An Introduction to Flemish Names in Scotland

Katie Stevenson
Friday 27 September 2013

One of the goals of the Scotland and the Flemish People Project is to develop a comprehensive list of family names in Scotland that have Flemish roots.  Over the last year, we have compiled a preliminary list of Flemish rooted names, which appears at the end of this blog post. Names have been separated into “actual”, “probable” and “possible” categories.  This is a “living” list and we welcome suggestions for any names not currently on the list, preferably names for which there is supportive evidence of a Flemish origin.

While it will not be possible to do genealogical research on all the possible Flemish names, so as to validate their inclusion on the list, we would encourage readers, and especially those who have a name on the list, to join our DNA project and submit their genealogical data.  It is hoped, as genetic techniques are refined, to determine whether a person carrying a specific name has a good probability of having origins in Flanders.

List of actual, probable and possible Flemish origin names in Scotland

Actual

Core Flemish names

 Fleming

Flemming

Flanders

Flanderensis

Examples of Variants on Fleming

Flemyng

Fleeming

Flamang

Flammang

Flamank

Flament

Flement

Probable

List of names identified in Beryl Platts, Scottish Hazard: The Flemish Nobility and their Impact on Scotland, London, 1985 as of Flemish origin on the basis of heraldic research.

Abernethy

Anstruther

Baird

Balliol (+ Bell, Beal, Beale, le Bel, Bailey etc. from Bell Roots by J. E and F. J. Bell)

Boswell

Brodie

Bruce

Cameron

Campbell

Comyn

Crawfurd

Douglas

Erskine

Hamilton

Innes

Leith

Leslie

Lindsay

Lochore

Montgomerie

Murray

Oliphant

Seton

Stewart

Stirling

Possible(submitted by the interested public)

Hazel, Hazeel, Hazell

Waddell, Woodall, Weddell etc

Morrens, Morran

Binnie, Binning, Bennie and Porteous

Bremner Plender, Plenderleith

Dewar, De War (Walloons?)

Younger, Junker

Mutch

Deurs

Preynne (1685) to Prayne to Pren (1705) to Prenn (1749) to Prain

Kettle, Pundler, Stein, Clow, Hally, Frizall, Clemmet, Houbron Flucker, Flockhart

Dowie

Petrie

Kessen

Swankie

Sutherland

Beaton

Holm

Mortimer

Baitchler, Bachelor Landreth

Cleland

Cant

Moyes

Rutherfurds

 

Other

List of names of Flemish people who came to Scotland around 1601, often via Norwich.

These names were identified in David Dobson, Huguenot and Scots Links (1575-1775), Baltimore, 2005

Bart (p.4)

Bishop (p.7)

Byschop (p.11)

Clasen (p.19)

Cowart (p.22)

De Corte (p.28)

Den Turk (p.36)

De Pyel (p.37)

Henman (p.53)

Le Rouge (p.65)

Roche (p.82)

Sturman (p.87)

Van der Broeck (p.90)

Van Houte (p.90)

Vermont (p.91)

 

In future posts, we will highlight many other aspects of the genealogical and historical research undertaken by the personnel of the Scotland and the Flemish People Project.  Make sure to check this blog every Friday for the most recent information and discussions on the project. Next week’s post will feature a discussion of the DNA project.

For details of our DNA Project go to: http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Flemish_in_Scotland

Alternatively, if you have questions contact Alasdair Macdonald at alasdair@familytreedna.com or Alex Fleming at aefleming007@comcast.net.

Project Website: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/flemish/

Institute of Scottish Historical Research, University of St Andrews: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ishr/index.htm

 

 

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