Explore the Family Name Scotland
The meaning of Scotland
English and Scottish (Kinross and Clackmannanshire): 1. from the Middle English personal name Scotland, Scolland. Found in Normandy as well as England, it evidently denoted a Scot or someone with an association with Scotland. 2. ethnic name for someone from Scotland, from Middle English Scotlond ‘Scotland’. Compare England. 3. from Middle English scot ‘payment, tax’ (Old French escot) + lond ‘land’. The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived on or by land subject to a tax or customary payment, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Scotland Farm in Godshill (Isle of Wight). 4. habitational name from Scotlandwell in Portmoak (Kinross), whose name is of transparent origin but uncertain significance.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Scotland in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Scotland saw an increase in its popularity rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from 29,447 to 26,143, a change of 11.22%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also increased by 23.81%, growing from 756 to 936 during this period. This resulted in an overall rise in proportion per 100k from 0.28 to 0.32, marking a 14.29% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,447 | #26,143 | 11.22% |
| Count | 756 | 936 | 23.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.32 | 14.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scotland
The Decennial U.S. Census data also shows that the ethnic identity associated with the surname Scotland varied somewhat between 2000 and 2010. While there were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both years, the percentage of those identifying as two or more races increased by 14.51%, from 3.17% to 3.63%. There was a notable decrease in the percentage identifying as white, with a drop of 14.56%, going from 32.01% to 27.35%. However, there was a significant increase of 47.30% in those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 3.70% to 5.45%. Additionally, those identifying as black also increased modestly from 60.32% to 63.25%, marking a 4.86% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 60.32% | 63.25% | 4.86% |
| White | 32.01% | 27.35% | -14.56% |
| Hispanic | 3.7% | 5.45% | 47.3% |
| Two or More Races | 3.17% | 3.63% | 14.51% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |