One derivation of the proud name of Burns is from the Old English ‘beorn’, meaning ‘warrior’, while yet another source is from a term indicating ‘bourne’, or ‘stream’.
• ‘Burns’ and other name variations that include ‘Burnside’ and ‘Burness’ figure prominently in Scotland's story.
• As kinsmen of the clansmen, they fought for the cause of their nation's freedom, while others gained notoriety as lawless Borders reivers, or raiders.
• In more peaceful times, the Burns name has become synonymous with that of the great national bard Robert Burns, born in 1759 in a humble cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire.
