Maps are observed through an anglicised lens nowadays, but the influence of native languages can still be felt. For example, anyone who has visited Scotland will know that Scottish place names can be difficult to pronounce which is partly due to our lingual heritage of Old Norse, Pictish and Scottish Gaelic influencing the composition of words.
The capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness, is rooted in the Gaelic ‘Inbhir Nis’ (mouth of the River Ness) and this place name can be found across the USA too. Just as similar folklore appears over different cultures, similar words from different languages are linked to modern terms, thus the etymology is often debated.
That said, here are 13 place names in the USA linked to Scottish Gaelic and where you can find them.
9. Avon (Ohio)
Avon is the name of a city found in the northeastern part of Lorain County, Ohio. It is linked to the Scottish Gaelic word ‘abhainn’ which means ‘river’. However, iterations of this word can be found across many Celtic languages like ‘afon’ meaning river in Welsh. Photo: via WikiCommons
10. Forsyth County (North Carolina)
The Encyclopedia of North Carolina tells us that Forsyth County was named after Col. Benjamin Forsyth who was a state legislator who fought and died in the war of 1812. Forsyth is a Scottish Clan and its name is derived from ‘Fearsithe’ which means ‘man of peace’ in Gaelic. Photo: jstephenconn on Flickr
11. Elgin (Illinois)
Elgin city rests in Cook and Kane counties in the north of Illinois state. Elgin is also a town in Scotland and it is said to mean ‘little Ireland’ or ‘worthy place’ in Gaelic as it is thought to derive from the word ‘ealg’ which refers both to ‘Ireland’ and ‘worthy’. Photo: davidwilson1949 on Flickr
12. Albany (New York)
Albany is the capital city of the state of New York in the USA. While its name has been connected to a variety of languages, it is often associated with the Scottish Gaelic word ‘Alba’ which is the name of Scotland itself in this native tongue. Photo: via WikiCommons