Clan Morrison - Morrisons of Mainland Scotland

Morrisons of Mainland Scotland

The surname Morrison is derived from the patronymic form of the personal name Morris. This personal name is a variant of Maurice, and was quite popular in the Middle Ages. Many of the mainland and lowland Morrisons derived their name this way. The Morrisons of Perth and Lennox derive their surname in this way.

Within the north-east of Scotland, the Morisons of Bognie, in Aberdeenshire, are the principal 'Morrison' family. They are thought to be unrelated to the west coast (and Hebridean) Morrisons. The first laird of Bognie was Alexander, whose son married Christian Urquhart, Viscountess Frendraught. The current representative of the family is Alexander Gordon Morison of Bogie, 13th Baron of Bognie. Until the last century, this family was the principal armigerous 'Morrison' family. The family first gained the Bognie estate in the first part of the 17th century.

The coats of arms of the Morisons of Dersay (or Darcie), in Fife; and the Morisons of Bognie; and the Morisons of Prestongrange utilise Moor's heads. This is a pun on the surname; an example of canting arms. According to the 19th century historian William C. Mackenzie, it is uncertain whether or not these Morisons have any connection with the Lewis Morrisons. Mackenzie noted that in the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the laird of Darcie went to Lewis to negotiate for the release of the Fife adventurers who had been held hostage.