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Gordon (given name)

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For other uses, see Gordon.
Gordon
Joy's romanticised depiction of Major-General Gordon's death in 1885.
Pronunciation/ˈɡɔːrdən/
GenderMasculine
Language(s)English
Origin
Language(s)English
Word/nameGordon (surname)
Other names
See alsoGòrdan

Gordon is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Scottish surname Gordon. It is uncertain if this surname originated from a place name in Scotland or in France. The Gordon in Berwickshire, where the family who bore the surname held lands in the 12th century, is of uncertain etymology. It is also possible that this place name was named after settlers from France, who were named after a like-named place in Normandy. The surname is thought to have been taken up as a given name in honour of the Major-General Charles George Gordon, a British army officer who was killed in 1885, in Khartoum.

Origin of the name

The given name Gordon originates from a transferred use of the Scottish surname Gordon. The origin of this surname is debated. While it is considered to be derived from a place name, it is not certain that the place name of Gordon, in Berwickshire, Scotland, is the origin of the surname.[1] Berwickshire was once the home of Clan Gordon, and the earliest member of the family on record is of Richer de Gordun, who was lord of the barony of Gordon, in the mid-12th century.[2] This place name may be derived from the Welsh gor, meaning "spacious"; and din, meaning "fort".[3]

However, it is also possible that the Scottish surname originated from a place name in Normandy, France, and was brought over to Scotland, where it gave rise to the place name in Berwickshire.[1] For example, the English surname Gordon is considered to be derived from Gourdon in Saône-et-Loire, France.[3] Early records of this surname occur in England in the early 13th century (such as Adam de Gurdon, in 1204).[2] This French place name is derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Gordus and the locative suffix -o, -onis.[3]

The given name is thought to have been used in honour of Major-General Charles George Gordon (1833–85), who was killed at Khartoum.[1]

Variants, cognates

The masculine given name can be represented in Scottish Gaelic as Gòrdan.[4]

The diminutives Gord or Gordie may also be used as a nickname.

List of people

Other name

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 113, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1
  2. ^ a b Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, p. 1378, ISBN 0-203-99355-1
  3. ^ a b c "Learn about the family history of your surname". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 18 October 2010. which cited Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4. for the surnames "Gordon".
  4. ^ Mark, Colin (2006), The Gaelic-English Dictionary, London: Routledge, p. 715, ISBN 0-203-22259-8
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