For comparability with other large cities around the world, Greater Pittsburgh has been defined as the entire urban area including and surrounding Allegheny County. This area extends from Beaver Falls and Wallace City in the north-west to Freeport in the north-east, and from Canonsburg in the south-west to Greensburg in the south-east.
Of the names of the 732 districts, neighbourhoods and suburbs in Greater Pittsburgh that have been identified to date, 192 (26.2%) 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, some of the names are used in other parts of the British Isles as well but 107 (14.6%) of these appear to be exclusively Scottish or are readily identifiable with places that can be found in Scotland.
Communities and neighbourhoods with names that occur only in Scotland and not elsewhere within the British Isles are/or whose origin is definitely or most probably Scottish are:
- Bairdford - there is a forest called Baird's Covert in the Scottish Borders, near Cockburn Law in the Lammermuir Hills. Baird is a Scottish surname - that's their tartan shown here. The Bairds take their name from lands held in Lanarkshire, and have produced several famous family members including John Baird of Kirkintilloch who planned and constructed New York's elevated railways on Second and Sixth Avenues and, most famous of all, John Logie Baird of Helensburgh who invented television in 1929.
- Ben Avon and Ben Avon Heights - Ben Avon is Scotland's (and Britain's) 13th tallest mountain, on the border between Aberdeenshire and Moray.
- Blaine Hill - Black (1996), the authority on Scottish family names, states that Blaine is a "reduced form of MacBlain". According to the House of Names Heraldic website, Blaine is a Scottish family name from Ayrshire. Its origin is said to be from the Gaelic bláán (yellow).
- Borland Manor - there are places called Borland in East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Perth & Kinross and South Lanarkshire. There is also a Borland House in Stirling.
- Brackenridge (South Lanarkshire). Brackenridge is a Lowland Scottish family name. This community was incorporated in 1900 and was named for the industrialist Henry Morgan Brackenridge. Brackenridge's great-grandfather, Hugh Henry Brackenridge, author and jurist, "whose name is intimately associated with the early history of Pittsburgh" (Espenshade, 1995, p.273) was born in 1748 in Campbeltown, Scotland.
- Braddock, Braddock Hills and North Braddock - According to Espenshade (1995), the authority on place names in Pennsylvania, these neighbourhoods "perpetuate the name and the memory of Major-General Edward Braddock, who received his death-wound here in the dreadful battle with the French and Indians on July 9, 1755." (p.207). Edward Braddock was born in Perthshire, Scotland in 1695.
- Braeburn - an inversion of Burnbrae, a place name commonly found in Scotland. 'Brae' (pronounced bray) is a Scots word meaning a hill or hillside and 'burn' is a Scots word for a stream or creek.
- Bruceton (Perth & Kinross). Bruce is also a Scottish and northern English family name of Norman origin.
- Carnegie (Angus) and East Carnegie by association. These communities were named as a compliment to the steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1918) who was born in Dunfermline, Fife - see the illustration of his birthplace. Carnegie founded the largest iron and steel works in the USA and retired, a multimillionaire, to Skibo Castle in Sutherland, Highland. Among the many beneficiaries of his estate were universities and public libraries in both America and Britain and numerous institutes and trusts were set up including the Pittsburgh Carnegie Institute. Espenshade (1995) notes that Andrew Carnegie gave the borough of Carnegie an "excellent library" after its incorporation in 1894 and after the borough was named in his honour. It may interest readers to learn that the suburb of Carnegie in Melbourne, Australia, was also named in honour of Andrew Carnegie. See also the Cultural Legacy of Andrew Carnegie elsewhere on this site.
- Central Highlands - possibly recalling the Highlands of Scotland.
- Clairton - The name of this community possibly has a Scottish connection. Espenshade (1995) states that "the origin of the name of the city of Clairton, in Alleghany County, cannot be given with certainty and fulness. One can be fairly sure that the name Clairton has been made by adding the locative suffix ton ('town') to Clair ('clear, bright or illustrious'), the second syllable of the surname St. Clair or its variant form, Sinclair. The current traditional explanation is that the name Clairton is derived from the name of Samuel Sinclair, who once owned a tract of 215 acres of land on which part of the present city is built, and not from General Arthur St. Clair…" (Espenshade, 1995, p. 209).
- Clinton - Black (1996) lists this name as probably being a shortened form of MacClinton, which is a Scottish family name, though rarely encountered in Scotland today.
- Cochrans Mills - Cochran is a variant of the Scottish family name of Cochrane. The only place in the British Isles with this name is Cochrane Pike, over the border in Northumberland.
- Cowansburg - there is a Cowan Fell, Cowans and Cowans Farm in Dumfries & Galloway, Cowan's Croft and Cowans Knowe in Scottish Borders, and Cowans Law in East Ayrshire. The name has also travelled to England (Cowan Bridge in Lancashire), probably taken there by a Scottish settler. Cowan is a common surname in Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire and other Lowland counties and may have been a corruption of Colquhoun.
- Coulter (South Lanarkshire) and Coulters by association. Coulter is a Scottish family name.
