Garson
Hi, I would be interested to know if anyone has any info on my surname 'Garson'. I have only just started researching so i'm afraid my knowledge isn't very extensive but i do know that my great grandmother was half Irish half Scottish but i am not sure which side this name comes from as i am in the UK.
I would really appreciate any help, thanks, Evelyn x
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Replies

In some cases it is probably a spanish variant of the surname GARZON.
That is "mochacho" or in English "boy".

See Gutierre TIBON / Diccionario Comparado de los Apellidos Espanoòes
Hispanoamericanos y Filipinos
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As in French 'garçon'?
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The name, I believe is English, though that would not preclude a family with it being from either Scotland or Ireland. Many of the surnames throughout the British Isles have spread through immigration and especially through name adoption. Many names are translated and often mistranslated into a more familiar form, primarily from their Gaelic origins to English.

Therefore, Garson, I likely can be found throughout the British Isles. I did not find it in my Irish surname book which is based on relatively modern phone directories, but that doesn't mean it never existed there.

It is in one of my name books as "son of Gar" with Gar being either coming from the Germanic word meaning 'spear' or a the Welsh word meaning 'gentle' ...I'd suspect, with the Gaelic origins of your family, that the latter was the more áppropos ...

Sorry, that doesn't cure your Irish/Scottish dilemma, though they are quite related. I'd suggest delving in a bit further into your ancestors which is where the true story lies ...
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I have also found out that my great grandmother's first name was derived from the surname 'Macgregor' , I am guessing that this is Scottish, would I be correct?
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A very, very Scottish name ...'Mac' meaning "son of" and of course 'Gregor' from the first name "Gregory" from Greek meaning "watchful, vigilant".

They're a very famous clan along with the MacDonalds and Campbells. Google the name and find out a bit more ...there's an interesting site trying to trace the MacGregor's DNA at:

http://www.clangregor.org/macgregor/dna.html
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