Ogilvie

Etymology

The surname is generally understood as locational: it comes from the place-name Ogilvie in Angus, Scotland, meaning someone “of Ogilvie” or “from Ogilvie.” Older writers tried to break the place-name into Celtic elements, sometimes linking the first part to a word meaning “high” and the second to a term for a peak or hill, but these analyses are uncertain. A later family tradition, echoed in the sources, makes the Ogilvies a long-established Angus lineage that took its name from the lands.

History

The name appears early in Scottish records, with medieval forms such as Ogilvy and Ogilvie. Historical works note the family of Ogilvie “of that Ilk” in Angus and its prominence in later medieval Scotland, especially under Robert the Bruce and after. The surname spread beyond Angus through cadet branches and later emigration, and both Ogilvie and Ogilvy remain in use.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

Some 19th-century writers guessed that the first element of the place-name might mean “high,” but they disagreed about the second element, showing how uncertain Celtic place-name analysis could be.

Related surnames