Fleming

Fleming is a surname of Scottish origin, likely derived from a term meaning a Flemish person. The name has appeared in Scotland since medieval times and later spread to other English-speaking regions. It is associated with Clan Fleming, a Lowland Scottish clan with historical ties to the Borders and central Scotland.

Notable bearers include Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), a Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin in 1928. His work, followed by the development of penicillin by Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain, led to the widespread use of antibiotics, and Fleming shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Florey and Chain. Ian Fleming (1908–1964), a British author and journalist best known for creating James Bond and for the novel Casino Royale. The surname appears across various fields, including politics, science, and the arts, reflecting its broad dispersal in the English-speaking world.

Beyond individuals, Fleming appears in general reference to families and lineages of Scottish origin, as well as as a place-name element in some localities in the United Kingdom and North America. The name remains common in parts of Scotland and among descendants of Scottish emigrants worldwide.