Gordon
/ˈɡɔːrdən/
proper noun
Origin
Brythonic
*gor-din — great fort or great hill
Overview
Meaning Now
- A Scottish surname originally derived from a place name in Berwickshire.
- A masculine given name derived from the surname.
Literal older meaning
great hill
Language path
Brythonic → Scottish Gaelic → English
Earliest form
Gordun
Earliest period
12th century
Journey
The name became prominent through the House of Gordon, a powerful Scottish clan that played a major role in the political and military history of the Scottish Borders and later the North-East of Scotland.
Evolution
- Brythonic period
*gor-din
“great fort”
Base components: 'gor' (great/over) + 'din' (fort).
- Middle English
Gordon
“Place name in Berwickshire”
Adopted as a surname by the de Gordon family who held the lands.
Connections
Word parts
gor
root
great
din
root
fort or hill
Related across languages
Welsh
Dinas
fortified city or hill fort
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Related to Gordon
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.