The Scottish diaspora has spread all over the world and as such, you'll find people with names originating from Scotland in many a country.
But what's in a name? Well, a surname can tell you a lot about a person and helps gives clues to where their family may have come from.
With more people than ever before seeking to reconnect with their roots, we thought we'd take a look at some of the most popular Scottish surnames from around the world and take a look at where they came from.
From clan names to Scottish locations, here are some of the most famous surnames from 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 promontory', 'Ros'.
Stewart/Stuart – A royal name derived from the word 'steward', the surname of Scotland's (and eventually the UK's) Kings and Queens.
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