NameCensus.

UK surname

Scotland

A surname derived from the name of the country Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 855 people recorded with the Scotland surname, ranking it #4,423 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,011, ranked #5,754, down from #4,423 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Borrowstounness and Carriden and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bo'ness - Douglas, Kilsyth East and Croy and Clackmannan, Kennet and Forestmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scotland is 1,039 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.2%.

1881 census count

855

Ranked #4,423

Modern count

1,011

2016, ranked #5,754

Peak year

2010

1,039 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scotland had 855 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,423 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016, ranked #5,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 857 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Scotland surname distribution map

The map shows where the Scotland surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Scotland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scotland over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 651 #3,995
1861 historical 718 #3,788
1881 historical 855 #4,423
1891 historical 815 #4,964
1901 historical 857 #5,327
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 929 #5,822
1998 modern 981 #5,766
1999 modern 993 #5,745
2000 modern 986 #5,760
2001 modern 950 #5,820
2002 modern 978 #5,801
2003 modern 953 #5,822
2004 modern 967 #5,755
2005 modern 970 #5,671
2006 modern 957 #5,756
2007 modern 950 #5,852
2008 modern 983 #5,728
2009 modern 1,019 #5,676
2010 modern 1,039 #5,697
2011 modern 1,019 #5,733
2012 modern 953 #5,961
2013 modern 974 #5,950
2014 modern 990 #5,904
2015 modern 987 #5,872
2016 modern 1,011 #5,754

Geography

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Where Scotlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Borrowstounness and Carriden, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bo'ness - Douglas, Kilsyth East and Croy, Clackmannan, Kennet and Forestmill, Easter Road and Hawkhill Avenue and Kensington and Chelsea. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Borrowstounness and Carriden Linlithgow
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bo'ness - Douglas Falkirk
2 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire
3 Clackmannan, Kennet and Forestmill Clackmannanshire
4 Easter Road and Hawkhill Avenue City of Edinburgh
5 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scotland

These lists show first names that appear often with the Scotland surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scotland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Scotland, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Scotland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Scotland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Scotland is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Scotland is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Scotland falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Scotland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Scotland, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Scotland

The surname SCOTLAND is of English origin, derived from the name of the country Scotland itself. It is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearer of the name hailed from the northern British kingdom of Scotland.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname SCOTLAND can be traced back to the late 12th century, when surnames began to emerge in Britain. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Scocia, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1195.

The surname SCOTLAND likely originated as a descriptive name given to individuals who had migrated from Scotland to other parts of Britain, perhaps during times of conflict or unrest. It may have been used to distinguish these individuals from their new neighbors based on their place of origin.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including de Scocia, de Scotia, and le Scot, reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. These variations suggest that the name was initially associated with individuals from Scotland or of Scottish descent.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname SCOTLAND include Sir John Scotland, a 14th-century Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another was William Scotland, born in 1587, a renowned Scottish poet and satirist whose works provided insight into the cultural and political climate of his era.

In the 16th century, the surname SCOTLAND was found in records from various parts of England, indicating that individuals bearing the name had migrated and settled in different regions. One such example is Thomas Scotland, born in 1543 in Yorkshire, who served as a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.

The surname SCOTLAND has also been associated with place names, such as Scotland Green in Oxfordshire, England, which may have been named after an early settler or landholder bearing the name.

Throughout history, the SCOTLAND surname has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from nobility and scholars to tradesmen and artisans, reflecting the widespread distribution and adoption of the name across various social strata.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scotland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scotland surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 148 Scotlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.49x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 148 5.49x
Perthshire 114 30.49x
Midlothian 88 7.89x
Clackmannanshire 78 113.37x
Fife 67 13.59x
Stirlingshire 49 15.95x
Lancashire 46 0.47x
West Lothian 46 36.67x
Angus 33 4.28x
Middlesex 33 0.40x
Northumberland 31 2.50x
Kinross-shire 26 123.46x
Durham 18 0.73x
Surrey 15 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 13 5.81x
Renfrewshire 10 1.55x
Argyllshire 8 3.45x
Kent 6 0.21x
Yorkshire 6 0.07x
Roxburghshire 4 2.65x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Banffshire 2 1.16x
Cumberland 2 0.28x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.13x
Ayrshire 1 0.16x
Caithness 1 0.88x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.54x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Orkney 1 1.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.38x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 63 Scotlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.45x.

