Old photograph of a cottage and the William Stuart shop in Tomnavoulin in Moray, Scotland. Tomnavoulin, meaning ' mill on the hill ' in Gaelic, is a small village on the eastern banks of the River Livet, and is probably best known today for the Tamnavoulin Whisky distillery. The origins the old family name Stuart can be found within medieval Scotland. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Scotland, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Stuart family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Stuart was an occupational name for a steward, the official in charge of a noble household and its treasury. One common alternate spelling of the name is a result of the influence of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was educated in France, and consequently spelled the name Steuart or Stuart.
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