Southerland
A Scottish locational surname meaning “south land,” originally applied to the region south of Caithness.
The #4,252 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,038 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Southerland is a locational surname from the district of Sutherland in northern Scotland. The place-name is usually explained from Old Norse elements meaning “southern land,” used from the viewpoint of the Norse rulers of Orkney for the territory south of Caithness. The surname therefore began as a name for someone from that district, and the spelling Southerland reflects later English-style reinterpretation of the older form.
History
The name is associated especially with the Scottish clan and earldom of Sutherland, whose territory lay south of Caithness. Older historical spellings include forms like Sudrland, showing the Norse background of the place-name. As a surname, Southerland is less common than Sutherland but follows the same regional origin and later Anglicized spelling pattern.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The place-name was “south” only from the point of view of Norse seafarers based in Orkney, not from a modern map of Scotland.
From the historical record
“91. Southerland. Skehan. 13. !l907”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland