Lauderdale
A Scottish locational surname taken from the district of Lauderdale in Berwickshire.
The #8,144 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,859 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lauderdale comes from the place-name Lauderdale in Berwickshire, Scotland, which originally meant the valley of the Leader. The first element is the River Leader, and the second is the Old English or Scots word dale, meaning a valley. In other words, the name refers to the valley through which the Leader flows.
History
The surname arose as a local name for people from the district of Lauderdale and later became attached to the noble house of Maitland. Historical sources note its use in medieval records and its association with the Earls and Dukes of Lauderdale. The title helped carry the name beyond the original Scottish district.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The title Duke of Lauderdale was one of the best-known Scottish noble titles to preserve this place-name as a surname.
From the historical record
“sign. LAUDERDALE. The great district of Berwickshire, which gives title to the noble house of Maitland, in old times gave a surname to this family. LAW.* The Laws of Lawbridn-e, B02;- ness, &;c., in Scotland, are traced to the XIV. century. Nisbet. LEECH.* This surname was latinized by Mcdiciis, and it is not…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom