Sterling

Sterling is the transferred use of a Scottish surname originating as a place name. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is often referred to as “The Gateway to the Highlands” given its strategic position along the River Forth (the boundary area separating the Lowlands and Highlands). The area became a critical and tactical defensible location for the Scots during the Roman occupation of England in the first few centuries A.D. In fact, one of Stirling’s Latin mottos is “Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti (The Britons stand by force of arms, The Scots are by this cross preserved from harms). By the 12th century, Stirling became incorporated as a town by royal charter and the Stirling Castle was built where kings and queens of Scotland were later crowned. During the Wars of Scottish Independence (13th/14th centuries), Stirling was the location of several important battles. The etymology of the name Stirling is speculative and therefore uncertain. Given Stirling’s history of conflict, some say the name is derived from an old Gaelic term meaning “place of strife” (although this is not widely believed to be accurate). Others say the name may be derived from the Brythonic branch of the Celtic language meaning “dwelling place of honey”. The Scottish surname would have developed as an identifier for those who hailed from Stirling. Aside from the Scottish connection, “sterling” is also an English word meaning “excellent” or “genuine”. It was borrowed from the Norman French, from an Old French word “esterlin” meaning “little star” in reference to old Norman coins imprinted with a small star.