where does the last name sutherland come from
Clan Sutherland The progenitor of the Clan Sutherland was a Flemish nobleman by the name of Freskin,[5] who was also the progenitor of the Clan Murray.[5][6] It has been claimed that Freskin was Pictish but it is much more likely that he was a Flemish knight, one of a ruthless group of warlords who were employed by the Norman kings to pacify their new realm after the Norman conquest of England.[6] David I of Scotland who was brought up in the English court, employed such men to keep hold of the wilder parts of his kingdom and granted to Freskin lands in West Lothian.[6] The ancient Pictish kingdom of Moray (Moireabh in Scottish Gaelic) was also given to Freskin and this put an end to the remnants of that old royal house.[6] In a series of astute political moves Freskin and his sons inter married with the old house of Moray to consolidate their power.[6] Freskin's descendants were designated by the surname de Moravia ("of Moray" in the Norman language).[6] Freskin's grandson was Hugh de Moravia who was granted lands in Sutherland and was known as Lord de Sudrland.[5][7] Hugh's younger brother, William, was progenitor of the Clan Murray.[5][7][note 2] Hugh's eldest son (also called William) was William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland.[5] The place name and clan name of "Sutherland" came from it being the 'land to the south' of the Norse Earldom of Orkney and Caithness.[5] Although the senior line of chiefs who were the Earls of Sutherland had the surname 'de Moravia', they often used the territorial surname 'Sutherland' and the younger sons of the family also took the surname 'Sutherland', thus creating the cadet branches of the Clan Sutherland.[5]