Keiller

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scottish family name, best known through the Keiller family who made marmalade in Dundee
2. A surname of Scottish origin, historically linked to the Dundee marmalade manufacturers of the same name
3. A proper name of Scottish origin, borne by people and famously associated with a Dundee marmalade firm

Etymology: Keiller is a Scottish surname, and it is best known from the Dundee marmalade firm that carried it. The family story is that a grocer's wife, Janet Keiller, bought a cargo of bitter Seville oranges that were too sour to sell and turned them into a sweet preserve. The firm built a reputation on it, and the name became attached to marmalade itself. The surname's own origin is less certain. Scottish surnames of this kind often came from occupations or places, but I cannot confirm which applies to the Keiller family.