For comparability with other large cities around the world, Greater Houston has been defined as the entire urban area including and surrounding the City of Houston. This area extends from Pinehurst, The Woodlands and New Caney in the north to Alvin and Galveston in the south, and from Katy and Rosenberg in the west to Mont Belvieu and Baytown in the east. This is a vast metropolitan area, typical of the urban sprawl that characterises most American cities as a consequence of the steady population influx from rural areas, the post-WWII baby boom and the 1960s 'flight to the suburbs'. Suburban growth was further accelerated in Houston's case by the oil boom of the 60s and 70s.
Of the names of the 796 suburbs and neighbourhoods in Greater Houston that have been identified to date, 124 (15.6%) are based, in whole or in part, on place names that can be found in Scotland, on Scottish family names, or on Scottish words. Of course, many of the names are used in other parts of the British Isles as well but 62 (7.8%) of these appear to be exclusive to Scotland. Many of these neighbourhoods contain the name Houston itself, for example, Houston Heights or Mount Houston.
Suburbs and neighbourhoods with names that are definitely or most probably of Scottish origin are:
- Anderson Ways - Anderson is the Lowland form of MacAndrew, a sept of Clan Chattan. The Anderson tartan is shown here. The name has travelled from Scotland to other parts of the British Isles, for example the village of Anderson in Dorset, England and Andersonstown, a suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Aryshire (there is an Aryburn in Aberdeen City and an Aryhoulan in Highland).
- Braeburn Acres, Braeburn Gardens, Braeburn Glen and Braewood Glen - Brae (pronounced bray) is a Scots word that means a hill or hillside.
- Braes Heights, Braes Oaks, Braes Terrace and Braeswood (there is a Braes in Falkirk and a Braes Cairn in Moray plus many other references to Braes throughout Scotland.
- Calgary Woods (Calgary on the Isle of Mull, Argyll & Bute) though probably referring in his instance to Calgary in Canada.
- Citadel (Orkney Islands).
- Dumbarton Oaks and Dumbarton Village (derived from Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire). The link with Scotland might be indirect in the case of these neighbourhoods since they are more likely to recall Dumbarton Oaks in Washington D.C. The illustration shows Dumbarton Castle beside Dumbarton Rock in Scotland.
- Easthaven (Angus, spelt East Haven).
- Glenburnie (Aberdeenshire and Scottish Borders).
- Glencairn Park and Glencairn West (derived from Glencairn in Aberdeenshire and Highland) - Glencairn is also found in Belfast, Northern Ireland, possibly taken there by Scottish settlers.
- Glenshire - possibly derived from Glen Shira, a glen near Inverary in Argyll & Bute in which the Duke of Argyll once provided a safe haven for Rob Roy MacGregor. Alternatively, it could simply be a made-up name.
- Grantwood - there is a Grant in Perth & Kinross. There are also many other places in Scotland with this Scottish family name as part of the name, for example Grantlodge, Grantshouse and Grantown-on-Spey. Places beginning with Grant can also be found in England but in the majority of these instances 'Grant' has a different meaning. The Houston neighbourhood most probably refers to the surname Grant and may possibly commemorate President Ulysses Grant (who had Scottish antecedents).
- Heatherwood (there is a Heatherwood Park in Highland just north of Dornoch). There appear to be three localities in Greater Houston called Heatherwood.
- Highland Acres Homes, Highland Gardens, Highland Heights and Highlands (all possibly recalling the Highlands of Scotland).
- Houston (Renfrewshire) and East Houston, Houston Country Club Place, Houston Harbor, Houston Heights, Houston Skyscraper Shadows, Mount Houston, North Houston, Port Houston, South Houston, South Houston Gardens and World Houston by association. Although Houston is a very Scottish name (the Houston family crest in Paisley is shown here), it is unlikely that the city took its name directly from Scotland, but rather more indirectly through General Sam Houston whose ancestry was Scottish on both sides of the family.
- Irvington (Dumfries & Galloway).
- Jamestown Colony (there is a Jamestown in Aberdeenshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Highland and West Dunbartonshire).
- Kirkwood (Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire) and Kirkwood Country and Kirkwood South by association.
- Linkwood (Moray, near the town of Elgin).
- Mac Gregor Palms, Mac Gregor Park Estates, Mac Gregor Place and Mac Gregor Terrace - there is a water feature based on this Scottish surname called Macgregor's Leap as well as a McGregor's Cave, both in Perth & Kinross. The illustration is of a statue to Rob Roy McGregor in Stirling.
- McNair - although villages and towns based on this name are not found in Scotland, McNair is definitely a Scottish surname. The McNairs are septs of the MacFarlane and MacNaughton clans.
- Melrose Gardens and Melrose Park (derived from Melrose in Scottish Borders).
- Mill Ridge North - there is a Millridge Farm, near Newbigging in South Lanarkshire.
