Surname Scrymgeour - Meaning and Origin
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Scrymgeour: What does the surname Scrymgeour mean?
Scrymgeour is a Scottish surname derived from the Old English words "skirmisher" or "screamer," indicating a person who was a herald, town crier, or one of the king's criers. The name can be traced back to an ancient Scottish clan known as "Clan Scrymgeour." The Scrymgeour family was granted lands in Scotland, along with the significant roles of Royal Standard Bearers and knights, by King Alexander III in 1275. The family's ties to these roles are so strong that their coat of arms includes a lion bearing a flag, symbolizing their royal duty. This surname has a fascinating history and is deeply embedded within Scottish heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisScrymgeour: Where does the name Scrymgeour come from?
The surname Scrymgeour is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Old French term "escrimgeour," which means a fencer or swordsman. This name was brought to Scotland during the Norman Conquest.
The Scrymgeour family was granted the office of hereditary Royal Standard Bearer by King Alexander III of Scotland in the 13th century, solidifying their prominence in Scottish nobility. The family held influential positions throughout Scotland, namely in Dundee and Fife.
Today, the name Scrymgeour is not overly common. It remains somewhat concentrated in Scotland, specifically in the regions of Dundee and Edinburgh. However, over the centuries, members of the Scrymgeour family emigrated to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, following the Scottish Diaspora. As a result, individuals with the surname Scrymgeour can still be found globally, albeit in smaller numbers. The specific count of people with Scrymgeour as a surname is quite low, underlining its rarity. Nonetheless, those bearing the Scrymgeour name today continue to represent a lineage marked by historical significance in Scotland.
Variations of the surname Scrymgeour
The name Scrymgeour originates from Scotland, first found in Forfarshire in East Scotland. It has been spelled differently due to varying dialects and language changes over the centuries. Particularly in English, the sounds are not always represented consistently by the same letters which led to different forms of spelling for the same name.
Variants for Scrymgeour include Skrimager, Scrimger, Scrimgeour, Scrymshire, Scrimshaw, Scrimger, Skrimshire, and Scrymesher, among others. It should be noted that these variations could occur even between father and son; it was common for a person to be born with one spelling, married with another and buried with a headstone which had another spelling of the same name.
Although many Scottish names were Anglicized after emigration to America, surnames of the same origin as Scrymgeour are not well documented, making it challenging to find accurate information.
In modern times, however, the spelling of Scrymgeour is more standardized, but the above-mentioned variants still exist, particularly in historical or genealogical records.
As a rule of thumb in genealogy, never discard a potential relative just on the name spelling as the same person's name may be spelled in various ways within a single document or across different records.
Famous people with the name Scrymgeour
- The most famous person by the name of Scrymgeour is Angus Scrymgeour, a former leader of the Scottish National Party from 2005-2011.
- Alicia Scrymgeour is a Canadian diplomat and former High Commissioner to New Zealand.
- Eric Scrymgeour was a Scottish politician and Member of Parliament who served in the 1950s.
- Vicki Scrymgeour is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor in the digital asset space.
- Harry Scrymgeour was the commander of the Royal Scots Greys from 1927-1943.
- Lord James Scrymgeour was a prominent statesman and politician in the 16th century.
- Pontos Scrymgeour was a Scottish bishop of Brechin in the 17th century.
- Major General William Scrymgeour-Wedderburn was the leader of the 56th Infantry Brigade and the Chief of Staff of the 14th Army.
- Nicol Scrymgeour was an Australian politician who served in the early 20th century.
- Douglas Scrymgeour was a Scottish cricketer from the 19th century.