- Darragh - although not found as a place name in Scotland, Darragh is a Scottish family name from Stirling, a variant of Darroch. Its origin is supposedly Pictish, from MacDara, 'son of the oak'.
- Denison - There are no places in Scotland or other parts of the British Isles with this name. However, it could well be a variant of Dennison or Denson, a Scottish family name of Pictish origin, from Renfrewshire.
- Donaldsons Crossroads - although this family name occurs as a place name within the British Isles only in Northumberland (Donaldson's Lodge), its origin is strongly Scottish, the family name first being recorded in Galloway. Donaldson is a sept of Clan MacDonald.
- Dormont (Dumfries & Galloway). Although this name occurs only in Scotland and not elsewhere within the British Isles, its origin is not necessarily Scottish. Espenshade (1995, p. 197) provides the following account of the origin of the name of this Pittsburgh suburb. "The ornate and somewhat pretentious name, from the French d'or mont, "mount of gold," was suggested by Gilbert M. Brown, who became the first burgess of Dormont. The name refers to the beautiful hills on which the town is built and to the wonderful opportunities that they offered." One nevertheless wonders whether the true derivation of the name was the place in southern Scotland since 'mount of gold' in French is 'mont d'or' and Brown is a common Scottish family name.
- Douglass - a variant spelling of the ancient Scottish family name Douglas, first found in Lanarkshire, though experts disagree as to the origin of the name, some claiming it to be Pictish while others regard it as Flemish. The name of this community probably commemorates Frederick Douglass, the famous nineteenth-century African American who lectured within the States and abroad on the evils of slavery. The crest here is that of Douglas, Earl of Morton.
- Downieville - there are many places in Scotland that incorporate the name Downie. Examples include Downie Bay and Downie Point in Aberdeenshire, the town of Downies (also Aberdeenshire), Downie Mill and Downiebank in Angus, and Downies Burn (a water feature in Dumfries & Galloway). Downie is a Scottish family name derived from the parish of Downie in Angus where the surname is still commonly encountered. It is also one of the oldest names in the parish of Kenmay, Aberdeenshire, recorded as early as 1254.
- Duff City - places in Scotland based on this Scottish family name include Duff House and Duff's Hill in Aberdeenshire and Duff's Loch in Dumfries & Galloway.
- Elizabeth, East Elizabeth and West Elizabeth - These suburbs could well have a Scottish connection, judging by the following account of the origin of the name. "Elizabeth, in Allegheny County, was laid out in 1787 by Stephen Bayard and named in honor of his bride, Elizabeth Mackay Bayard, daughter of Colonel Æneas Mackay, once commandant at Fort Pitt." (Espenshade, 1995, p. 254). Mackay is a Scottish family name.
- Elliot (Angus). Elliot is a Scottish family name derived ultimately from the Old English Ælfwald, a common Saxon name on the Scottish Borders which was the original home of the Elliots. The family crest is shown here. The Elliots later settled in Forfar (whence the modern place name in Angus) before heading south again, this time to Liddesdale where, by the late 16th century, "they had the doubtful honour of heading, with the Armstrongs, the list of the most unruly of the Border clans." (Scarlett, 1975, p. 60).
- Emblem - there is an Emblem Brae in Dumfries & Galloway.
- Ewingsville - there is a Ewingston in East Lothian based on the Scottish surname Ewing. The name also occurs in two southern English counties, including Ewings in Devon, but Ewing is a Scottish family name from Argyll, its origin being Gaelic (Eógann, from the Latin Eugenius).
- Findlay - there are several places in Scotland based on this Scottish family name. These include Findlay Farm and Findlayston in Aberdeenshire, Findlay's Rock in Argyll & Bute, Findlayston in East Ayrshire and Findlay's Seat in Moray.
- Fineview (Dumfries & Galloway).
- Forbes Road - there are places called Forbes Villa and Forbestown in Aberdeenshire, and Forbes Place in Inverclyde, based on the Scottish surname of Forbes. It is highly probable that the name of this community recalls General John Forbes who in 1757-58 had a wagon road cut for military purposes from Fort Bedford toward Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh), the road later becoming known as 'Forbes Trail' by settlers moving into western Pennsylvania. General Forbes (1707-1759) was born in Fife, Scotland, the son of an army officer, and was responsible for capturing the French outpost at Fort Duquesne, renaming it 'Fort Pitt'.
- Frazer - a variant spelling of the common Scottish family name of Fraser.
- Fulton (Dumfries & Galloway).
- Garfield (East Ayrshire). The name of this community commemorates President James Abram Garfield, the 20th US President. According to an article in Wikipedia, the first owner of a lot in this Pittsburgh neighbourhood bought his plot on the day that President Garfield was buried.
- Gilkeson - there is a Gilkerscleuch Mains in South Lanarkshire. Gilkeson may also be a corrupted form of Gilkinson, a Scottish surname derived from Gilchriston, the Anglicised form of MacGilchrist.
- Glen Eden - there is a Gleneden in Fife Regional Park.
