For comparability with other cities around the world, Greater Nashville has been defined as the entire urban area including and surrounding the City of Nashville. In addition to most of Davidson County, this area includes small sections of Cheatham County (the Ashland City-Gravelotte and Pegram-Kingston Springs areas) and the suburban sections of Williamson County (Fairview-Brentwood-Franklin-Nolensville area), Rutherford County (La Vergne-Smyrna area), Wilson County (Mount Juliet area) and Sumner County (Millersville-Hendersonville-Gallatin area).
Of the names of the 454 communities and neighbourhoods in Greater Nashville that have been identified to date, 83 (18.3%) are based, in whole or in part, on place names that can be found in Scotland, on Scottish family names, or on Scottish words. Of course, many of the names are used in other parts of the British Isles as well but at least 27 (6.0%) of these appear to be exclusive to Scotland.
Communities, neighbourhoods, districts and outlying suburbs with names that occur only in Scotland and not elsewhere in the British Isles, and/or are definitely, or most probably, of Scottish origin are:
- Aberdeen Park - Aberdeen is Scotland's third largest city, having grown considerably in recent years through the discovery of oil in the North Sea.
- Callie - there is a place called Callies in Aberdeenshire.
- Craggie Hope - there is a small town in Highland, south of Inverness, called Craggie.
- Donelson - there are no places in Scotland with this name, but it may be a corrupted spelling of either of two Scottish surnames: Donnellson (associated with Clan MacDonnell) or Donaldson (a sept of Clan MacDonald).
- Dunkeld Estates (Dunkeld in Perth & Kinross). According to the Penguin Dictionary of British Place Names (2003), Dunkeld means 'fort of the Caledonians', a reference to the Picts who once occupied this part of Scotland. The illustration shows Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire.
- Ewingville - there is a Ewingston in East Lothian based on this Scottish surname.
- Forrest Crossing - there are places called Forrest in Dumfries & Galloway and North Lanarkshire; also several other places in Scotland and one just over the border in Cumbria with Forrest as an element in the name. Forrest is a Scottish surname.
- Glendale (Highland) and Glendale Park by association. A remarkably large number of American cities have communities/suburbs called Glendale, a name simply meaning 'valley'. The unusual feature of this name is that it is a tautology - 'valley' features twice, first in Gaelic (gleann) then in Norse (dalr).
- Glenview (Argyll & Bute).
- Heatherwood Hills - there is a Heatherwood Park in Highland just north of Dornoch.
- Highland Acres, Highland Heights and Highland View - names which possibly recall the Highlands of Scotland.
- McAndore Estates - possibly a corrupt, or Americanised, spelling of the Scottish surname of Macandeoir. It is also possible that McAndore may be a variant of McAndo, which is listed in Black (1996) as a Scottish surname.
- Meadowgreen Acres - there is a place called Meadowgreen in Angus.
- Moreland Farms - there is a Moreland in Perth & Kinross.
- Morningside Acres - there are several places in Scotland called Morningside (in Dumfries & Galloway, City of Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire and Perth & Kinross). Morningside seems to be a popular name for neighbourhoods in American cities. The illustration here shows a typical villa in Morningside, Edinburgh.
- Murray Estates and Murray Lane Estates - Murray is one of the best known Scottish family names, derived from the name of the area (Moray) in which the Pictish founder of the clan was granted land. Examples of places in Scotland based on this name include Murray's Hill (Perth & Kinross), Murrayfield (Edinburgh) and Murraythwaite (Dumfries & Galloway) to mention but a few. The name has also travelled to England, e.g. Murray's Rock in Devon.
- Ralston Glen - Ralston is a suburb of Paisley, Renfrewshire, on the main road between Glasgow and Paisley.
- Rosebank (Angus, Borders, City of Edinburgh, Dumfries & Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian). The name also occurs in the English county of Devon but is typically far more associated with Scotland than with England.
- Scottish Highlands - an obvious reference to the rugged, mountainous region that covers half of Scotland.
- Stewarts Ferry - there is a Stewarton in Argyll & Bute, Borders, East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway plus numerous other place names throughout Scotland and parts of England and Northern Ireland that are based on the Scottish surname of Stewart. The Stewarts/Stuarts are descended from a Breton, Alan Fitzflaald, the crown of Scotland being brought to his descendants by Walter (1293-1326), fifth Steward of Scotland, whose son became King Robert II. The last of the Royal Stewarts was Queen Anne (1665-1714).
- Trousdale - there is a Trously in the Scottish Borders, Troustan in Argyll & Bute and Troustrie in Fife, all suggesting a possible Scottish link with this neighbourhood's name.