- Monroe Place - the name of this neighbourhood most probably commemorates James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States (1817-1825). Monroe is an alternative spelling of the Scottish surname of Munro, and is derived from the Gaelic 'Rothach' or 'a man of Ro'. According to Black (1996) their ancestors probably came from Ireland, from the foot of the river Roe in County Derry, which produced the place name 'Bunrotha' from which 'Munrotha' was derived.
- Rosslyn (there is a Rosslyn Castle and a Rosslyn Chapel - seen here - in Midlothian). Rosslyn was the village that was made famous in Sir Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel.
- Scotcrest - there is no such place name in Scotland but the name of this Houston neighbourhood seems to suggest a Scottish connection.
- South Glen (Dumfries & Galloway).
- Sterling Forest, Sterling Green, Sterling Green South and Sterling Knoll (all based on a possibly corrupted spelling of Stirling in central Scotland).
- Woodglen - possibly an inversion of Glenwood in Aberdeenshire though more likely to be a made-up name.
Other localities with names that can be found in Scotland but that are not unique to Scotland are:
- Barclay Place (Barclay in South Ayrshire and Barclayhill and Barclayfield in Perth & Kinross) there is also a Barclay in Wales though Barclay is a Scottish surname (that's the clan tartan shown here). As pointed out by Scarlett (1975) Barclay is a Lowland Scots name, "its bearers claiming descent from the Berkeleys who came to England with William the Conqueror." (p.37). This could account for the simultaneous presence of the name in a part of Wales that was colonised by the Normans.
- Barrington Place (Barrington in Fife) but Barrington is more widespread in England.
- Clifton Beach - there is a Clifton in Scottish Borders, Orkney Islands and Stirling but Clifton is far more commonly found throughout England.
- Cole Creek Manor (Cole in the Shetland Islands) though Cole as an element in place names is far more commonly found in England.
- Cookwood - Cook is a Scottish as well as an English name. The Scottish Cooks are a sept of the Stewart clan; their ancestral lands were on the Isle of Bute.
- Courtyard (Courtyard Cotts in Dumfries & Galloway) but there is also a Courtyard Farm in Norfolk, England.
- Cove (Aberdeen City, Argyll & Bute, Borders and Highland) also common in England.
- Covington West and Covington Woods (Covington in South Lanarkshire); there is also a Covington in England.
- Deer Park (Dumfries & Galloway and Highland) also in England. This name is found in several American cities.
- Dow Acres (Dow Crag Hill in Dumfries & Galloway, Dow Hill in South Ayrshire, Dow Loch in Dumfries & Galloway and Perth & Kinross, Dow Lochar in Dumfries & Galloway, Dow Spout in Dumfries & Galloway and Dow's Burn in South Ayrshire) Dow is also found in parts of England, particularly in the north, but less commonly than in Scotland.
- Forest Hill (a hill in Dumfries & Galloway) but far more likely to be named for one of the many places in England, including the south London suburb.
- Gilbert Landing - there is a Gilberts Rig in Dumfries & Galloway, Gilberts Bridge in Perth & Kinross and Gilbertfield in South Lanarkshire, though Gilbert occurs more commonly in English place names. Gilbert is also a Scottish family name - a sept of Clan Buchanan.
- Glen Cove, Glen Forest and Glen Lea Place (there are places in Scotland called Glen in Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands) also two places in Ireland. In addition, there are hundreds of places in both Scotland and Ireland and a few in England and Wales with Glen as an element in the name. Glen simply means 'valley' in Gaelic.
- Greenfield Village (Greenfield in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll & Bute, City of Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Highland, Perth & Kinross, Shetland Islands and South Lanarkshire) Greenfield is just as commonly found in England and Wales.
- Greenwood Village (there is a Greenwood in Moray, Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire) but Greenwood is also found in England and in County Mayo, Ireland.
- Heights (Stirling and West Lothian) also three places in northern England.
- Hilltop Acres (Hilltop in Dumfries & Galloway). Hilltop is very common in England and is (often spelt Hill Top) and also occurs in Ireland.
- Humble, Humble Acres, Humble Camp and Humble Estate (there is a Humblecairn in Aberdeenshire and a Humbles Knowe and Humblemoor Hill in Scottish Borders) but the element 'Humble' is even more common in northern England than it is in Scotland.
- Hunters Creek Village and Hunters Glen - Hunter occurs in many place names throughout Scotland (and is also a common surname - that's the clan tartan here). The list includes Aberdeenshire (Hunter's Hill and Lodge), Angus (Hunter's Path and Hunters Hill), Argyll & Bute (Hunter's Quay), Scottish Borders (Hunter Hill and Huntershall), Dumfries & Galloway (Hunter House, Hunter's Gate, Hunterheck), East Ayrshire (Hunter's Meadow, Hunterston), North Ayrshire (Hunterston, Hunterston House, Hunterston Sands), Perth & Kinross (Hunterhall) and South Lanarkshire (Hunterlees). Hunter is found even more commonly throughout England.
- Huntington (Scottish Borders and East Lothian) also commonly found in England.