- Glendale (Highland). A remarkably large number of American cities have communities/suburbs called Glendale, a name simply meaning 'valley'. The unusual feature of this name is that it is a tautology - 'valley' features twice, first in Gaelic (gleann) then in Norse (dalr).
- Glenshaw - although a place by this name does not exist in Scotland, Shaw is a Scottish clan name. Shaw does exist as a place name in northern England, however. The name, both in Lowland Scotland and in Northern England, is derived from an Old English word 'sceaga' meaning a small wood. The use of 'glen' as a prefix to the name of this Greater Pittsburgh neighbourhood greatly increases the chances of a Scottish rather than an English connection.
- Glenwood (Aberdeenshire).
- Greenock (Inverclyde). The illustration above shows the harbour at Greenock and the Firth of Clyde at sunset during a Royal Navy review.
- Highland and Highland Park - possibly recalling the Highlands of Scotland. There appear to be three localities in the Greater Pittsburgh area called Highland, two of which are in Allegheny County and the third in Westmoreland County. Highland Park, a neighbourhood of the City of Pittsburgh, derives its name from the park around which it was built. Ironically, this neighbourhood is not at all hilly.
- Homeville, Homewood, Homewood North, Homewood South and Homewood West - these names do not occur anywhere within the British Isles. However, Home/Hume is an important Border family, with various spellings. David Hume was a well-known C18th philosopher.
- Houston (Renfrewshire) though the name in this instance is more likely to recall Houston, Texas named after General Sam Houston, whose ancestry was Scottish on both sides of the family. The Houston family crest is shown here.
- Irwin and North Irwin - although there are no place names in Scotland with this name, Irwin is a variant of Irvine, a Scottish family name.
- Jacktown - Jack is said to be a Scottish name from Renfrewshire, derived from the French Jacques.
- Kinlock - the name of this neighbourhood probably refers to Kinloch, a name that occurs widely throughout Scotland since it means 'head of the loch'.
- Leetsdale and Leetsdale Industrial Park - there is a Leetside in the Scottish Borders, near Whitsome.
- Logans Ferry Heights - there are places in Dumfries & Galloway and East Ayrshire called Logan. Logan is a Scottish surname, the family being well established by the end of the 12th century.
- Magill Heights - Magill is a variant of the Scottish family name MacGill, first recorded in Galloway. According to the House of Names Heraldic website, the name was apparently used by the Strathclyde Britons to identify people from Galloway.
- Markle (East Lothian; also Markle Mains in East Lothian).
- McAdams - MacAdam is a sept of Clan MacGregor. Perhaps the most famous member of this Scottish family was John McAdam, who invented the process of sealing road surfaces ('tar macadam').
- McAlisters Crossroads - MacAlister is a Scottish family name meaning 'son of Alexander'. The Alexander in question was Alasdair, great-grandfather of the first Lord of the Isles.
- McCandless - a Scottish family name first recorded in Galloway. There are many spelling variations including McCandlish, McAndliss, McChandlish and several others.
- McClarran - presumably a corrupted, or intentionally phonetic, rendering of the Scottish family name of MacLaren.
- McDonald - MacDonald is one of the best known Scottish surnames, though there are Irish McDonalds as well. There are numerous branches of the MacDonald clan such as MacDonald of Sleat, MacDonald of Clanranald, MacDonnell of Glengarry and MacDonnell of Keppoch. The tartans above are MacDonald, Lord of the Isles and MacDonald of Clanranald. This community in Washington County "took its name from old Fort McDonald, which was built during the Revolutionary War on the land of John McDonald, who settled here in 1775." (Espenshade, 1995, p. 278)
- McKnight - the MacKnights are a sept of the MacNaughtons.
- McMurray - the MacMurrays are a sept of one of Scotland's best known clans - Murray.
- McNary - this is one of the lesser-known Scottish family names but is of ancient origin, going back to the Picts. According to the House of Names Heraldic website, the Gaelic form of this Pictish name meant 'son of dun John'. Experts are divided as to the original meaning of this name (son of the heir, smith, stranger and king being among them). Spelling variations are many including MacNair, MacNaire, MacNayer, MacNeir, MacNuir, McNarie and others. No information has been found to date on the McNary who gave his name to the community in the south of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
- Mifflin Junction and West Mifflin - According to the House of Names Heraldic web site, Mifflin is a Scottish family name, related to Methuen and Methven, names which originated in Perthshire. These communities were most probably named for General Thomas Mifflin, Revolutionary soldier and Governor of Pennsylvania from 1788 to 1799.
- Milligantown - there are places called Milligansbush, Milligansbushfield and Milliganton in Dumfries & Galloway. Milligan is a Scottish surname derived from the double diminutive of 'mael-oc-an' - 'the little bald or shaved one', probably alluding to the ancient Gaelic tonsure.
- Monroe Heights and Monroeville - these communities most probably commemorate James Monroe, the Fifth 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. Mountain peaks in Scotland over 3,000 feet are called "Munros" because Sir Hugh Munro in 1891 produced a definitive list of these.
