The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History

Taken from the book by George F. Black.

Auchinachie

Of local origin from Auchanachie in the parish of Keith, Banffshire. John Awchanyowche, son and heir of quondam Philip de Auchanyouche, had a charter of the lands of Auchanyouche in the barony of Rothiemay in 1448. William Auchquhennachy of that Ilk appears as a juror on an inquest in 1575, James Achannachie was servitor to William Meldrum of Moncoffer in 1592 and Alexander Achynachie is mentioned as present at the battle of Old Earne or Auldearn in 1650. John Achynachy paid 5 merks for his wife's burial lair in the church of Fordyce in 1697 and in 1703 Alexander Achynachy was compelled to stand before the pulpit and to pay 20 s. for an offence committed by him. Alexander Achynachy was chamberlain of Fyvie before 1740 and Sergeant Auchinachie was killed in Flanders in 1915. See also the curtailed form, ACHNACH.

Achnach

A shortened form of Auchinachie, current in Aberdeenshire. In 1741 Thomas Eachnach obtained a tax of two oxgates of Tomintogle and in 1752 Donald Eachnach was tenant of part of Pitcroy. Alexander Achnach, farmer in Cline of Knochandow, in record in 1768. Some individuals of this name are said to have changed their name to Grant.

"The Celtic Aftermath in the Islands"

by Professor Kenneth Jackson

(taken from the book, "The Celts", a collection of essays edited by Joseph Raftery published by The Mercier Press, 1964)

"Some parts of the Highlands and almost all the Hebrides still speak Gaelic, of course, and the rest did so until recently; but a considerable amount of Gaelic must have been spoken for a time not only in, for instance, Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire and Fife but also as far south as the English border. This state of affairs did not last very long, for Gaelic was driven back again towards the Highlands during the the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but the undoubted traces of it are to be seen in the form of place-names given by the Gaelic Scots who settled in these wild lands. Names like Achingall, "achadh na nGall", "the field of the foreigners" ...are clear evidence of this. The Irish colony [of Gaels] in western Scotland had a very different fate from those in Wales and western England and it has given to Scotland a permanent Gaelic inheritance." ["The Celts", p. 79]

If one happens to pick up a Gazetteer of Great Britain and look at the index under "Auch", it will be found that almost all the fifty or so place-name entries cluster around the area of the Grampian Hills.

© 2003 Bruce L. Pollock, all rights reserved.
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