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Anderson and Stirling Surnames
A Brief History
Anderson
This interesting surname is of English and Scottish origins, and is a patronymic of the surname Andrew, which is derived from the personal name from the Greek "Andreas", itself a derivitive of "andreios", manly, from "aner", man, male. This was the name of the first of Jesus Christ's desciples, and is the name of the patron saint of both Russia and Scotland.
The personal name was first recorded as "Andreas" in "The Doomsday Book" of 1086, and the surname was first recorded in Scotland with one John Andree, who was present at the preambulations of the boundries of Kyrknes and Louchor in 1395.
The modern surname can be found as: Andrew(e)s, Andriss, Andress, Anderson, Enderson, McAndrew and Kendrick. A William Anderson was an early settler in America, setting sail from London on the "Alexandra" bound for the Barbadoes, in May 1635.
Among the recordings in London is the christening of Neal, son of Erasmus and Mary Anderson, on March 19th 1698, at St. Catherine by the Tower.
The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Rogerus Andreiveson, dated 1272, in the Poll Tax returns for Yorkshire, The UK, during the reign of King Edward the 3rd., known as "The father of the navy", 1327 ~ 1377.
Stirling
This distinguised surname, with several entries in the "Dictionary of National Biography", and having no less than twenty coats of arms, is of medieval Scottish origin. It is a locational name from the historic city of Stirling, in the vacinity of which several famous battles, including Bannockburn, 1314, have been fought.
Recorded in the 12th. century as "Stebelin", the placename is of obscure etymology, and probably derives from a pre-Roman British river name. The final element, however, may be from the old Scandinavian "lin" ~ flax, hence a meadow where flax was grown.
Locational names were originally given to the Lord of the Manor, or to those who had left their place of origin to live else where.
Early examples of the surname include: Peter de Striuelin, who witnessed a gift of the church of Karreden to the Abbey of Holyrood circa 1152, Thomas de Striuen, Archdeacon of Glasgow, 1228, and Sir John Stirling, who swore fealty in 1291. Sir James Stirling, 1740 ~ 1805, treasurer and Lord Provest of Edinburgh, was created the first baronet Stirling, in 1792.
The first recorded spelling of the family name was that of Gilbertus de Striuelin, who witnessed King David's gift of Perdeve to the Church of Glasgow, dated 1132, in the "Episcopal Registers of Glasgow" during the reign of King David the 1st of Scotland.