Buchanan
A Scottish surname from the parish of Buchanan in Stirlingshire, originally a place-name rather than a personal description.
The #503 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,632 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Buchanan is a habitational surname taken from the parish of Buchanan in Stirlingshire, Scotland. The historical sources here treat it as a local name and do not give a fully settled derivation. Later lexicographers note that it is probably connected with the same root as Buchan, though the deeper meaning remains uncertain.
History
The name is strongly associated with the Buchanan clan and the lands they held in early medieval Scotland. It became established as a hereditary surname from the parish and family connection, then spread widely beyond the original district. In modern times it is common in Scotland, Ulster, and the English-speaking diaspora, especially in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old surname-books sometimes cite Buchanan as an example of a Scottish clan name whose exact linguistic root was still debated by 19th-century scholars.
From the historical record
“last Earl of Buchau of the Comyn family. BUCHANAN. A jparish in co. Stii-ling, possessed by the fomily in early times. BUCK. The animal, famed in the chase, and familiar as an armorial ensign and as a trader's sign. Le Buc. H.R. 6^"BUCK. Many local surnames have been borrowed from this animal, some of which are not…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Buchanan
- James Buchanan (1791–1868)
- James M. Buchanan (1919–2013)
- Pat Buchanan (b. 1938)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.