Gladstone Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gladstone last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gladstone last name
Meaning of the Gladstone last name: kite rock. Gladstone is a Scottish surname from Gledstanes in Lanarkshire, from Scots gled, "kite", and stane, "rock". The family later moved to Leith and Liverpool. William Ewart Gladstone, four times prime minister, made this last name one of the best known in Victorian Britain.
Arms associated with the Gladstone name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Gladstone name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Gladstone family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gladstone story. The full Gladstone history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gladstone coat of arms. Get the full Gladstone report.
Gladstone name FAQ
What does the Gladstone name mean?
Kite rock. Common variants include Gladstanes, Gledstanes.
Where does the Gladstone surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Gladstone coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gladstone coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).