The Walkers of Scotland

For all my followers, in case you are wondering, I’ll be traveling to the Western Highlands of Scotland during the first two weeks in September, seeing some spectacular sights as I research Scotland's past for some historical romances that I’ve a mind to write. I thought it was fitting I should do a post on my own name as regards the Scots.

So here is The Walker “clan” for you to enjoy!

From what I can tell, there is more than one belief on how the surname Walker came about. Some say it refers to the men who walked about the castle to watch for intruders or thieves. Others say Walker originates from Waulker, “son of the fuller or cloth maker,” and refers to those who walked on the wool that was cleaned and thicken by being soaked in water and trampled under foot. In any event, the name is widespread throughout Scotland. (It is the 21st most common name in Scotland.)

The Highland or Gaelic version of the name Walker is MacNucator and derives from "Mac an fhucadair" (son of the fuller of the cloth), of which the old Scots equivalent is Waulker. In modern times, the name is associated with both the Stewarts and the McGregors. See MORE.