- Waverly Belmont - both elements of this place name are found in Scotland. Waverly is a popular name for neighbourhoods in American cities. It is possibly an Americanised spelling of Waverley, the railway station in Edinburgh (illustrated here) and the title of Sir Walter Scott's first novel. Alternatively, it could refer to Waverley Abbey in England. Belmont is found in the Scottish Borders, Shetland Islands and South Ayrshire, as well as in England, Ireland and Wales. Belmont was an extremely popular choice of name in all English-speaking countries during the nineteenth century, its origin being French ('beautiful mountain/hill').
- Williamson Estates - there is a Williamson in Dumfries & Galloway. Williamson is a Scottish surname, the Williamson's being septs of Clans Gunn and MacKay. The name has travelled over the centuries to northern England, e.g. Williamson Bridge in North Yorkshire.
As in other cities around the world, not all of the above place names are necessarily based directly on their namesakes in Scotland. The connection with Scotland may be more indirect in some instances, for example, honouring individuals whose ancestry may have been Scottish. Examples where this may be the case would be gratefully received from readers in Nashville, for incorporation in future updates of this web page.
Other localities with names that can be found in Scotland but that are not unique to Scotland are:
- Ashland City - there is an Ashland in Dumfries & Galloway as well as in Milton Keynes, England.
- Avondale (Shetland Islands; also Avondale House in Falkirk) but found in England and Ireland as well. There appear to be two communities with this name, one in Nashville City and the other in Hendersonville.
- Barclay Square - there is a place called Barclay in South Ayrshire; also Barclayfield and Barclayhill in Perth & Kinross. However, there is a Barclay in Carmarthenshire, south Wales as well. As pointed out by Scarlett (1975) Barclay is a Lowland Scots name, "its bearers claiming descent from the Berkeleys who came to England with William the Conqueror." (p.37). This could account for the simultaneous presence of the name in a part of Wales that was colonised by the Normans. Of course, the name of this Nashville neighbourhood could just as easily refer to Berkeley Square in London.
- Battlefield Meadows - there is a Battlefield in Glasgow City and in Highland as well as a town in Shropshire, England. The name of this Greater Nashville community might simply refer to a battle fought in the area. The picture here shows Battlefield Rest in Glasgow - a "pit stop" many years ago for drivers and conductors working on the city's trams and buses. The area is known as Battlefield due to the Battle of Langside nearby (in 1568) in which Mary Queen of Scots was defeated and had to flee to England.
- Bell Town - there is a small town called Bellstown in Dumfries & Galloway, off the M74 motorway between Gretna and Lockerbie. There are also many other places in Scotland with Bell as part of the name. The list includes: Bell Bay in North Ayrshire, Bell Craig in the Scottish Borders and in Dumfries & Galloway, Bell Hill in Borders, Bell Rock in Fife and South Ayrshire, Bell Sike in the Scottish Borders, Bell Stane in North Ayrshire, and Bell Wood in Aberdeenshire, to mention but a few. Place names starting with this Scottish family name are also found all over England, where the meaning of 'Bell' may perhaps be quite different from the meaning in Scotland.
- Bellevue (Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Orkney Islands and Perth & Kinross) also in England, Ireland and Wales, sometimes spelt Belle Vue. The origin of the name is of course French ('beautiful view').
- Berry Hill (Aberdeenshire, East Lothian, Highland, North Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross) but found more frequently throughout England and is also found in Wales.
- Boyd Mill Estates - there are places called Boydston (South Ayrshire) and Boydstone (Renfrewshire) that are based on this Scottish surname. The name also occurs in south-west England, however.
- Carnton Plantation - there is a place called Carn in Argyll & Bute; also in Monmouthshire, Wales and in two Irish counties. In addition, there are hundreds of place names in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and the Isle of Man with Carn as an element in the name. Carn is a Celtic word for a heap of stones or a round, rocky hill.
- Cooks Corner - Cook is a Scottish as well as an English name. The Scottish Cooks are a sept of the Stewart clan; their ancestral lands were on the Isle of Bute.
- Couchville - there are places called Couch in West Lothian and Couchercairn in Aberdeenshire, but Couch also occurs as an element in place names in southern England.
- Denny Hills - there are places in Falkirk with the name Denny, Dennyloanhead and Denny Muir; also Dennystown in West Dunbartonshire. However, Denny as an element in place names is used even more frequently in England and also occurs in Monmouthshire, Wales.
