Scott

Scott is a name that functions as both a surname and a given name. As a surname, it originated as an ethnonym for a person from Scotland or of Gaelic origin. The form derives from Old English terms for a Scot or from the Latin Scotus, used in medieval Britain to denote Gaels or inhabitants of Scotland. It has since become common in the English-speaking world and persists in many countries today.

As a given name, Scott rose in popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is typically masculine, though occasional female usages occur, and is often derived from the surname or from the association with Scotland.

Notable people with the given name Scott include Scott Adams, American cartoonist and creator of Dilbert; Scott Bakula, American actor; Scott Joplin, American composer and pianist; and Scott Turow, American novelist and lawyer. Notable people with the surname Scott include Winfield Scott, a prominent American general and the 1852 presidential candidate. The name also appears in numerous place names and institutions in the Anglophone world, reflecting its broad cultural reach, such as Scott Counties and Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.