Gordon

A Scottish habitational surname from the Celtic languages for someone from Gordon, Berwickshire.

Proper noun

  1. A Scottish habitational surname from the Celtic languages for someone from Gordon, Berwickshire.
  2. An English habitational surname from Anglo-Norman for someone from Gourdon, France.
  3. A habitational surname from Irish, an anglicization of de Górdún (“of Gordon (Berwickshire)”).
  4. A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], an adopted anglicization of Mag Mhuirneacháin (“son of Muirneachán”) (traditionally Magournahan).
  5. A Jewish habitational surname probably for someone from Grodno, Belarus.
    • Mount, vassals, couch your lances, and cry, "Gordon! Gordon for Scotland and Elizabeth!" - 1822 Walter Scott, Poetical Works: Halidon Hill (Baudry's European Library, 1838), page 420
  6. A male given name transferred from the surname.
    • Often he wrote good ones on casual slips and fancied them his; names like Trevellyan or Montressor or Delancey, with musical prefixes; or a good, short, beautiful, but dignified name like "Gordon Dane". He liked that...
  7. A place name:

    1. A village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NT6443).

    2. A locale in Australia.

      A suburb of Canberra; named for poet Adam Lindsay Gordon.

    3. A locale in Australia.

      A suburb of Sydney in Ku-ring-gai council area, New South Wales.

    4. A locale in Australia.

      A locality in Huon Valley council area and the Kingborough council area, southern Tasmania, Australia.

    5. A locale in Australia.

      A river in Tasmania, Australia.

    6. A locale in Australia.

      A town in Victoria; named for early settler George Gordon.

    7. A locale in Australia.

      A river in Western Australia, Australia; named for British statesman George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen.

    8. A locale in the United States:

      A town in Houston County, Alabama.

    9. A locale in the United States:

      A city in Wilkinson County, Georgia; named for railroad official William Washington Gordon.

    10. A locale in the United States:

      An unincorporated community in Crawford County, Illinois.

    11. A locale in the United States:

      An unincorporated community in Butler County, Kansas.

    12. A locale in the United States:

      An unincorporated community in Letcher County, Kentucky.

    13. A locale in the United States:

      A township in Todd County, Minnesota.

    14. A locale in the United States:

      A city in Sheridan County, Nebraska; named for early settler John Gordon.

    15. A locale in the United States:

      A village in Darke County, Ohio; named for an early settler.

    16. A locale in the United States:

      A borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; named for judge David F. Gordon.

    17. A locale in the United States:

      A minor city in Palo Pinto County, Texas.

    18. A locale in the United States:

      A town in Ashland County, Wisconsin; named for fur trader Antoine Guerdon.

    19. A locale in the United States:

      A town and census-designated place therein, in Douglas County, Wisconsin.

Origin

The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated: * If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) + *din (“fort”); * If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos; * Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.

Forms

Gurden Gorden

Derived

Gordon County Gordon Hill Gordon syndrome Portgordon Port Gordon sine-Gordon equation Gord Gordie Gordy Gordo

Noun

  1. A Gordon setter.

Forms

Gordons