SCOTLAND
Derived from the Latin name Mauritius, which means dark, the Morrison surname finds its roots in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Numerous legends exist as to the origins of this great Scottish Clan, including one tale of the Clan’s Norse forefathers being shipwrecked off the Isle of Lewis—the same isle that the surname was first found. In the tradition of the family’s steadfast clansmen, the name proudly carries one singular motto, ‘vincit veritas’, which translates as ‘truth conquers’.

ENGLAND
Anglo-Saxon in origin, Hayward is considered a topographical surname as it is derived from the various Hayward/Haywood towns found throughout Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Nottinghamshire. Also holding occupational status, the surname was given to a person employed on an estate and charged with the protection of an enclosed forest from damage by vandals, animals, and poachers—the “hedge-watcher”.

IRELAND
First found in County Tipperary, the Gleason surname was established in the 13th century in South-Central Ireland’s province of Muster—their family seat dating back to ancient times. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. And like most Gaelic names, especially in Ireland, Gleason was anglicized. A variant of the Irish name Ó Glasáin, from “glas”, it literally means “green”, in the sense of inexperienced.

IRELAND
With its lineage rooted within the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain, the Brandon surname is a locational name originating from the various Brandon tribe settlements in Durham, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Warwickshire, or Brundon in Essex. Introduced in Ireland’s County Ulster in the 17th century by Scottish and English settlers, the surname Brandon is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Breandain, meaning “son of Breandan”.

IRELAND
An occupational surname meaning ‘the bottler’ or ‘bottle maker’, the Butler name entered Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century. It was first found in the ancient territory of Ormond (now parts of County Kilkenny, Wexford and North Tipperary) and continued to spread to Scotland and Wales. In medieval and royal households, the Butler title denoted a high-ranking officer, the chief servant, or the wine steward.