Recorded as Randalson, Randleson, Randerson, and sometimes confused with Randelston, which has a quite different origin as shown below, these are all Scottish surnames. The former group are the patronymic forms of Randall, from the Old English "Rand-wulf", a pre 6th century personal name which translates as "Shield-wolf" but perhaps literally means "Wolf shield". Either way it has proved to be extraordinarily popular for some fifteen hundred years, both as a personal name, and from about the 12th century as a hereditary surname which pops up in various countries in different spellings. Randall is first recorded in England in the year 1250 with that of Thomas Randal of Suffolk in the tax register known as the "Feet of Fines", and in Scotland with Harry Randell of Orkney in 1436. However it is unlikely that Scotland was rwo centures behind England, and more likely that records have been lost. The patronymic though is of a similar date though, the first example being probably Thomas Randalson of Hergrange in Cupar-Angus in 1471. As Randelston it is likely that the name is locational, from what is now Randerston in Fifeshire. The first recording is that of John de Randelstone. He rendered homage to the government of Scotland lead by John Balliol in 1296.

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