- Montrose Hill (Montrose in Angus). One of the reasons for the popularity of the name Montrose throughout the English-speaking world may have to do with Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Legend of Montrose', published in 1819. Or it may be a reference to the brilliant soldier James Graham, the first Marquis of Montrose, who achieved a series of victories in his campaign in Scotland on behalf of King Charles I.That's his statue (in the Angus town of Montrose) shown here.
- Moon (Shetland Islands) and Moon Crest, Moon Run and Moon Township by association. Moon is also a Scottish surname, found in Dumfries-shire, though it is said to have originated in Devon in southern England and that it ultimately came from a place called Mohun in Normandy, France.
- Morningside (Dumfries & Galloway, City of Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire and Perth & Kinross). The illustration shows a typical mansion in Morningside, Edinburgh.
- Mount Oliver - Oliver is a Scottish family name from Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. It is also a French and Spanish family name but considering all the other Scottish names in Greater Pittsburgh, the name of both the borough and the Pittsburgh neighbourhood is most probably Scottish.
- Murdocksville - probably based on the Scottish surname Murdoch, rendered phonetically.
- Murry Hill and Murrysville - there is a Murrystone Hill in Aberdeenshire. Murry may be a variant spelling of Murray, a well-known Scottish surname.
- Patterson Heights and Patterson Hill - Patterson is a variant spelling of the Scottish family name of Paterson ('Patrick's son'). The Paterson clan was originally located on the north side of Loch Fyne in Argyll. According to Black (1996), Patterson is one of the most common family names in Scotland.
- Pitcairn (Fife and Perth & Kinross). Pitcairn is a Scottish family name. This township was named for Robert Pitcairn, superintendent of the Pittsburgh division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company during the 1880s.
- Rankin - there is a Rankinston in East Ayrshire, and Rankin's Rocks in Argyll & Bute, both based on the Scottish surname of Rankin. The early, pre-17th century home of the Rankins was Ayrshire. The Rankins are a sept of Clan MacLean.
- Renton (Dunbartonshire) and Renton Junction by association.
- Rosslyn Farms (Midlothian). Rosslyn was the village made famous in Sir Walter Scott's 'Lay of the Last Minstrel'. The name may also recall Rosslyn Chapel (also in Midlothian - see illustration) founded in 1446 by Henry St Clair (Sinclair), Earl of Roslin. This is a distinct possibility in the case of Pittsburgh, given that St Clair is the name of three separate communities in the area.
- Scab Hill - there is a Scabcleuch in the Scottish Borders, Scab Craigs in Dumfries & Galloway, and Scabgill in South Lanarkshire, but no Scab Hill as such.
- Shields (Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire) also South Shields in Tyneside, northern England.
- St Clair and Upper St Clair - this name, which is of Norman origin, is mainly associated with Scotland since it gave rise to the Scottish surname of Sinclair. There appear to be three separate communities in metropolitan Pittsburgh called St Clair, one in the City of Pittsburgh itself, and the other two in Beaver and Westmoreland Counties. Espenshade (1995, p. 209) attributes the names of these communities to General Arthur St. Clair, "who was a prominent figure in the early history of western Pennsylvania…."
- Stewart and Stewartsville - there is a Stewarton in Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway plus numerous other place names throughout Scotland and parts of England and Northern Ireland that are based on the Scottish surname of Stewart. The Stewarts are descended from a Breton, Alan Fitzflaald, the crown of Scotland being brought to his descendants by Walter (1293-1326), fifth Steward of Scotland, whose son became King Robert II. The last of the Royal Stewarts/Stuarts was Queen Anne (1665-1714).
- Stobo (Scottish Borders).
- Sutersville - Suter is a Scottish family name from Angus. Its origin is occupational, from Old English and Old Norse words for a cobbler or shoemaker (as in Souter Johnnie in Robert Burns' Tam o' Shanter).
- Wallace City - there are many places in Scotland based on the Scottish surname of Wallace, examples being Wallaceton in Dumfries & Galloway, Wallacetown in South Ayrshire and Wallacestone in Falkirk. One of Scotland's most famous Wallaces is Sir William Wallace, the thirteenth century patriot who championed Scotland's independence when this was under threat by King Edward I of England's expansionist policy. Wallace means 'Welshman', a Saxon term for 'foreigner' that was applied by the Saxons to the descendants of the Celtic-speaking Ancient Britons in Wales, Cornwall, Cumbria and Strathclyde.
- Wireton - Wire is said to be a Scottish family name from Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. One of the variants of Weir, its origin is either Norman, from the town of Vere, or an Old Norse word for a dam.
- Wylie - there are places called Wyliehole, Wylies Burn, Wylies Craigs and Wylies Hill in the Scottish Borders. Wylie is a form of Willie, a surname found in Scotland from 1454.
