Aitchison is a Scottish[2] surname of Scots origin. It derives from the pet name Atkin, which is a diminutive of Adam.[3]

Aitchison
Pronunciation/ˈɪsən/ AY-chiss-ən
Origin
Language(s)Scots
MeaningAdam ("red earth")
Region of originScotland
Other names
Variant form(s)Acheson, Atkinson, Aicheson, and Aitcheson, Adcock, Atcock
Frequency Comparisons[1]

Another variant of the name is Acheson. It corresponds to the English name Atkinson, which is particularly common in Northern England. At the time of the British Census of 1881,[4] the relative frequency of the name Aitcheson was highest in Berwickshire (174.6 times the British average), followed by Haddingtonshire, Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, Peeblesshire, Dumfriesshire, Edinburghshire, Linlithgowshire, Northumberland and Lanarkshire. The Aitchisons are traditionally a mainly Borders and Lowlands family. They are considered to be a sept of Clan Gordon.[5]

In Ireland, the name is common only in Ulster and particularly in counties Antrim and Down. Some Aitchisons are descended from Planters, although the name was recorded in Ireland before that period.[6]

Acheson is a variation of the name in Scotland and the Border region, having been originally spelled Atzinson (with the 'z' being pronounced as 'y', as in yet).[6]

People

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Other uses

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Aitchison Surname at Forebears
  2. ^ "Aitchison Surname Meaning and Distribution". ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2014
  3. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Coates, Richard; McClure, Peter (2016). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-19-252747-9. OCLC 964412220.
  4. ^ "Aitchison Meaning and Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2014
  5. ^ Alphabetical list of Scottish names associated with clans and families.
  6. ^ a b Bell, Robert (1990) [1988]. The Book of Ulster Surnames (Paperback). Belfast: The Blackstaff Press Limited. ISBN 0-85640-405-5.