Garvie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scottish surname, or a name of a small locality in Scotland, that is borne by families and places of that country
2. A proper name of Scottish origin, used as a surname for people and as the name of certain small places in Scotland
3. Used as a family name in Scotland and as the title of a minor settlement or landmark in the Scottish lowlands

Etymology: In Scotland, the fishing communities of the northeast and the Firth of Forth used this word for a small, young fish, most often a young herring or a sprat, caught in large shoals and sold cheaply. It belongs to the Scots dialect rather than standard English, which is why most English speakers have never met it. Its wider history is poorly documented, so the most reliable thing to say is that it is a regional name for a fish of the herring family, not a word that travelled far from its home waters.