Place Total Index
Govan 63 9.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 44 9.80x
Dunfermline 39 51.43x
Clackmannan 31 238.46x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 31 41.87x
Alloa 30 89.93x
Barony 29 4.25x
Boness 24 138.81x
Culross 24 740.74x
Tulliallan 24 378.55x
Dundee 23 7.98x
Carriden 22 386.64x
Toxteth Park 22 6.57x
Stirling 21 54.21x
Glasgow 20 4.18x
Perth East Church 20 56.74x
New Monkland 19 23.86x
North Leith 17 32.91x
Perth West Church 17 95.83x
Tillicoultry 14 91.50x
Kinross 13 180.06x
Alva 11 75.09x
Cockerton 11 138.36x
Orwell 11 189.33x
Burntisland 10 72.52x
Abernethy 8 163.93x
Beath 8 51.35x
Cardross 8 29.76x
Maryhill 8 15.17x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 7 26.52x
Falkirk 7 9.73x
Kilsyth 7 35.73x
Kirkdale 7 4.21x
Edinburgh New 6 69.20x
Everton 6 1.90x
Hackney London 6 1.28x
Kensington London 6 1.30x
Liff Benvie 6 5.12x
Middlesbrough 6 5.58x
Moulin 6 101.52x
South Leith 6 4.78x
St George In East 6 10.59x
Bishopwearmouth 5 2.35x
Kingsbarns 5 220.26x
Kirkintilloch 5 16.44x
Lecropt 5 285.71x
Manchester 5 1.12x
Newington 5 1.62x
Richmond 5 8.79x
West Greenock 5 4.31x
Dunoon Kilmun 4 22.12x
Frindsbury 4 37.35x
Gorbals 4 25.02x
Hawick 4 11.84x
Old Monkland 4 3.74x
Cathcart 3 8.59x
Charlton Kings 3 26.55x
Dollar 3 42.08x
Dunoon 3 62.89x
Islington London 3 0.37x
Perth Middle Church 3 21.34x
Poplar London 3 1.91x
Banff 2 13.32x
Barrow In Furness 2 1.49x
Cramond 2 23.64x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 7.04x
Fossoway 2 55.25x
Hillingdon 2 7.53x
Inchture 2 107.53x
Inverkeithing 2 26.92x
Killin 2 54.79x
Lambeth 2 0.28x
Merrow 2 117.65x
St George Hanover 2 1.84x
St Ninians 2 6.57x
Stoke Newington London 2 3.08x
Torryburn 2 93.90x
Underskiddaw 2 130.72x
Westminster St John 2 1.97x
Westoe 2 1.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Scotland surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 10
Annie 5
Isabella 5
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Emily 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Christina 2
Edith 2
Hannah 2
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cecelia 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz 1
Eliza 1
Elizibth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lillias 1
Lilly 1
Matilda 1
Phoeba 1
Priscilla 1
Robina 1
Sush. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Scotland surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 12
George 8
John 8
Thomas 8
David 7
James 7
Alexander 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Willm. 2
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Colley 1
Duncan 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Lawrence 1
Peter 1
Simpson 1
Will. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Scotland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scotland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 855 people were recorded with the Scotland surname. That placed it at #4,423 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scotland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016. That gives Scotland a modern rank of #5,754.

What does the Scotland surname mean?

A surname derived from the name of the country Scotland.

What does the Scotland map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Scotland bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.