Some of the following districts, neighbourhoods, subdivisions and suburbs are also likely to have a direct or indirect Scottish connection but these names are used in other parts of the British Isles as well:
- Bell Acres and Bellvue - there are many places in Scotland with Bell as part of the name. Examples include Bell Bay in North Ayrshire, Bell Craig in the Scottish Borders and in Dumfries & Galloway, Bell Hill in Borders, Bell Rock in Fife and South Ayrshire, Bell Sike in Borders, Bell Stane in North Ayrshire, and Bell Wood in Aberdeenshire. Place names starting with this Scottish family name are also found all over England. The illustration here is a commemorative banknote in honour of Alexander Graham Bell, the Scot who was first to patent the telephone.
- Blackburn (Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Moray, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian) but found just as frequently in northern England.
- Bloomfield (Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Moray, Orkney Islands and Perth & Kinross) also in England and Ireland, but less commonly than in Scotland.
- Blythedale - there is a Blythe, Blythe Edge, Blythe Rig and Blythe Water in the Scottish Borders and a Blythe's Tower in Fife. There is also a river Blythe in Warwickshire, and several other English places with Blythe as an element in the name.
- Bocktown - Bock is said to be a Scottish family name from Berwickshire. Its origin is apparently Viking, from a place called Boak in the parish of Kirkholm. However, Bock is also a German family name.
- Boon Terrace - there is a Boon in the Scottish Borders as well as other references to this name in Scotland (Boon Hill, Boondreigh Burn, Boondreigh Water and Boonraw Burn in the Scottish Borders, Boonies Cottage in Dumfries & Galloway and Boonslie in East Lothian). Boon also occurs as an element in English place names. As a family name, its origin appears to be Norman, first recorded in Sussex, southern England. It is also a German and Dutch family name.
- Bower Hill (South Ayrshire) also in Somerset, England. According to Black (1996) Bower is a Scottish family name "from the manor of Bower in the parish of Drummelzier, Peebleshire". The family name goes back at least to the thirteenth century as the Bowers were among the many Scottish lairds listed in the Ragman Rolls as having sworn loyalty to King Edward I of England.
- Boyce - this does not occur as a place name in Scotland but Black (1996) lists Boyce as a Scottish family name. However, it occurs as an element in at least four southern English places. The House of Names Heraldic website categorises Boyce as a Scottish name but notes that it probably originated in Buckinghamshire, England.
- Browntown - this name does not occur anywhere in the British Isles. Brown on its occurs widely as an element in Scottish place names (there are at least 25 places in Scotland called Brown Hill alone) but is used even more commonly in England. Brown is also a common Scottish family name (septs of Lamont and Macmillan) though the name seems to have originated on the English side of the border, in Cumbria, and is reckoned to be the fifth most common surname in England.
- California-Kirkbride - the Kirkbride part of the name of this Pittsburgh neighbourhood is most probably Scottish since it is strongly associated with Dumfries & Galloway. However, there is also town called Kirkbride over the border in Cumbria. The California part of the name presumably refers to the American State, probably because of the nineteenth century gold rush when the name California was synonymous with fabulous wealth.
- Cool Valley - According to the House of Names Heraldic website, Cool is a variant of the Aberdeenshire family name of Coul or Cowell. However, Black (1996), the authority on Scottish family names, does not mention the name. It is possible, of course, that the name of this community in Washington County may be a literal reference to a valley with a cool temperature.
- Crawford-Roberts Hill - the Crawford part of the name of this Pittsburgh neighbourhood is decidedly Scottish. There are several places in Scotland that are based on this Lowland family name including Crawford in South Lanarkshire, Crawfordton, Crawfordton Burn and Crawfordton Hill (all in Dumfries & Galloway), Crawford Hill (East Ayrshire), Crawforddyke and Crawfordjohn (South Lanarkshire) and Crawfordston (South Ayrshire). There are also a few places in northern England and Northern Ireland with Crawford as part of the name, probably having been taken there by Scottish settlers. Crawford (sometimes spelt Crauford) is a Scottish name that goes back to at least the 13th century. William Wallace's mother is believed to have been the daughter of Sir Hugh Crawford, Sheriff of Ayr. Roberts, on the other hand, is a common Welsh surname.
- Curry - this could be a spelling variation of the Scottish family name Currie. On the other hand, Curry is found in several place names in England (e.g., Curry Mallet and Curry Rivel in Somerset) and Ireland (e.g., Curry and Tobercurry in County Sligo).
- Davidson Heights - there is a Davidson's Mains in the City of Edinburgh, also Davidson's Burn and Davidson's Linn over the border in Northumberland.
- Dick - said to be a Scottish family name from Midlothian. It could equally be of German, Dutch or Flemish origin, however, or the pet-form of the personal name Richard.
- Dixmont - Dix is said to be a variant of the Scottish family name Dixon or Dickson, meaning, quite literally, the 'son of Dick' (Richard). Black (1996) makes no mention of Dix as a Scottish family name, however. Whilst there is a place called Dixton in East Ayrshire, there are also places called Dixton in Gloucestershire, England and Monmouthshire, Wales and there is a Dix's Farm in Norfolk, England.
- Douglas - there is a Douglas in South Lanarkshire (the original territorial base of the powerful Douglas family) as well as in Ireland and on the Isle of Man.
