Comments on: What’s in a name ?

By: Enid Cruickshank

Enid Cruickshank — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:48:49 +0000

Haddon or Hadin and all in-between. Named apparently from the battle of Haddon (Hallidon) Hill. The family left during reiving times, possibly to Paisley or thereabouts. Certainly moved up to Perth and Aberdeenshire. But ‘my’ branch moved back to the Borders by way of Biggar, then Peebles by 1620s (several references there as a builder of bridges and tower repairs), the Yair, then Selkirk as fleshers mid.1700s. Made it over to Hawick by early 19thC and now almost died out there

By: adminaa

adminaa — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 23:08:50 +0000

In reply to Dianne Brydon. Both Bryden and Brydon remain fairly common spellings here Dianne but the e and the o may have changed along the way.

By: Dianne Brydon

Dianne Brydon — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 22:59:57 +0000

Great post. I need to search for Brydon, Bryden, Briden, Bridon and Braydon, to my mind all based on the whim of whichever clerk wrote it down. In the midst of this plethora of spellings, at some point in the early 19th century, my family adopted their preferred spelling evidenced by their signatures.

By: Nichol Morton

Nichol Morton — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:34:46 +0000

Interesting about the variations.. A family “legend” was that we Mortons from Berwick were originally call Moran from Ireland settled in the Birders and Scotticised their name. I was able to disprove that, showing a female Moran married a Morton and changed her name by marriage.
Regarding Elliott. my 2x gt grandmother came from Bristol to Berwick, her mothers maiden was Honor Elliott. Research showed she and her ancestors were actually named Hallett, this was corrupted at her baptism