Scottish Surnames

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:51 pm

I was reading in a previous thread about the book on Scottish Surnames and was wondering if someone could do a wee lookup for me on the names Greenlees and Fairnie?

Thanks & much appreciated.

Falkyrn · Post by **Falkyrn** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:00 pm

There is no separate listing (in my copy anyway) of Fairnie .... the closest would be Fairlie or Farnly .... William Farnly is listed as a notary public in Dunfermline in 1483.... all linked together with Fairlie of Braid

"Greenlees (local) ... Greenlees (east and west) is near cambuslang lanarkshire.
Robert Greynlies son and heir of John Greynlies was admitted burgess freeman of Glasgow 1574 as was William Greenlies in paisley in 1689."

eilthireach · Post by **eilthireach** » Thu May 03, 2007 7:08 pm

This is probably Fernie, a Fife name (from the lands of Fernie in the parish of Monimail). As Ferny in 1390, Farny 1516, 1561/1562, Fernie 1517 ...

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu May 03, 2007 7:32 pm

Thanks.

Is there any meaning to either of these names? Most of the Fairnie family can be traced back to the start of 1700 in the Musselbrugh area. The spelling varies from Farine/Fairney to Fernie/Ferny.

As for the Greenlees name we are not sure where it comes from as it only appears in Musselburgh at the start of the 1800s.

Falkyrn · Post by **Falkyrn** » Thu May 03, 2007 8:28 pm

Reading the entry in Black's I get the impression that the Greenlees name is a location surname from the place Greenlees near Cambuslang

Fernie as stated is an old Fife name (1390) none of the similar names appear to have any links with the Musselburgh area the other nearest soundalike is Fearnie which is from Ross shire area (they were followers of the earl of Ross).

anne · Post by **anne** » Wed May 09, 2007 1:14 am

Noticed tonight in TS "Research Sources" forum a recent post (26 Apr) from "bluebell" re a website purporting to explain the origin of surnames- www.surnamebd.com
Don't know yet how useful the site might be ... but it does have a "take" on Fairnie.

Anne

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:38 pm

Anne,

That link to the site does not seem to work.

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu May 17, 2007 5:46 pm

Ahh got it, the bd was back to front on your link.

Fernie:
Recorded as Ferny, Fernie, Ferney, and at various times Farny, this is an ancient Scottish surname. It is locational and originates from the estate known as 'The lands of Fernie' in the parish of Monimail, in Fifeshire. For the past seven hundred years the clan has had minor nobility status, and according to early heraldic manuscripts dating from about 1350, the chief is allowed to style himself 'Fernie and all that Ilk'. The earliest proven recording is believed to be that of William de Freny who was a juror on an inquest in the county of Fife in the year 1390, whilst Robert de Ferny was a witness to several charters in the period between 1409 and 1413. Later in 1472 William de Ferny of that Ilk, gave a bond to the Lord Oliphant, in recognition of the transfer of certain lands, whilst another chief William Fernie and again recorded as being 'of that Ilk' was a charter witness in 1517. Curiously the name spelling in the 16th and 17th centuries seems to have changed to Farny, with the chief then called William Farny rendering his accounts as chamberlain of the county of Fife, to the chancellor of the Exchequer of Scotland.

Greenlees
This interesting surname of Scottish origin is a locational name from Greenlees, translating as the green enclosure or similar, near Cambuslang, Lanarkshire. The surname dates back to the mid 16th Century (see below). Further recordings include one Robert Greynleis, son and heir of John Greynleis who was admitted burgess freeman of Glasgow in 1574 "Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow", and William Greenlies (1689) appears in the "Register of the Privy Council of Scotland". Parish records include one John Greenlees who was christened on February 17th 1690 in Edinburgh, William son of John and Hellen Greenlies who was christened on August 9th 1696 also in Edinburgh and Ann, daughter of William and Ann Greenlees who was christened on September 9th at St. Bartholomew the Great, London. One Dr. Robert Greenlees of Scotland was granted a Coat of Arms in 1750 consisting of a green fleur-de-lis between three red mullets within a red engrailed border on a silver shield. The crest being a sprig growing out of a mount proper. The motto; "Viresco" translates as "I flourish". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Greneleis, which was dated 1555, in the "Early Records of Scotland", during the reign of Queen Mary, known as "Mary Queen of Scots", 1542 - 1567. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Many Thanks