- East Hills (Angus) also in Swansea, Wales.
- Evergreen (Moray) though Evergreen is also found as an element in several English place names.
- Fawn - Fawn is a family name from the Border region. Places with Fawn in the name can be found on both sides of the border (Fawn Wood in East Lothian and Fawnless in County Durham, northern England).
- Gill Hall - there are places called Gill in Dumfries & Galloway, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands and South Lanarkshire, as well as in Cumbria and North Yorkshire in northern England. Gill is also a Scottish surname. According to Black (1996) the Aberdeen family of this name is thought to have come from Cumberland (now Cumbria) possibly in the 13th century. Gill is also an Old Norse word meaning 'ravine'.
- Glassmere - this semi-Scottish sounding place name does not occur in Scotland. Glass is a Scottish family name, however, originally from Bute. Black (1996) states that the name in Scotland could be a shortened form of Mac Gille Glais - "son of the grey lad". 'Glas' is the Gaelic word for grey. Glass is also a fairly common Jewish family name.
- Glenfield (Orkney Islands) also Leicestershire, England.
- Gregg - there are no places in Scotland with this name, whereas two can be found in England. In Scotland, Gregg is one of the many spelling variations of the Scottish family name of Greig. Black (1996) states that Greig is a common name, especially in Fife and along the east central coast. Records for the name go back to the 13th century.
- Guffey - According to the House of Names Heraldic website, Guffey is a Scottish family name, one of the many variants of McFie. However, the name is not mentioned in Black (1996), the closest being MacGuffie.
- Hays Mill and Haysville - there are several places in Scotland based on the Scottish surname of Hay. The list includes Hayshead in Angus, Hayside in Scottish Borders, Haysmuir in East Ayrshire, Haystack in Fife, Hayside in Scottish Borders, Haysike in Scottish Borders, Hayston in Fife and East Dunbartonshire, Hayston Hill in Angus and Haystoun in Scottish Borders. There are also many references to Hay in England, Ireland and Wales, including a small town in County Meath, Ireland that is simply called Hays. Hay is an ancient Scottish surname of Norman origin, the family being associated with Scotland from about 1160.
- Hendersonville - there is a Henderson's Rock in Argyll & Bute as well as a Henderson's House in Durham, England. Henderson (meaning 'Henry's son') is a Lowland Scottish family name - that's its tartan shown here. There appear to be two localities in Greater Pittsburgh called Hendersonville, one in the far north (Butler County) and another in the far south (Washington County).
- Herrs Island - According to the House of Names Heraldic web site, Herr is a very old Scottish name originating in Ayrshire. However, Black (1996), the authority on Scottish family names, does not mention it. Considering the large number of German names in the Pittsburgh area, it is premature, in the absence of any information on the origin of the name of this district, to attribute it to Scotland.
- Hills (Moray and South Lanarkshire) also Swansea, Wales.
- Kennedy - an ancient Scottish family name though there are Irish Kennedys as well (Kennedy being the 16th most common family name in Ireland), the name probably having been taken there by Scottish settlers. The meaning of the name in Gaelic is 'ugly head'. The picture shows Bishop James Kennedy who founded St Salvator's College and Chapel at St Andrew's University in the 15th century.
- Knoxville - there is a Knox Hill in Aberdeenshire, Knox Knowe in the Scottish Borders and Knoxfauld in Perth & Kinross but the name is also found in England, including the village of Knox on the outskirts of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Scotland's most famous Knox was John Knox, one of the founders of the Church of Scotland over four hundred years ago. According to Espenshade (1995), the Pittsburgh neighbourhood was named for a Methodist minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Knox, whose heirs laid out a town in 1873 and named it Knoxville in his honour. It is not known whether the Rev. Knox had Scottish ancestors.
- Lemington (Scottish Borders) also in England, including a district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
- McCullough - The House of Names Heraldic website considers this to be a Scottish family name from Wigtownshire (Dumfries & Galloway), one of the many variants of McCulloch. Its spelling looks distinctly Irish, however.
- Midland (East Ayrshire and Orkney Islands) also Pembrokeshire, Wales.
- Millersdale and Millerstown - there is a Millerhill in Midlothian and Millerston in Glasgow plus numerous other places in Scotland with Miller as an element in the name, but this is also the case in England.
- Morgan and Morgan Hill - Morgan is a Scottish family name, associated with Clan MacKay. However, it is also a very common Welsh family name (Morganstown is a suburb of Cardiff in the former Welsh county of Glamorgan) and the name has been taken to England as well, probably by the Welsh Morgans, e.g., Morgan's Hill in Wiltshire.
- Muse and Muse Junction - there is a Muselee in the Scottish Borders as well as a Musehill in Devon, England. Muse is also an English family name.
- Newfield (Aberdeenshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire) though found almost as frequently in northern and central England.
- Newtown (Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Highland, Falkirk and Shetland Islands) even more commonly found in England and, to a lesser extent, in Ireland and Wales and on the Isle of Man.