- Douglas (South Lanarkshire - the original territorial base of the powerful Douglas family - that's their tartan shown here; also a suburb of Dundee called Douglas and Angus and numerous other places in Scotland with Douglas as part of the name). Douglas is found in Ireland and on the Isle of Man as well, probably having been taken there by Scottish settlers.
- Green Hill (Aberdeenshire, Angus, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, Fife, Moray, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire) and Green Hill Station by association, but Green Hill occurs even more commonly throughout England.
- Greenhills (North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire) but found more commonly throughout England and is also a suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.
- Haysboro - there are places called Hayshead in Angus, Hayside in Scottish Borders, Haysmuir in East Ayrshire, Haystack in Fife, Hayside in Scottish Borders, Haysike in Scottish Borders, Hayston in Fife and East Dunbartonshire, Hayston Hill in Angus and Haystoun in Scottish Borders, presumably based on the Scottish family name Hay). However, there are also many Hays in England, Ireland and Wales.
- Hendersonville - there is a Henderson's Rock in Argyll & Bute as well as a Henderson's House in Durham, England. Henderson (meaning 'Henry's son') is a Lowland Scottish family name.
- Hermitage (Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders and City of Edinburgh) and Hermitage Hills, Hermitage Station and Hermitage Woods by association. Hermitage occurs even more frequently throughout England and is also found in Wales.
- Highgate (Dumfries & Galloway and North Ayrshire) but far more commonly found in both England and Wales.
- Hilltop (Dumfries & Galloway) but far more common throughout England (often spelt Hill Top) and also occurs in Ireland.
- Hillwood (City of Edinburgh) also found in England. There appear to be two localities with this name, one in Nashville City and the other in Hendersonville. The Nashville City neighbourhood was actually named for Mr Horace G. Hill, property developer and owner of a chain of grocery stores, who lived at the mansion in what is now Hill Place (Richard Courtney, real estate columnist for the Nashville City Paper, 2004).
- Hunters Hill (Angus; also Aberdeenshire, spelt Hunter's Hill) but there is a Hunter's Hill in North Yorkshire as well.
- Hunters Place, Hunters Ridge and Hunters Store - Hunter occurs in many place names throughout Scotland. The list includes Aberdeenshire (Hunter's Hill and Lodge), Angus (Hunter's Path and Hunters Hill), Argyll & Bute (Hunter's Quay), Scottish Borders (Hunter Hill and Huntershall), Dumfries & Galloway (Hunter House, Hunter's Gate, Hunterheck), East Ayrshire (Hunter's Meadow, Hunterston), North Ayrshire (Hunterston, Hunterston House, Hunterston Sands), Perth & Kinross (Hunterhall) and South Lanarkshire (Hunterlees). Hunter is found even more commonly throughout England but the surname Hunter is found frequently enough in Scotland for there to be a clan tartan - shown here.
- Huntington (Scottish Borders and East Lothian) also found all over England.
- Inglewood (Clackmannanshire) also in England. It is more likely, however, that this Nashville neighbourhood may have taken its name from the well-known district in Los Angeles, California.
- Jamestown (Aberdeenshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Highland and West Dunbartonshire) though also found in two Irish counties.
- Kingston Springs (Kingston in Angus, City of Glasgow, East Lothian, Moray and Renfrewshire) also all over southern England and is found in Ireland and Wales as well.
- Lamb - although Lamb on its own is only found within the British Isles as a place name in Scotland (in East Lothian to be precise), there are dozens of other references to places throughout both Scotland and England with Lamb as part of the name. The Scottish list is too numerous to quote fully. Examples include Lambhill (a district of Glasgow City), Lamb Bay, Head, Holm and Ness in the Orkney Islands, Lamb Craigs (hills in Dumfries & Galloway), Lamberton and Lambden (villages in the Scottish Borders), at least seven places called Lamb Hill and numerous others. The English list is even longer than the Scottish. Lamb is also a Scottish family name - one of the many variants of Lamont.
- Linton (Orkney Islands and Scottish Borders; also Linton Burnfoot and Linton Hill in the Scottish Borders, Linton Court in Fife, and Linton House in Aberdeenshire) but Linton is even more common in England than in Scotland.
- Longwood (Dumfries & Galloway) but occurs more commonly in England and is also found in County Meath, Ireland.
- Lynn Christie - there is a Christielands in Dumfries & Galloway and a Christie's Hole in the Shetland Islands. This Scottish family name is also found just over the border, for example, Christies Bog in Northumberland and Christie Wood in North Yorkshire. Lynn is also an element that is often found in Scottish and English place names. Of course, Lynn and Christie in combination may simply refer to a person's name in the case of this Greater Nashville community.
