Discover the Multitude of Places with Scottish Names in the Northeast
The Northeastern United States is chock full of place names that might sound familiar to you. Whether it’s a small pond or a whole city, Scotland is widely represented among these states and there is usually a story behind each one, so join us as we uncover some historical marvels and random facts.
The states that make up the Northeast are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In every single one of these states, there are place names associated with Scotland. Some have only one and others have more than 100, but it’s clear that the Scots stand strong in the Northeast. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but check out the most intriguing place names below and make sure you send us in the ones we have missed!
Connecticut
Scotland
“Scotland” shows up on our list no less than four times as well as several different variations referencing the country of Scotland -- Scotia, Alba, Albion, Albany, and Caledonia. You can read the full story of Scotland in Windham County Connecticut on a previous blog.
Delaware
The history of Glasgow, Delaware is primarily situated around the James Stewart House, with the name Stewart possessing royal Scottish connotations as well. Moving to Dunleith, "dun" is the Gaelic word for fort and the port of Leith can be found in Edinburgh and is a popular location name across Scotland.
Maine
North Berwick
We initially assumed that North Berwick was named after the beautiful coastal town found here in East Lothian, however further investigation revealed the link is actually to Berwick-upon-Tweed, found on the Anglo-Scottish border not too far from ScotlandShop HQ. To find out more about Berwick and it's tumultuous past (the town has gone back and forward from English to Scottish hands thirteen times in history. You can explore more about the town and it's famous bridges on Adam's blog.
Maryland
Scotland, Aberdeen, Glencoe, Braeburn, Scots Fancy, Bonnie Brae
Many of the locations are American counterparts to places in Scotland. It's no coincidence that cities like Aberdeen in Maryland are connected to the Scots. Aberdeen was originally developed by the Rogers family in the 19th century. The Rogers' familial connection to the Earl of Aberdeen influenced the naming of what was then a village.
Massachusetts
Sterling, Aberdeen, McLean Reservoir, Wallace Pond, Highland Park
There are four Highland parks within the Northeast. In Massachusetts, Highland Park is actually a neighborhood rather than a park, though the park within the neighborhood was previously called Highland Park. The Park was designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers.
New Hampshire
Dunbarton, Iona Lake, Kelton Crag, Loch Lyndon, McGregors Pond, Stewartstown, Scotland
New Hampshire is a well-known Scottish state, with it being the site of the famed New Hampshire Highland Games. Dunbarton, which connects to Dunbartonshire in Scotland, was the home of Archibald Stark. Prior to its current name, the town was actually called Starkstown, but was renamed to honor Stark's hometown of Dunbartonshire, with Stark being a settler of the original town.
New Jersey
Dundee Canal, Campbells Corners, Albion, Loch Arbour, Glen Ridge, Scotch Bonnet, Stirling, Wallace Mill, Highland Park, Lyons, Edinburg, Braeburn Heights, Scotch Plains
Loch Arbour is actually a village and not a loch and was named after Lochaber in Scotland, though it is unclear why this name was chosen. Scotch Plains, however, was established by Scottish Quakers in the 17th century, prior to the American Revolution. The name is said to have been decided upon by George Scott, one of the leaders of the group of Scottish settlers.
New York
Glen Cove, Highland Park, Albany, Argyle, Bonnie Crest, Burns, Caledonia, The Glen, Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Burns, Saltire, Inverness, Gretna
Albany, which comes from the Gaelic Alba meaning Scotland, was named for the Duke of Albany. This was a title given to Scottish royalty and was used to describe the area of New York when the English overcome the Dutch, who had previously held the Eastern United States. Though ownership would be retained once again by the Dutch, the English ultimately won out and the area remains Albany today.
Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Highland Park, Alba, Glasgow, Glen Lyon, Scotia, Scotland, McDonald
Growing up in South Central Pennsylvania, I drove past Edinboro countless times. But only in recent years did I come to understand the impact that Scotland had on my hometown and surrounding area.
Rhode Island
Glendale, Jamestown, Blackrock
As is so often the case Glendale has Gaelic origins, "Gleann Dail" means valley of fertile, low-lying land. Jamestown has the most interesting Scottish story. In June 1606 King James VI of Scotland (I of England), granted a charter to a group of London gentlemen and merchants known as the Virginia Company, to establish a British settlement in the Chesapeake area of North America. They had been issued with three clear objectives; to discover gold, a water route to the South Seas and to find the Lost Colony of Roanoke. The settlement they finally chose for the new colony in May 1607 was named Jamestown, after their king. Jamestown in Scotland is a village in Strathpeffer in the Scottish Highlands.
Vermont
Castleton, Albany, Caledonia County
Some of the names that have directly carried over from Scotland include Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Glencoe, Argyle, Glasgow, Inverness, and Stirling. Locations such as McLeans Reservoir, MacGregors Pond, and the Campbells and McKays Corners clearly have clan connections. Sites like Wallace Mill, Burns, Stewartstown, and Jamestown remind us of great historical figures. Others stand out the most for their uniqueness are Scotch Bonnet, Bonnie Braes, Scots Fancy, Bonnie Crest, and Saltire.
With so many Scottish-centric places in the Northeast of the United States, can you guess where we are planting ourselves? Join in the guessing game via our competition or send us your thoughts on where you think we should be!
