Varela Surname History

In the mountains of Scotland’s west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the Varela family were born. Their name comes from the Gaelic name Muiredachus, meaning “belonging to the sea, a mariner,” fro which also coes the more common and quite distinct name Murdoch.

Early Origins of the Varela family

The surname Varela was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.