- Lynnwood Downs - there is a Lynnwood in the Scottish Borders as well as in Cumbria, England. There are also many English place names containing the word Lynn, e.g. King's Lynn, South Lynn.
- Miller Estates and Millersville - there is a Millerhill in Midlothian and Millerston in Glasgow plus numerous other places in Scotland with Miller as an element in the name, but this is also the case in England.
- Montague (Perth & Kinross) also in England.
- Rosswood - there are places called Ross in the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland and Perth & Kinross plus many other places throughout Scotland that have Ross as part of the name. The same is true for England and Ireland, though less commonly so than for Scotland. Ross is of course a fairly common Scottish family name originating nearly 900 years ago from two very different sources: Yorkshire in northern England (the Ayrshire Ross's) and that part of the Highlands of Scotland once known as Ross-shire.
- Sandhill (Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and South Ayrshire) but also found in four English counties.
- Scottsboro - there are numerous places both in Scotland and England with Scott as an element in the name. Scotland's most famous Scott is of course the nineteenth century novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott - that's his statue in Princes Street, Edinburgh, shown here.
- Shackle Island - there is a Shacklehill in South Ayrshire but Shackle is found more commonly as part of English place names.
- Sunnyside (Aberdeenshire, City of Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, Perth & Kinross, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire) and Sunnyside Estates by association. Sunnyside is also found in England but not as commonly as in Scotland, which probably says something about the premium placed on sunshine in Scotland!
- Temple Hills Country Club Estate and Temple Ridge Estates - Places called Temple are found in Aberdeenshire, City of Glasgow, Midlothian and Renfrewshire, and Temple Hill in West Lothian and Perth & Kinross, but this is even more frequently the case in England.
- Trinity (Angus and City of Edinburgh) and Trinity Hills by association, though Trinity is also a place name in Devon and the Channel Islands.
- Wade - there is a Wade Bridge in Highland and Wades Bridge and The Wade Stone in Perth & Kinross, but Wade is found more frequently in English place names. Wade Bridge and Wades Bridge in Scotland are references to Field-Marshall George Wade, the Englishman who was responsible for disarming the Highland clans after the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. As part of the process of pacification of the clans, he built a system of metalled military roads and 40 stone ('Wade') bridges in the Highlands of Scotland between 1726 and 1737. The one shown below is in Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
- Westfield Estates (Westfield in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, Moray, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian) but Westfield is also found just as frequently throughout England.
- White Hill (Aberdeenshire, Angus, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Moray, Perth & Kinross, Shetland Islands and South Lanarkshire) though found even more frequently throughout England.
Glenrose is another neighbourhood in Greater Nashville that has a "Scottish ring" to it, but is not found as a place name in Scotland. The element 'glen' is definitely Gaelic in origin, meaning 'valley', and 'rose' is used widely in Scottish place names, its original meaning being 'heath' in Old Welsh (rhos - whence Melrose) and 'promontory' in Gaelic (ros - whence Montrose). Of course, Nashville's Glenrose may simply be a made-up name intended to mean something like 'rose valley' or 'Rose's Valley'. Daugherty Estates, on the south-west fringe of Greater Nashville, is a second neighbourhood with a Scottish sounding name since it could be a variation of the Scottish surname Docharty. It is more likely to be Irish, however, where the usual spelling is Doherty, Dougharty or Dougherty.
It is interesting to note that of the names of the six counties over which Greater Nashville extends, two (Davidson and Williamson) are Scottish family names, another two (Rutherford and Wilson) have a high probability of also being Scottish and the remaining two (Cheatham and Sumner) are most probably English. This fact alone suggests that Scottish or Scots-Irish (i.e. Ulster) influences were once very strong in the Nashville area.
Acknowledgements:
- Scarlett, James D. (1975). The Tartans of the Scottish Clans. (Collins, Glasgow and London).
- Black, George F. (1996). The Surnames of Scotland. (Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh).
- Thorne, J.O. & Collocott, T.C. (Editors) (1974). Chambers Biographical Dictionary (Revised Edition). (W & R Chambers, Edinburgh).
- Room, Adrian (2003). The Penguin Dictionary of British Place Names. (Penguin Books, London).
- Nashville City Map (Rand McNally, 2000).
- Mapquest.com for the names of outlying commuter ('bedroom') communities.
- Websites, place name gazetteers and published Ordnance Survey maps of British and Irish cities, towns, villages and counties.
© Ian Kendall
If you wish to contact Ian about his research, his e-mail address is ian.kendall1@bigpond.com.
Melbourne, Australia, April 2005
