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| Origins Available: |
| | Scotland |
The ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada is thought to be the home of the ancestors of the Blues family. Their name comes from someone having lived in the county of Argyll (now in the Strathclyde region), on the isle of Arran. The name Blues may also be derived from the Gaelic word "gorm", which means Blue. The name is also commonly found on tombstones in and around Knapdale. One may presume that because of this, the origin of the name may have been derived from a marriage to a MacMillan. Furthermore, the Anglicized name Blue may have derived from a particular branch of the MacMillans called the "MacGhilleghuirm", which means "son of the blue lad."
The surname Blues was first found in Argyllshire on the isle of Arran, where they held a family seat from ancient times, and the name can frequently be found on tombstones in and around Knapdale, on the isle of Arran.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blues research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1360 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Blues History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Blues has appeared as Blue, Blew, Blewe, Bleu, Gorm, Gilligorm and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Blues Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Blues or a variant listed above: