Gordon

Meaning

Name

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.
6. A male given name transferred from the surname.
7. A place name:
8. A place name:
9. A place name:
10. A place name:
11. A place name:
12. A place name:
13. A place name:
14. A place name:
15. A place name:
16. A place name:
17. A place name:
18. A place name:
19. A place name:
20. A place name:
21. A place name:
22. A place name:
23. A place name:
24. A place name:

Noun

A Gordon setter.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡɔrdn̩/

Etymology

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.