Scott Surname

Meaning and origin of the surname Scott

Ethnic and regional byname derived from Old English Scottas, denoting a Gaelic speaker from Scotland or originally a Gael from Ireland.

Historically and linguistically, Scott belongs to the Scottish and English family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "SKOT".

United States Census frequency and ranking

In the official 2010 United States Census, Scott was recorded 439,530 times, ranking as the 36th most common surname in the nation.

This represents an incidence rate of approximately 149.00 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 671 residents.

Race and ethnicity distribution

According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Scottreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.

History of the surname Scott

Scott originated in Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman England as an ethnic byname (Old English Scottas) denoting a person from Scotland. The term was originally used by late Roman writers (Scoti) to describe Gaelic-speaking raiders from Ireland who colonized Argyll in western Scotland, forming the kingdom of Dál Riata, before expanding to describe the inhabitants of the entire northern realm.

In Scotland itself, Scott became the name of one of the greatest Border Reiver riding clans of the Scottish Marches, centered in Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, and the Ettrick Forest. The Clan Scott, headed by the Dukes of Buccleuch, wielded enormous military and political influence, later celebrated worldwide through the historical novels and poetry of Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832).

The surname migrated extensively to North America during the eighteenth century with the Scots-Irish exodus to Pennsylvania, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Carolina backcountry. Borne by famed commanding general Winfield Scott and Apollo astronaut David Scott, the surname ranked 36th nationwide in the 2010 US Census with 439,530 recorded bearers (149.00 per 100,000 Americans).

Notable people with the surname Scott

• Walter Scott (1771–1832), Scottish historical novelist, poet, and historian
• Ridley Scott (1937–), English film director and producer
• Winfield Scott (1786–1866), American commanding general and presidential candidate
• Travis Scott (1991–), American rapper, singer, and record producer