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The current generations of the Aberdeen family have inherited a surname that was first used hundreds of years ago by descendants of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Aberdeen family lived in Aberdeen (now part of the modern Grampian region). "This ancient city, which is, by some historians, identified with the Devana of Ptolemy, is supposed to have derived its name, of British origin, from its situation between the rivers Dee and Don. According to tradition, Gregory the Great, King of Scotland, is said to have made the town a royal burgh; but little of its authentic history is known prior to the reign of Malcolm III." 1
The surname Aberdeen was first found in the county of Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland.
One of the first records of the name was John of Aberdene, a merchant of Aberdeen, who was robbed of wool at sea while on a voyage from Aberdeen to St. Omer in 1272. A few years later in 1290, Michael de Abirden was granted land in Berwick. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aberdeen research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1295 and 1399 are included under the topic Early Aberdeen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Aberdeen has been spelled Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Abirdene, Abirdeen, Aberdein, Abberdene, Abberdeen, Ebirdene and many more.
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was