THE ORIGIN
of the family name
The word "Scot" existed, and had a distinctive meaning (which is still preserved), centuries before the name of "Scotland" was given to the northern portion of Britain. In reality, the word "Scotland," as well as the surname "Scott," have a common origin, being derived from the same root. The word "Scot" simply meant "tribute," or the payment made by a tribe, nation, or individual. Afterwards it came to be applied to the tribe or person paying the tribute, or rendering homage or service.
Over many tumultious centuries, the northern part of Britain was inhabited or ruled by, at various times, the Picts, Celts, Saxons, Angles, Scots (from Ireland), Romans, Vikings, English and Normans. Scotland was thus named because it was at that time a fief held by the kings of England, and in respect of which the kings of Scotland did homage for their crown.
The way our family got the name is more fully described in Scott History I and II, as the original family name was Balliol, a Norman name derived from the part of Picardie named Bailleul-en-Vimeu, in France, where they lived. There are many other Scott families which originated in both Scotland, England and Ireland, which have nothing to do with our family at all. We are not part of the Clan Scott who are of Celtic origin, nor to my knowledge do we have a tartan. There are also indeed, many Scott's who do share this Balliol ancestry but who are not included through lack of both knowledge, and space.
It is interesting to note some of the changes and spelling in the family name over many centuries.
Bailif
Ballioll
Baliol
Balliol
De Balliol le Scot
Baliolle Scot
Scotte
le Scot
Scot
Scott
The changes of name were made for varying reasons, from political expediency (as in the case of William de Balliol le Scot) to personal preferences or whims. They often varied the spelling of their names during their own lifetimes. Quite often if a child died, his or her name was given to one of the subsequent children, making the tracing of a family line difficult. I don't know if this applies to our ancestry, but in researching some of the very old church records, it is obvious that many people in those days were illiterate, and the entries in these records were made by the local priest who just entered the names as he thought fitted the verbal pronunciation. In many cases the changed spelling stuck.