- Ogle - there are water features called Ogle Burn in East Lothian and Ogle Linn in Dumfries & Galloway but places with Ogle as part of the name are typically found in Northumberland and other parts of northern England, including a town in Northumberland called Ogle.
- Peter Manns Corner - According to the House of Names Heraldic website, Mann is a Scottish family name from Aberdeenshire, the family being a sept of Clan Gunn. Black (1996), the authority on Scottish family names, lists Mann as a variant of Main, which is a shortened form of the surname Magnus. However, Mann is also a German surname. Considering the large number of German settlers in the Pittsburgh area, the origin of the name of this community could be either Scottish or German. Espenshade (1995, p. 305) mentions a prominent family of industrialists called Mann, who were famous for manufacturing axes and whose ancestor, Thomas Mann, came from Ireland in 1750. It is possible that Peter Mann, after whom the neighbourhood was presumably named, may have been connected with this family, whose roots are presumably Scots-Irish.
- Poke Run - Poke is said to be a Scottish family name from Renfrewshire, one of the many variants of Pollock. This may be true, but Poke is not mentioned in Black (1996), the authority on Scottish family names.
- Ross (Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland and Perth & Kinross plus many other places throughout Scotland that have Ross as part of the name). The same is true for England and Ireland, though less commonly so than for Scotland. Ross is of course a fairly common Scottish family name originating nearly 900 years ago from two very different sources: Yorkshire in northern England (the Ayrshire Ross's) and that part of the Highlands of Scotland once known as Ross-shire.
- Sample - this name does not occur as a place name in Scotland but according to the House of Names Heraldic website it is said to be a Scottish family name from Renfrewshire, one of the many variants of Semple or Sempell. There is no mention of Sample in Black (1996), however. The only occurrence of Sample as a place name in the British Isles is in England, in the East Riding of Yorkshire (Sample's Farm, off the B 1230 main road).
- Scott, Scott Haven and Scottsville - there are numerous places both in Scotland and England with Scott as an element in the name. Scotland's most famous Scott is of course the nineteenth century novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott. The picture here is of his statue beneath the Scott Monument in Edinburgh.
- Sharpsburg - there are places in Scotland called Sharp Craig (Dumfries & Galloway), Sharphill (North Ayrshire) and Sharplaw (Scottish Borders). Sharp is also said to be a Scottish family name from Peebles in the Scottish Borders. Sharp, however, occurs as an element in a large number of place names throughout England and is considered to be an English family name as well as a Scottish one. The name of this suburb of Pittsburgh honours James Sharp, the original owner of the land in the 1820s.
- Spring Garden (South Ayrshire) also in East Sussex, spelt Spring-garden.
- Stoops Ferry - there is a place called Stoop in Dumfries & Galloway and a Stoopshill in North Ayrshire but Stoop is also found as an element in place names in northern England.
- Trees Mills - there are places called Trees in Aberdeenshire and South Ayrshire, as well as two places in northern England.
- Walkers Mill - there are several places in Scotland based on the Scottish surname of Walker. The list includes Walkerburn (Scottish Borders), Walkerdales (Moray), Walkerdyke (South Lanarkshire), Walkerhill (Aberdeenshire and Dumfries & Galloway), Walkersknowe (Scottish Borders), Walkerstrough (Moray) and Walkerton (Fife). Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch Whisky is probably the best known reference the world over to Walker as a Scottish surname. But Walker is even more commonly found in England, including the town of Walker itself in the Tyneside area of northern England. Moreover, Walker is said to be the 15th most common family name in England.
- West Mayfield - there are many places in Scotland called Mayfield, in Aberdeenshire, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, City of Edinburgh, Fife, Highland, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Perth & Kinross, Shetland Islands and South Lanarkshire. Mayfield is also found throughout England but less commonly than in Scotland.
- West Newton - there are places called Newton in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Midlothian, Moray, Orkney Islands, Perth & Kinross, Shetland Islands, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian and Western Isles. There are also many other places such as Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, Newton of Ardtoe in Highland, Newton of Balcormo in Fife, etc. Newton is just as commonly found throughout England and, to a lesser extent, Wales. There are in fact very few counties in the whole of Britain which do not have at least one Newton. Surprisingly, the name is not used in Ireland.
- Wilson - there are several places in Scotland based on the surname of Wilson. The list includes Wilsonhall (Angus), Wilson Burn and Wilson's Pike (Scottish Borders), Wilson's Noup (Shetland Islands) and Wilsontown (South Lanarkshire). Wilson is even more commonly found in England, including the town of Wilson itself in Herefordshire and Leicestershire. Moreover, Wilson is the eighth most common family name south of the border, according to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia. The Scots Wilsons are a sept of Clan Gunn and now have their own family tartan, seen here.
A third category of local names comprises places that definitely exist in Scotland, but there is nothing obviously "Scottish" about most of these names. The likelihood that the Greater Pittsburgh counterpart was named for Scotland is greatly reduced because these names are found far more commonly in other parts of the British Isles. One of the names, Carrick, sounds Scottish enough but has been included in this list because it definitely has no association with Scotland. Most of the names of these localities have an 'international' flavour and several may simply have been borrowed from other American cities and towns.
