Erskine (surname)


Erskine is a Scottish surname. The name is derived from a habitational name from a location on the southern bank of the River Clyde, near Glasgow. This place was first recorded in 1225 as Erskin. Early spellings of the place include: Yrskin ; Ireskin ; Harskin, and Irschen. The Scottish Gaelic form of the surname is Arascain. Legend dictates that the name was given by King Malcolm II to a man who killed the Danish General Enrique at the Battle of Murthill. He is said to have shown the bloody knife to king and said eris-skyne, meaning "upon the knife". The King, in honour of his valour, granted him the surname Eriskine.

List of people with the surname