Cochrane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family surname of Scottish origin, borne by various notable historical and contemporary figures
2. A geographical name referring to locations in Scotland and Canada, particularly associated with regions in the British Isles and North America
3. A proper name used to identify people and places, most commonly found in Scottish history and settlements across English-speaking countries

Etymology: Cochrane is a surname rather than a common word, and it has more than one origin. One route runs through a place: the Lowlands of Cochrane, an area in Paisley in Renfrewshire, gave its name to families who lived there. A second route is Gaelic. Scottish Gaelic "Maceachrain," meaning "son of Eachran," was anglicized into the same spelling, so families with that Highland ancestry ended up sharing it with the Lowland name. The third origin lies in Ireland, where Irish "Ó Corcráin," meaning "descendant of Corcrán," was anglicized in the same way. The surname's spelling therefore reflects several separate families that arrived at the same form through different languages and places, rather than a single ancestor.