- Bellevue (Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Orkney Islands and Perth & Kinross) also in England, Ireland and Wales, sometimes spelt Belle Vue. The name could equally be of French origin.
- Broughton (Scottish Borders, City of Edinburgh, City of Dundee and Orkney Islands) though used far more commonly throughout England and is also found in Flintshire, Wales.
- Carrick (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife and South Ayrshire) also in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. Places with Carrick as part of the name are found throughout the British Isles, especially in the Celtic regions. The name simply means 'rock' (Cornish carrek, Gaelic creag, Irish carraig, Welsh craig). According to Espenshade (1995), the origin of the name of this suburb is actually Irish, from Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary and therefore has no connection with Scotland. The illustration shows King Robert the Bruce who was Earl of Carrick before he seized the Scottish throne.
- Churchill (a district of the City of Edinburgh) and Churchill Valley by association. Churchill is frequently found in England and also occurs in Wales.
- Clifton (Scottish Borders, Orkney Islands and Stirling) but far more common throughout England.
- Collier - there is a Collierhall in South Lanarkshire, but Collier occurs very often in place names throughout England, both in the coalmining areas and in the countryside. Black (1996) states that the surname Collier is definitely found in Scotland and that it has an occupational origin ('charcoal burner'). It is not a common name, however.
- Greenfield (City of Glasgow) also in England and Wales.
- Hazelwood (Moray) but found more commonly throughout England.
- Manor (Stirling) but, as one would expect, this typically English-sounding name is found far more commonly throughout England.
- Marshall and Marshall-Shadeland - there is a Marshall Moor in Renfrewshire, though Marshall occurs far more commonly in English place names. Marshall is both a Scottish and an English surname, the Scottish Marshalls being a sept of Clan Keith.
- Mount Vernon (City of Glasgow) also in Lancashire, England. There is probably no connection with either Scotland or England since the popularity of this place name in the USA seems to be attributable to the name of President George Washington's estate in Virginia.
- Oakwood (Scottish Borders, Moray and Perth & Kinross) but more common in England.
- Russellton - there is a Russell Mains in Fife but Russell is far more commonly encountered in place names throughout England and there is also a Russell Hill in Monmouthshire, Wales. Russell is nevertheless a fairly common Scottish surname, derived from 'rous' meaning red. The earliest reference in Scotland to this name is 1164. The Scottish Russells have their own family tartan.
- South Park (Dumfries & Galloway; also Aberdeenshire, spelt Southpark) but more common in England.
- Southside Slopes - there are places called Southside in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, Midlothian, Orkney Islands and South Ayrshire, as well as several places in England (sometimes spelt South Side). In Pittsburgh's case, the name of the neighbourhood may simply refer to its location south of the Monongahela River.
- Southview (Shetland Islands, spelt South View) though far more commonly found in England.
- Summer Hill (East Lothian; also Aberdeen City, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, and North Lanarkshire, spelt Summerhill). Summer Hill/Summerhill is also a popular name in England and is found in Ireland, Wales and the Isle of Man as well.
- Walter Chapel - there is a Walterstead in the Scottish Borders and Waltersmuir Reservoir in Stirling, but places with Walter as an element in the name are far more numerous in southern England and to a lesser extent in south Wales.
- West End (City of Edinburgh and South Lanarkshire) but evenly more commonly found in England and to a lesser extent in Wales.
- 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.
- Westwood (Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and South Lanarkshire) but Westwood is also commonly found throughout England and is a favourite name for suburban neighbourhoods in other North American cities.
- White Valley - As one would expect, there are hundreds of places in all parts of the British Isles that include 'white' as an element in the name, but no places called 'White Valley' as such. White is also a common family name in both the UK and Ireland.
Pittsburgh, of course, was the centre of the mighty US iron and steel industry and was one of the first American cities to undergo rapid industrialisation during the nineteenth century. It is probable that the large number of places with Scottish names came into existence at a time when wealth, power and influence throughout the world was largely in the hands of the Protestant Establishment, which would have included many people who were Scottish or of Scots or Scots-Irish descent. Judging by its place names, many of the 'founding fathers' of Pennsylvania's second largest city certainly seem to have had a direct or indirect connection with Scotland. It is therefore quite possible that the once strong Scottish presence influenced the spelling of Pittsburgh, which was first named Fort Pitt and then 'Pittsborough' by General John Forbes for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham ('Pitt the Elder'), whose ancestry was Cornish.
Acknowledgements:
- Espenshade, A. Howry (1995). Pennsylvania Place Names. (Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore).
- 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).
- The House of Names Heraldic Website.
- Pittsburgh City Map (Gousha, not dated).
- City of Pittsburgh official website.
- Wikipedia article on Pittsburgh.
- Mapquest.com and Maps.yahoo.com for the names and locations of outlying suburbs.
- 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 ian.kendall1@bigpond.com.
Melbourne, Australia, December 2004
Revised May 2006
