The third most frequently registered name in Scotland, the name is derived from "William". Because of its frequency, it is not identified with any one area but it is particularly prominent in Fife and Angus.
James Wilson from Ceres in Fife was one of those who drafted the Constitution of the USA and Alexander Wilson from Paisley became known in the 18th century as a father of American ornithology. Author John Wilson (1785-1854) is better known by his pen name Christopher North. George Washington Wilson, born in Banff in 1823, was an early photographer who published a vast collection of scenic views at the end of the 19th century. Charles T R Wilson (1869-1959) was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1927 for his construction of a cloud chamber for photographing particles from outer space. The American President Woodrow Wilson was from Scottish and Irish roots.
Wilson was the 3rd most frequent surname at the General Register Office in 1995.
Wilson is a sept (sub-branch) of the clans Gunn and Innes. _________________ FOA BOB -
Young tartan Young crest
This is clearly a surname which was given to a son who had the same forename as his father (similar to the "Jr" used in the USA or to the "Mac" in early Gaelic names). While this has resulted in many disparate strands of Young genealogy, the name has a registered tartan and family crest ( a lion rampant with a raised sword). It is the 19th most frequent surname in Scotland.
The earliest documented occurrence of the name was a John Young in Dingwall who witnessed a charter by the Earl of Ross in 1342 and a Symone Yong (sic) was a burgess of Elgin in Moray around the same time. Alexander Young was a chaplain to the House of the Holy Trinity in 1439 and Peter Young (born in Dundee in 1544) was a tutor to the three-year-old King James VI on the recommendation of the Regent Moray. He was knighted in 1605 in London after the Union of the Crowns.
Peter Young's son had extensive grants of land in Ireland and the name is now common in the counties of Antrim, Tyrone, Down and Londonderry.
James Young (1811-1883) was a chemist who developed a method of extracting paraffin from shale and coal - earning himself the nickname "Paraffin Young" in the process.
George Younger (1851-1929) expanded the family brewing company in Alloa and became a prominent politician, eventually becoming Viscount Younger of Leckie. George 1st Viscount, was nephew (by blood) to William McEwan the famous Scottish brewer. George Younger (1931-2003), former Secretary of State for Scotland was 4th Viscount Leckie of Younger and great grandson of his namesake. He became chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland after holding a number of positions in the UK cabinet, including Secretary of State for Scotland and Defence Secretary in Margaret Thatcher's government
The Young clan motto is "Robore prudentia praestat" which means "Prudence excels strength".
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Join! (free) 
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
