A question for Gaelic speakers

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

Andrew, Anglo Saxons were germanic or dane or german if you like. The name Leving lives on in present day Germany. The name over the years following the death of Baron de Leving evolved in the Scottish context with some early spellings to Livingstone and that was name taken on by his later decendants living at Callendar. I don't think there are too many Welsh or Northumbrians in Britain today with the name Leving and no proof that Baron de Leving was of gaelic origin. The 1743 Maclea manuscript suggests a family bond between the old lowland Livingstones. Perhaps such a family partnership between lowland James Livingstone Baron of Biel and

[Andrew Lancaster4]

Dear Donald I have never heard the name Leving in Germany (which is just up the road for me). Are you sure it is a name there? Actually because of the differences between Old English and Old German you would not expect it to be easily recognisable anyway. You's expect the "v" to be a "b". There are however many Welsh derived names in Britain now which contain the letter pattern L-w/v-n. The Anglo Saxon name seems limited to surnames now. Who is the Baron de Leving? Do you mean the founder of Livingston in West Lothian? If so then I am aware of no evidence for his ethnic background apart from the form of his name, which 19th century historians took to be a form of Leofwin, while the Macleas obviously felt very confident it was Gaelic. I don't see that either argument really holds a strong upper hand. I am also not sure that there is any secure family tree of early people with surnames referring to the town Livingston. In other words, I am not confident that anyone knows for sure that the aristocratic Livingstons had a connection back to Leving who founded the town they are named after - although it is the leading theory. Best Regards Andrew

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

Andrew, Leving's were at Westfalen, Prussia, some in the Netherlands and Denmark. If you research this you will find it to be accurate I believe.Some of their descendants may still be living in these countries. I don't think anyone is 100% certain that Baron de Leving was Germanic, but neither do any of the early records claim him to be born of Anglo Saxon, welsh or Scot origins in the British Isles to be fair.

[Andrew Lancaster4]

There is indeed a Dutch name related to Leofwin, but not Leving itself. Belgian pronounciation is like leaf-a. I understand you are talking about given names, correct? Concerning old records about the ehtnic background of the lowland Livingstons there is one source I suppose: we know that the Macleas thought they were relatives. Is there any old record or story which gives any other ethnic designation? I think we agree that there is very little to go on either way. Best Regards Andrew

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

Hi Andrew, No there is or were Levings in Prussia; I of course cant say what their origins were in Prussia or if by any chance they are connected to Baron de Leving mentioned as the ancestor of the lowland Livingstones. They all seem to be drawing from a source or sources that stated that the Baron that was brought to Scotland from Germany or Hungary. I looked up the original spelling of the name and found Leving in more recent years in Prussia for one reason or another according to familysearch.org. This I found interesting since I was wondering if the name could possibly be of Germanic or Anglo Saxon origin. sincerely yours, Donald Clink

[Andrew Lancaster4]

Donald Aren't the ones you mean cases with Leving as a surname? If so then the surname still exists in English in various forms. Even then I am not confident that these names are etymologically connected. They might be because they are all in the north where many names would be based upon the old Niederdeutsch. Best Regards Andrew

[Donald Livingstone Clink]

Hi Andrew, Can't honestly say that these Leving's in Prussia have any connection to Baron de Leving at this point. Just found it interesting.

[Bachuil]

For an interesting account of Donald read The Celtic Review Volume VI July 1909 pp340-348 or see http://www.clanlivingstone.com/Donald%20Livingstone.htm for a copy. Interestingly it says Donald Livingstone was from Bun-a-mhuilinn, Morvern.

[Laura Livingston]

Where in Morvern is Bun-a-mhuilinn?

[Bachuil]

Laura, I can't find it - but bun means base, foot, foundation Bun-a-mhuilinn means Millfoot pronounced Bunavulin Regards Niall