- Kennedy Heights - Kennedy is an ancient Scottish family name, though there are Irish Kennedy's as well. The origin of the name is Gaelic, 'ceannaideach' (ugly head). The Houston neighbourhood may well honour President J.F. Kennedy, whose ancestry was Irish.
- Kingsbridge (Angus) also in southern England.
- Mason Park Terrace - there is a Mason Lodge in Aberdeenshire and Masonhill in South Ayrshire; also five places in northern and central England with Mason as an element in the name.
- Meadows (Aberdeenshire and Angus) and Meadows Place by extension; also in England.
- Mills Walk (Mills in Fife) also numerous other places in Scotland as well as England with Mills or Mill's as an element in the name.
- Northfield (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, City of Edinburgh, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Highland, Orkney Islands, Scottish Borders and West Lothian) and Northfield Place by association; Northfield is also found throughout England
- Pipers Meadow (there is a Piper's Burn in Highland, Piper's Knowe in Scottish Borders, Pipercroft in Dumfries & Galloway, Piperdam in Angus, Piperhall in Argyll & Bute, Piperhill in Highland, Piperstones Hill in Perth & Kinross and Piperton in Angus) but names beginning with 'Piper' or 'Pipers' are just as common in England.
- Preston Manor (Preston in Scottish Borders and East Lothian) but Preston is very common throughout England.
- Riverside Terrace (there is a Riverside in Stirling) also Riverside in England and Wales.
- Sheldon (Aberdeenshire) and Sheldon Acres by association; Sheldon is found even more commonly in England.
- South Park (Dumfries & Galloway; also Aberdeenshire, spelt Southpark) but far more commonly found throughout England.
- South View (Shetland Islands) also four places in England.
- Southside Place - there is a Southside in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, Midlothian, Orkney Islands and South Ayrshire as well as just over the border in Northumberland.
- Southwood (Perth & Kinross) and Southwood Place by association; Southwood is frequently encountered in England and is also found in Wales.
- Sunnyside (Aberdeenshire, City of Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, Perth & Kinross, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire) and Sunnyside Gardens by association; Sunnyside is also found in England but less commonly so than in Scotland.
- Todville - Although this name does not occur anywhere in the British Isles, Tod features widely in place names in Scotland, northern England and south-western England. The Scottish list includes Todfold, Todhead Point, Todhills, Todholes and Todlachie in Aberdeenshire; Todhills in Angus; Tod Hill in Argyll & Bute; Tod Hill, Todheugh, Todlaw, Todrig and Tods Knowe in the Scottish Borders; Tod Fell, Tod Knowe, Tod Slack, Todholes, Tods Hill and Todstone in Dumfries & Galloway; (Tod Knowes and Todhills Moss in East Ayrshire; Todhills in Edinburgh; Tod Hill and Todsbughts in Fife; Tod's Gote in Highland; Todholes in Moray; Todpark and Todston in Perth & Kinross; Todcastle in South Lanarkshire; and Todholes in Stirling.
- West Park (Aberdeenshire; also West Park Farm in East Ayrshire, West Parkfergus in Argyll & Bute, Westpark in South Ayrshire and Westpark in South Lanarkshire) though West Park/Westpark occurs even more commonly in England.
- Westbank (Angus) also in Derbyshire, England; there appear to be two neighbourhoods in Houston called Westbank.
- Westfield Estates (there is a Westfield in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, Moray, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian). Westfield is found just as frequently throughout England.
- Westpark (South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire) and Westpark Center and Westpark Village by association, but Westpark is also found in Cornwall and Devon.
- Westwood (Dumfries & Galloway, Perth & Kinross and Stirling) and Westwood Center by association. Westwood is also very common in England and is a favourite name for neighbourhoods in other North American cities. Westwood Park (another Houston neighbourhood) is found only in England.
- Woodland Acres, Woodland Heights, Woodland Oaks and Woodland Trails North - there is a Woodland in South Ayrshire as well as in five English counties but these neighbourhoods are more likely to have been given purely descriptive names.
- Woodside (Aberdeen City, Dumfries & Galloway, City of Glasgow, Fife, Moray, North Ayrshire, Perth & Kinross) and Woodside Plaza by association; Woodside is also found all over England.
Other place names in Greater Houston that have a "Scottish ring" to them, but that have not yet been established as places that actually exist in Scotland or that are connected with the country in other ways include Heather Glen, McHattie, McKamy Meadows, Park Glen and Park Glen West. Some of the above names have probably been made up to sound Scottish or have perhaps been borrowed from other American cities.
Acknowledgements:
- Scarlett, James D. (1975). The Tartans of the Scottish Clans. (Collins, Glasgow and London).
- Black, George F. (1996). The Surnames of Scotland. (Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh).
- Houston City Map (Rand McNally, 1998).
- Mapquest.com and Maps.yahoo.com.
- Websites, place name gazetteers and published Ordnance Survey maps of British and Irish cities, towns, villages and counties.
© Ian Kendall
If you wish to contact Ian about his research, his e-mail address is iankendall@bigpond.com.
Melbourne, Australia, April 2004
Revised May 2005
