In the rough and lawless terrain of the Anglo-Scottish Borders from the 13th to early 17th centuries, identity was often marked not just by clan allegiance but by the names men earned through deeds, temperament, or appearance. Nicknames among the Border Reivers carried weight. Some were feared, some ridiculed, but all said something about how a man lived, fought, or was remembered.
These names were rarely given lightly. They emerged from tales told around fires, enemies’ curses, or the grudging respect of neighbours. In many cases, they outlived the men themselves, etched into records by English wardens, Scottish balladeers, and government papers trying in vain to control the Borders.
Why Nicknames Mattered
In a landscape where surnames repeated across clans and branches, nicknames helped distinguish individuals in both storytelling and recordkeeping. The same Armstrong or Elliot could appear on both sides of a raid or feud. A nickname clarified who was being spoken of: Lang Will, not Black Will; Jock o’ the Side, not Jock Armstrong. They cut through the clutter of names and connected the man to his reputation.
Types of Nicknames and What They Signified
Nicknames often pointed to one of several things:
1. Physical Features
These names marked something visual or striking about a man.
- Ill Will Armstrong – Possibly referring to an unpleasant nature or an affliction.
- Red Rowan – Likely red-haired, a feature often mentioned in descriptions of Reivers.
- Crooked David – A physical deformity or limp, often the result of an old injury.
2. Personality or Reputation
A man’s character in raids, dealings, or day-to-day life.
- Foul Fawsie Nixon – Fawsie may be a corruption of ‘falzie’ (deceitful), suggesting dishonesty.
- Auld Wat of Harden – ‘Auld’ often showed age and status; Walter Scott of Harden was both feared and respected.
- Lang Will Scott – A tall or rangy man, possibly known for his long reach in a fight or his endurance on horseback.
3. Place and Lineage
Used when several men of the same name appeared within a clan.
- Jock o’ the Side – A member of the Armstrong family from the Side valley; one of the most famous Border outlaws.
- Hobbie Noble – A notorious outlaw, ‘Noble’ referring to either family name or ironically to his behaviour.
- Geordie Bourne – Possibly a reference to ‘burn’ (stream) but also a well-known criminal executed in Carlisle.
4. Irony and Humour
Some nicknames mocked or played against reality.
- Sweetmilk Henderson – There is little sweet or soft in a Reiver’s life. This may have been sarcasm or suggestive of a man who pretended gentleness.
- Ill-Drowned Sandy – A name implying clumsiness or misadventure in a river crossing, possibly a lucky escape that earned ridicule.
Why They Endured
These names were recorded by balladeers, border officials, and chroniclers trying to impose order or tell stories. The nicknames stuck because they captured something memorable, whether rooted in violence, wit, or a visual marker. Many of them appear in lists of men taken or killed, pardons granted, or feuds recorded. In several cases, the full name is unknown or forgotten, and only the nickname remains.
They also served as a kind of social currency. A Reiver with a fearsome name might discourage resistance. One with a ridiculous name might be the target of ridicule or disbelief. Among clans like the Grahams, Nixons, Elliots, and Armstrongs, these nicknames became part of oral tradition.
Legacy
Border Reiver nicknames live on in folk ballads, regional memory, and family stories. Some even became surnames or were passed down generationally. They are fragments of an identity forged in raids, skirmishes, and the complex loyalties of the Borderlands. More than just names, they were a form of historical shorthand, each one carrying echoes of gunfire, gallows, and galloping hooves across the moss.
The Borders may have quieted, but names like Black John, Ill Will, and Jock o’ the Side still whisper of a world that once stood between two kingdoms and belonged to neither.
