Drustan

Drustan is a male given name of Gaelic origin, found in medieval and early modern sources in various spellings such as Drustan, Drest, and Drustanus. The exact etymology is uncertain, but the name is generally linked to early Brythonic and Gaelic naming traditions and is attested in Latinized forms common in chronicles and genealogies.

In historical and legendary contexts, Drustan is associated with the Brittonic kingdom of Strathclyde, the medieval realm centered in what is now southwest Scotland and parts of northern England. Several references in royal genealogies and annals mention figures bearing the name, though the surviving material is fragmentary. Because of gaps in the sources and later reinterpretations, the precise identities and reigns of these individuals are debated, and there is no single, clearly defined historical Drustan.

Modern usage of the name is rare but persistent within Scotland and among communities with Gaelic heritage. It appears in contemporary name lists and in local histories or genealogies that draw on medieval material. Outside of strictly historical contexts, Drustan also features in literature and folklore as a historically evocative or legendary-sounding name, often used to suggest a medieval or Brythonic ambiance.

Overall, Drustan is a historically rooted but sparsely attested name with ties to early Scottish and Brittonic naming traditions. It serves as an example of how medieval Gaelic and Brythonic onomastics converge in later literary and genealogical transmission.