As Scots we are known for our travelling and settling in distant lands, which means that you will often see names originating in Scotland in the most peculiar places.
Surnames are codes that often allow us to understand a lot about a person and to sometimes identify where their roots originate from.
As a result, the Daily Record has decided to explore the origins of Scottish surnames from around the globe and determine what are the most commonly used.
From iconic Scottish locations to our infamous clan names, here are some of the most well known and common surnames from Bonnie Scotland.
Abercrombie/Abercromby –(Location)A village in Fife which means 'mouth of the river Crombie'. Clan Abercromby is a Lowland Scottish clan.
Anderson –Son of Andrew - usually used in reference to the Patron Saint of Scotland. Clan Anderson was found in the North East of Scotland.
Balfour –An ancient family name with close ties to the lands of the same name in Fife.
Boyd –Said to be derived from the Gaelic "buidhe", meaning "yellow" or "blonde".
Buchanan –The Gaelic "both-chanain" (meaning "the seat of the canon") and the area in Stirlingshire of the same name are both cited as being the origin of this surname.
Burns –Derived from the Scots word for stream.
Cameron –From the Gaelic 'Cam-sron' meaning 'Crooked Nose', the clan is based in Lochaber.
Campbell –One of the most famous Scottish clans, based in Argyll, their name comes from the Gaelic 'Cam' meaning 'Crooked' and Beul meaning 'Mouth'.
Cunningham – (Location) named for an area in Ayrshire.
Ferguson –An ancient name in Scotland, it is derived from the 'Son of Fergus', with Fergus being a famous and meaning 'Man of Strength'.
Fraser –A clan name that is said to date back to Norman times, with the word possibly coming from the French word for strawberry 'fraise'.
Gordon – (Location) named for an area in Moray.
Harris – (Location) named for the island in the Outer Hebrides.
MacDonald – Another of Scotland's most famous clans, the MacDonald name comes from 'Mac Domhnuill' meaning 'Son of Donald'. It remains one of the most common surnames in Scotland.
MacKenzie – Derived from 'Mac Coinnich' meaning 'Son of Kenneth' or 'Son of the Fair one' - the clan was found in the western Highlands and the Outer Hebrides.
Morton – (Location) named for an area in Fife.
Murray – (Location) Derived from the way the area of Moray is pronounced and meaning 'by the sea'.
Robertson –Derived from 'Son of Robert', said to have been a famous clan chief of the Clan Donald.
Ross –Said to have derived from the Gaelic word for 'of the promontary', 'Ros'.
Stewart/Stuart –A royal name derived from the word 'steward', the surname of Scotland's (and eventually the UK's) Kings and Queens.
