Tee Names

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Tee Names; What's it all About?

TEE NAMES

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Tee Names

The following excellent article appeared in the ANESFHS Journal No.70 of February 1999.

It is reproduced here for educational purposes and the copyright of the Author and of ANESFHS is acknowledged.

Tee-names and Surnames associated with the coastline of North-east Scotland

While tracing back my daughter's Mair line I have come across some strange entries in the Census; strange names like Costie, Gyka, Cyka, Dobbie, Dranine, Shavie and many, many more. Even on grave stones I have seen names in brackets such as Jinxy, Cyka and Dobbie. Just what are these names and what were they used for? I was stumped, having never had occasion to work with the names of north-east Scotland. Most of my previous research was in central Scotland.

My husband's aunt told me that these names were called tee-names and that they were passed down from generation to generation. She is known as 'Tosh', Downie being her married name. She never knew her husband was called John until the day they were married when the minister spoke his name. She had always known him as Tosh. So what are these tee-names and which surnames have them?

After some research I came across an article in the Fraserburgh Herald & Northern Counties Advertiser of 11 March 1902. The following information is a summary from that report. The 1901 Census stated that Crovie by Gamrie had a population of around 350 and that only six surnames were used in the village. The majority of the natives were named Watt and over 40 of the males were either James or Alexander Watt. If you had gone there in that era and asked for either of these names you would have been laughed at as everyone of these men was known by their tee-name. Most of these tee-names were based on some special haracteristic when originally conceived. There is a lack of variety and all along the coast from Wick to Arbroath the proverbial needle in a haystack is about as easily found as a fisherman whose tee-name you don't know.

So when is it important to make a note of the tee-names from the Census? It is very likely that the family that bears one is linked in some way to the next family with the same tee-name. By making a note of it you should be able to connect families to each other. Let's journey along the coast from Wick to Arbroath listing the surnames most commonly found in each coastal village or town that are associated with tee-names.

Among the fisher folk of Wick the most common names are Gunn, Bain and Miller. No offence would be given by calling someone 'a son of a Gunn'. In Nairn, Burghead and Hopeman the chief name appears to be Main, whereas at Lossiemouth it is Campbell, Stewart and Soutar. One wonders how the Campbells and Stewarts found their way to Lossie. Further along the coast at Portgordon there are Hendrys, Coulls and Geddeses and at Buckie, Murrays, Cowies and Thomsons are dominant. At Portessie it is the Smith clan. I often wonder how the postie in 1901 could tell which Sydney Smith should receive the letter especially when there were so many tee-names the same as well. `Bos' and 'Lattens' were common tee-names along with Jamie's Johnnies, Eddie's Peters and Doddie's Willies. Findochty is famous for Fletts and Rathven has Fletts and Smiths. At Portknockie and Seafield my headache is growing with Mairs marrying Woods and Woods marrying Mairs. In my 5-generation chart I have one line that looks like this –

Wood + Mair---------------Mair + Wood

Wood + Mair

Wood

Also in Portknockie you'll find Slaters and Sclaters. On to Cullen where Finlays and Gardiners are common whereas Sandend boasts McKays. Portsoy is next on the list and it's back to Mairs and Slaters or Sclaters - most of them hailing from the Seafield-Korknockie area.. Banff has Woods and Mairs but a mile away at Macduff there are Lyalls, Patersons and McKays. In Gardenstown, or Gamrie as the locals call it, there are Wisemans and Wests and nearby in Crovie as already mentioned there are numerous Watts. Nearby Penman boasts a hoard of Galts. As we move further east to Rosehearty the Ritchies take precedence. On to Pittullie and Sandhaven we have Mitchells and Sims although today you would find many Martins.

In Broadsea you cannot go outside your front door without bumping into a Noble or Stephen. It has been said that a former Lord Saltoun of' Philorth boasted in a London club that a hundred nobles had unyoked his horses and as a mark of honour dragged his carriage from the town that bore his name to his castle. There is nothing improbable about that statement.

From Broadsea we move to Cairnbulg and lnverallochy. Both have their share of Strachans and Duthies. St. Combs on the other hand had Buchans. These three wee villages are like Peterhead which has Buchans, Strachans and Stephens. It is almost impossible to trace these surnames back in Peterhead as so many Christian names are the same. Just south at Boddam the Stephens are in force. At Port Errol it has been said that anyone saying 'before you could say Jack Robertson', would have run the risk that his remarks were regarded as personal.

In the Aberdeen area at Footdee there were Baxters and Torry was full of Leipers. Cove on the other hand had Guyans and Portlethen was made up of Craigs. The Watts are as thick in Shieldhill as if they were a branch of the Crovie tree. Gourdon has Gowans whereas Johnshaven is full of McBays. On to Arbroath where we find the Cargills. Surnames from there south to Eyemouth are quite varied which makes for easy research. But from Arbroath northwards it is almost impossible to trace back a family tree if it were not for the tee-names like `Shavie' which is a Mair of Portknockie tee-name that has been passed down the family line. `Jimex' is a Fraserburgh Noble tee-name I've come across on more than one or two gravestones. Some tee-names linked to the Murrays are Costie, Gyka, Dranine whereas one that cropped up with the Woods was `Redhead'. I guess that person had red hair.

So if you are doing research in the north-cast and have any of the surnames listed above, look for teenames. Of course there are other surnames in the area which also had tee-names e.g. Downies and Bruce.

Please watch for them as you search your family tree. If you make a note of them in one Census you may well be able to spot them in another and be able to associate children with their fathers and grandfathers. This is a great help when you are working on a name common in north-east villages and towns. Joyce Murray No. 8325

Please email me. This site was complied by Linda Taylor as a historical record of the Taylor's of Broadsea. Any further information is most welcome please email me.

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