Scott – Surname Saturday

Name Origin

Ancestry indicates that “Scott” is an ethnic name for someone with Scottish connections. However, the Scottish and Irish consider it the ethnic name for a Gaelic speaker.[I]

Genealogy Bank indicates “Scott” is simply a surname of Scottish origin, first attributed to Uchtredus filius Scoti who was involved in the foundation of Holyrood Abbey and Selkirk in 1120.[ii]

Forebears echos the sources that Ancestry and Genealogy Bank provide but goes into much greater depth into the life of Uchtredus filius Scoti and of other Scotts.[iii]

Although “Scotte”, “Scotts”, and “Scotch” are similar surnames, they total less than one-fiftieth of the number of people that have “Scott” as their surname.

Geographical

Today,[iv] there are approximately 861,504 people in the world with the Scott surname. The vast majority, over 500,000, live in the United States. It is most common in Scotland where one in every 195 individuals is a “Scott.”

In the United States, there are more people with the “Scott” surname in Texas than any other state, however, the “Scott” surname is most frequently found in South Carolina where one in 384 people are named “Scott.”

Direct Scott Ancestors

• • Great-Grandmother: 9.  Clora Dell Scott (1883-1945) (Family Search)
  • 2^nd Great Grandfather: 18. Samuel Vaden Scott(1862-1931)
  • 3^rd Great-Grandfather: 36. William Hunt Scott(c. 1834-1903)
  • 4^th Great-Grandfather: Samuel Kinkade Scott (1809-____)*[v]
  • 5^th Great-Grandfather: John Scott (1784-1855)*
  • 6^th Great-Grandfather: 288. William Jarvis Scott (____-____)*
  • 7^th Great-Grandfather: 576. James Scott (1719-1783)*

Historical

1920

Clora Scott Roberts Adams

In 1920, my great-grandmother, Clora Dell Scott, was married, widowed, and remarried and living in Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois with her husband, Hosea Lee Adams. With her are three or her children, Bert, Harry, and Mabel. Her eldest daughter, Carrie, died in 1906.

Meanwhile, her father, Samuel Vaden Scott was living about 135 miles southwest in Goode Township, Franklin County, Illinois where the 57-year-old is working as a night watchman.  Living with him is his second wife, Lovinia and his youngest son, William.

The 1920 Census indicates there were about 2,974 individuals with the Scott Name living in Illinois. Forty-eight of them are known to be related to my Scott Family.

1880 Census

William Hunter Scott

The 1880 Census found the 19-year-old Samuel Scott married to Amanda and newly blessed with their oldest daughter, Clara. They live in Barren Township, Franklin County Illinois where Samuel is farming. Samuel Scott’s father, William Hunt Scott is probably living in Illinois. (Although I have not found him in the 1880 Censuses.)

1840 Census

In 1840, Samuel Vaden Scott hadn’t been born yet. His father, William Hunt Scott was only about six years old. He was living with his parents, Samuel Kinkade and Elizabeth (Hunt) Scott along with two sisters, Sarah and Mary in St. Clair County, Illinois.

Samuel Kinkade’s parents were living, however, I have not had the time to trace them in the 1840 censuses.

Colonial Times

My earliest known ancestor is thought to be James Scott who was born in what is now known as  Northern Ireland in 1719. I don’t know (yet) when he immigrated, but he died in Virginia in 1783. So, it appears that this line arrived to the colonies sometime before the revolution. My suspicion is that James came to the Colonies about 1740 during the Irish Famine of 1740-1741 where between 15 and 20 percent of the population of the Kingdom of Ireland died.

Genealogy

I have 129 known descendants from James Scott (1719-1783) in my tree (See: Roberts-Brown-2020). For Scott photos, please see my Flickr page of “Scott Photos.”

Sources

• Ancestry Surname Page: https://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts
• Forebears Surnames Page: https://forebear       s.io/surnames
• Genealogy Bank Page: https://www.genealogybank.com/last-name-meaning
• Don Taylor’s Ancestry Tree: Roberts-Brown-2020

Endnotes

[i] Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press via Ancestry.Com https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=Scott

[ii] https://www.genealogybank.com/last-name-meaning?last_name=Scott

[iii] https://forebears.io/surnames/scott

[iv] “Today” is based upon 2014 Data from Forebears.io. – Ibid.

[v] Individuals marked * are tentative in this tree. I have not analyzed nor confirmed their relationship or facts.