Gordon is a surname with multiple origins, including Scottish, English, Irish, Jewish, and Spanish. The masculine given name Gordon is derived from the surname.
Origins The Scottish surname derives from Gordon in Berwickshire. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Richard de Gordon, who lived in the 12th century. Later, Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Strathbogie in Aberdeenshire to the Gordons, leading them to move to the north-east of Scotland. The seat of the family was Huntly Castle, named after an ancestral estate in Berwickshire.
The English surname is of French origin, deriving from any of various places in France named Gourdon, most probably the one in Saône-et-Loire. Alternatively, it may be a nickname derived from a diminutive of Old French , meaning "dull" or "boorish".
The Scottish surname was taken to Ireland as early as the 14th century, becoming significantly more common after the Plantation of Ulster. Gordon was also adopted as an anglicisation of various Gaelic names, including (pronounced ~Magournahan) and . In the former case, it was presumably adopted due to the vague similarity in sound, but the reason for its adoption in the latter case is unclear.
As a Jewish surname, Gordon (transliterated or ) derives from the city of Grodno in Belarus, formerly a centre of Jewish life. It is common among Litvak Jews.
As a Spanish surname, Gordon derives from any of various places in Spain named Gordón or Gordon, of which there are examples in Salamanca, Galicia, and the Basque Country. Alternatively, it may be a nickname derived from gordo, meaning "fat" (compare Gordillo).
Gordon is also a British Romany surname with origins on the Scottish-English Border; during the 17th and 18th century fearing persecution many Gypsy folk in the North of England and the South of Scotland chose to change their surnames to blend into the local societies they were living within. These Gordons are completely unrelated to other ancestral sources of the name.
List of people
A. D. Gordon (1856–1922), Russian Zionist Aaron Gordon (born 1995), American basketball player Abram Gordon (1813–1884), Wisconsin pioneer Adam Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Adi Gordon (born 1966), Israeli basketball player Adoniram Judson Gordon (1836–1895), pastor in Boston, Massachusetts, and founder of Gordon College Agnes Gordon (1906–1967), American bridge player Ahavat Hashem Gordon (born 2006), Israeli professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer Al Gordon (born 1953), comic book creator Alan Gordon (1917–2011), Australian politician known as Lin Gordon Alan Gordon (actor), British actor Alan Gordon (author) (born 1959), American author Alan Gordon (historian) (born 1968), Canadian historian Alan Gordon (Scottish footballer) (1944–2010), Scottish footballer Alan Gordon (soccer), (born 1981), American soccer player Alan Lee Gordon (1944–2008), American songwriter Alastair Gordon (born 1976), Australian rower, 2000 Sydney Olympics silver medalist Albert L. Gordon (1915–2009), American gay rights legal activist Alexander Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Aleksandr Gordon (1931–2020), Russian-Soviet director, screenwriter and actor Alister Fraser Gordon (1872–1917), British general Amelia Elizabeth Roe Gordon (1852–1932), British-born Canadian social reformer Anita Gordon (1929–2015), American singer Ann Gordon (born 1956), First Lady of North Carolina Ann D. Gordon, research professor in the department of history at Rutgers University Anna Gordon (1747–1810), ballad collector Anna Adams Gordon (1853–1931), American social reformer, songwriter, president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Anne Gordon (born 1941), Australian cricketer Ann Lee (singer) (born 1967), singer and songwriter Anthony Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Archibald Ronald McDonald Gordon (1927–2015), Bishop of Portsmouth Audrey Gordon, Canadian politician Bart Gordon (born 1949), American congressman Ben Gordon (born 1983), British-born American basketball player Ben Gordon (footballer, born 1985), Scottish footballer B. Frank Gordon (1826–1866), Confederate States Army colonel, acting brigadier general Bernard Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Bert I. Gordon (1922–2023), American film director and screenwriter Bob Gordon (Canadian intelligence), former Canadian Security Intelligence Service agent Bob Gordon (saxophonist) (1928–1955), American jazz saxophonist Bobby Gordon (1923–2001), Scottish footballer Bobby Gordon (American football) (1935–1990), American football player Boyd Gordon (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player Brian Gordon (baseball) (born 1978), American professional baseball pitcher Brian Gordon, cartoonist, creator of web comics Fowl Language and Chuck & Beans Bridgette Gordon (born 1967), American basketball player Bruce Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people C. Henry Gordon (1883–1940), American actor Cecil Gordon (1941–2012), American NASCAR driver Charles George Gordon (1833–1885), British general known as "Chinese Gordon" and "Gordon of Khartoum" Charles Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Christopher Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Clarence Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Clemente Gordon (born 1967), American football player Colin Gordon (1911–1972), British actor Colin Gordon (athlete) (1907–1960), high jumper from British Guiana Colton Gordon (born 1998), American baseball pitcher Craig Gordon (born 1982), Scottish footballer Cyrus H. Gordon (1908–2001), American linguist-semitologist Daniel Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people David Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Dexter Gordon (1923–1990), American jazz tenor saxophonist and actor Dmitry Gordon, Ukrainian journalist and TV presenter Donald Gordon (cricketer) (born 1990), English cricketer Douglas Gordon (born 1966), Scottish artist Douglas C. Gordon (1956–1998), whitewater kayaker Douglas Peel Gordon (1892–1948), South Australian politician Drew Gordon (1990–2024), American basketball player