Gordon

See also: gordon

English

Etymology

The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated:

• If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) +‎ *din (“fort”);
• If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos;
• Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɔrdn̩/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɔːdn̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)dən

Proper noun

Gordon

1. A Scottish habitational surname from the Celtic languages for someone from Gordon, Berwickshire.
2. An English habitational surname from Anglo-Norman for someone from Gourdon, France.
3. A habitational surname from Irish, an anglicization of de Górdún (“of Gordon (Berwickshire)”).
4. A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], an adopted anglicization of Mag Mhuirneacháin (“son of Muirneachán”) (traditionally Magournahan).
5. A Jewish habitational surname probably for someone from Grodno, Belarus.
   • 1822 Walter Scott, Poetical Works: Halidon Hill (Baudry's European Library, 1838), page 420:

     Mount, vassals, couch your lances, and cry, "Gordon!

     Gordon for Scotland and Elizabeth!"

6. A male given name transferred from the surname.
   • 1913, Harry Leon Wilson, Bunker Bean, BiblioBazaar, LLC, published 2008, →ISBN, page 13:

     Often he wrote good ones on casual slips and fancied them his; names like Trevellyan or Montressor or Delancey, with musical prefixes; or a good, short, beautiful, but dignified name like "Gordon Dane". He liked that one. It suggested something.

7. A place name:
   1. A village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NT6443).
   2. A locale in Australia.
      1. A suburb of Canberra; named for poet Adam Lindsay Gordon.
      2. A suburb of Sydney; probably named for British Army officer James Willoughby Gordon.
      3. A town in Victoria; named for early settler George Gordon.
      4. A river in Tasmania, Australia.
      5. A river in Western Australia, Australia; named for British statesman George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen.
   3. A locale in the United States:
      1. A town in Houston County, Alabama.
      2. A city in Wilkinson County, Georgia; named for railroad official William Washington Gordon.
      3. An unincorporated community in Crawford County, Illinois.
      4. An unincorporated community in Butler County, Kansas.
      5. An unincorporated community in Letcher County, Kentucky.
      6. A township in Todd County, Minnesota
      7. A city in Sheridan County, Nebraska; named for early settler John Gordon.
      8. A village in Darke County, Ohio; named for an early settler.
      9. A borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; named for judge David F. Gordon.
      10. A minor city in Palo Pinto County, Texas.
      11. A town in Ashland County, Wisconsin; named for fur trader Antoine Guerdon.
      12. A town and census-designated place therein, in Douglas County, Wisconsin.

Usage notes

The given name was popular in the UK in the first half of the 20th century.

Alternative forms

• (given name): Gorden

Derived terms

• Gordon County
• Gordon Hill
• Portgordon, Port Gordon
• sine-Gordon equation
• (given name diminutives): Gord, Gordie, Gordy, Gordo

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Gordon is the 161^st most common surname in the United States, belonging to 161,833 individuals. Gordon is most common among White (64.25%) and Black (29.15%) individuals.

Noun

Gordon (plural Gordons)

1. A Gordon setter.

References

• Reaney & Wilson: A Dictionary of English Surnames, OUP 1997
• ‘Gordon’ in Behind the Name, Mike Campbell, 1996.

Anagrams

• Grodno, drongo

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡordon]

Proper noun

Gordon m anim (female equivalent Gordonová)

1. a male surname

Declension

Declension of Gordon (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	Gordon	Gordonové
genitive	Gordona	Gordonů
dative	Gordonovi	Gordonům
accusative	Gordona	Gordony
vocative	Gordone	Gordonové
locative	Gordonovi	Gordonech
instrumental	Gordonem	Gordony

Further reading

• “Gordon”, in Příjmení.cz (in Czech)

Polish

Etymology

From the personal name Gordian (from Latin Gordianus). Alternatively, from an East Slavic word meaning "proud", e.g. Ukrainian гордий (hordyj), Belarusian горды (hórdy), Russian гордый (gordyj).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɔr.dɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɔrdɔn
• Syllabification: Gor‧don

Proper noun

Gordon m pers

1. a male surname
2. Gordon (a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

Declension

Declension of Gordon

	singular	plural
nominative	Gordon	Gordonowie
genitive	Gordona	Gordonów
dative	Gordonowi	Gordonom
accusative	Gordona	Gordonów
instrumental	Gordonem	Gordonami
locative	Gordonie	Gordonach
vocative	Gordonie	Gordonowie

Proper noun

Gordon f (indeclinable)

1. a female surname

Scots

Proper noun

Gordon

1. Gordon (a village in Scotland)
2. Gordon (a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)