrounding your name and the various clans surrounding them, I was very entertained reading this post. I find it really interesting that you all got the same nickname, I wonder if this trend will continue.
ReplyDeleteDang, that's pretty impressive. I didn't realize there was so much history in your name. The story of your middle name is really interesting to me. I find it funny though that despite all the crazy events and people that led up to each of your names, you were known as "Pickles" for a while. Maybe you can pass down that nickname in the future.
ReplyDeleteWow it's cool that you are able to find so much about the history of your full name. It's also funny that Mr. Beesly started calling you Gilly without him even realizing that your father. grandfather, and great-grandfather were also called Gilly. I guess your kid will have to carry on the tradition. Great post Pickles!
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