Duke Gordon (1739–1800), 18th-century Scottish librarian Ed Gordon (athlete) (1908–1971), American long jumper Ed Gordon (journalist) (born 1960), American television journalist Edward Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Edythe Mae Gordon (c. 1897 – 1980), American short story writer and poet Rabbi Eliezer Gordon (1841–1910), Lithuanian Rosh Yeshiva Elizabeth Putnam Gordon (1851–1933), American temperance advocate, author Elye Gordon (1907–1989), Soviet Yiddish writer Emy Gordon (1841−1909), German writer, translator and Catholic activist Eric Gordon (born 1988), American basketball player Eric Valentine Gordon (1896–1938), Canadian philologist Esmé Gordon (1910–1993), Scottish architect F. C. Gordon (1856–1924), Canadian illustrator Ferenc Gordon (1893–1971), Hungarian economist and politician Francis Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Frank Gordon Jr. (1929–2020), American lawyer and judge Frederick Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Fritzi Gordon, Austrian-British bridge player Gary Gordon (1960–1993), American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient Gary Gordon (bishop) (born 1957), Canadian Roman Catholic bishop Gavin Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Geoffrey Gordon (composer) (born 1968), American composer George Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Gerald Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Gordon Gordon (1906–2002), half of a team of American crime fiction writers: The Gordons (writers) Hannah Gordon (born 1941), Scottish actress Harry Gordon (entertainer) (1893–1957), Scottish entertainer, comedian and impressionist Harry Gordon (footballer) (1931–2014), Scottish footballer Harry L. Gordon (1860–1921), American politician in Ohio Heather Gordon (born 1967), American contemporary visual artist Henry Gordon (preacher) (1816–1898), American C. Henry Gordon (1883–1940), American actor Henry Charles Gordon (1925–1996), American astronaut Henry Gordon (magician) (1920–2009), Canadian magician and writer Herbert Gordon (cricketer) (1898−1965), English cricketer Herbert Gordon (footballer) (1952–2013), Jamaican footballer Hilda May Gordon (1874–1972), British painter Honi Gordon, vocalist Ian Gordon (footballer) (born 1933), former Australian rules footballer Ian Gordon (general) (born 1952), Deputy Chief of Army and Commander of UNTSO Ian Gordon (historian) (born 1964), professor of US history at the National University of Singapore Ian Gordon (ice hockey) (born 1975), German hockey player Ida Gordon, English philologist, wife of E. V. Gordon Isabella Gordon (1901–1988), British biological scientist James Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Janet Hill Gordon (1915–1990), New York politician Jano Gordon (born 2004), Argentine footballer Javin Gordon (born 2007), American football player Jay Gordon (born 1967), American musician Jeff Gordon (born 1971), American NASCAR driver Jeffrey D. Gordon, Pentagon spokesman Jimmie Gordon, American blues pianist, singer, and songwriter Joe Gordon (1915–1978), American baseball player and manager Joel Gordon, Canadian actor and filmmaker Joel Gordon (American football), American football coach and former player John Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Johnette Gordon-Weaver, American historian Josephine Gordon (born 1993), British jockey Joyce Gordon (1929–2020), American actress and union representative Judah Leib Gordon (1830–1892), Hebrew poet Judy Gordon (1948–2020), Canadian politician Julia Gordon (mathematician), Canadian mathematician Juliette Gordon Low (1860–1927), founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA Karl Gordon, British DJ and producer Ken Gordon (Trinidadian politician) (born in 1930), Trinidadian businessman and former politician Ken Gordon (Colorado politician), Colorado congressman Kim Gordon, American musician, member of Sonic Youth Kyler Gordon (born 1999), American football player L. C. Gordon (born 1937), American basketball player and coach Larry Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Lawrence Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Lee Gordon (1902–1946), American musician Lee Gordon (promoter) (1923–1963), American businessman and rock and roll promoter Lennox Gordon (born 1978), American football player Leo Gordon (1922–2000), American film and television character actor Leon Gordon (1889–1943), Russian-born poet Leonard A. Gordon is a historian of South Asia, especially of Bengal Lewis Gordon (born 1962), American philosopher Lewis Gordon, 3rd Marquess of Huntly (c. 1626 – 1653) Lewis Gordon (civil engineer) (1815–1876) Lewis Gordon (Jacobite) (1724–1754) Lincoln Gordon (1913–2009), president of Johns Hopkins University, and U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Lindsay Gordon (1892–1940), Canadian air marshal Lucy Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Manya Gordon (1882–1945), American historian Margaret Gordon (illustrator) (1939–1989), British artist Margaret Maria Gordon (1823–1907), Scottish author Marilyn Gordon, Trinidad and Tobago politician Marina Gordon (1917–2013), American singer Marjory Gordon (1931–2015), American nurse Marjorie Gordon Smart (1911–1982) British, Canadian and Australian diplomat and a founding college principal in Australia. Marc Gordon (1935–2010), American record producer and music executive Mark Gordon (producer) (born 1956), American film and television producer Mark Gordon (Wyoming politician) (born 1957), American politician Mary Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Maxine Gordon, British actress Melvin Gordon (born 1993), American football player Merritt J. Gordon (1859–1925), associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court Mervyn Gordon (1872–1953), British microbiologist Michael Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people Mikalah Gordon, (born 1988), American Idol 4 contestant Mildred Gordon (1912–1979), half of a team of American crime fiction writers: The Gordons (writers) Mildred Gordon (politician) (1923–2016), British politician Nachi Gordon, American entrepreneur Nancy Gordon, American economist and statistician