# Erskine (surname)

Erskine is a Scottish surname. The name is derived from a habitational name from a location (Erskine) on the southern bank of the River Clyde, near Glasgow. This place was first recorded in 1225 as Erskin. Early spellings of the place include: Yrskin (1227); Ireskin (1262); Harskin (1300), and Irschen (1300). The Scottish Gaelic form of the surname is Arascain. Legend dictates that the name was given by King Malcolm II to a man who killed the Danish General Enrique at the Battle of Murthill. He is said to have shown the bloody knife to king and said eris-skyne (air a' scèin), meaning "upon the knife". The King, in honour of his valour, granted him the surname Eriskine.

## People with the surname

* Albert Russel Erskine (1871–1933), an American businessman who served as president of the Studebaker Corporation from 1915 to 1933
* Carl Erskine (1926–2024), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 to 1959
* Chris Erskine (born 1987), Scottish footballer
* David Erskine, (1776–1855), British diplomat and politician
* Ebenezer Erskine (1680–1754), Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church
* Emmanuel Erskine (1937–2021), Ghanaian army general and commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
* George Erskine (1899–1965), British general who commanded the 7th Armoured Division during World War II,
* Gizzi Erskine (born 1979), British chef and TV personality
* Graves B. Erskine (1897–1973), U.S. Marine Corps general who led the 3rd Marine Division during the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima
* Henry Erskine (lawyer) (1746–1817), Scottish Whig politician and lawyer
* Jacob Erskine (born 1989), English footballer
* James Robert Erskine-Murray (1868–1927), Scottish electrical inventor
* Jared Samuel Erskine (born 1986), American singer and songwriter known professionally as October London
* Joe Erskine (American boxer) (1930–2009), welterweight boxer and long-distance runner
* Joe Erskine (Welsh boxer) (1934–1990), British and British Empire heavyweight boxing champion
* John Erskine (disambiguation), several people
* Kenneth Erskine (born 1963), British serial killer known as the "Stockwell Strangler" who murdered seven elderly people in and around London during a three-month period in 1986
* Laurie York Erskine (1894–1976), American author and educator
* Margaret Erskine (disambiguation), several people
* Maya Erskine (born 1987), American actress and writer
* Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (born 1984), Canadian politician
* Peter Erskine (born 1954), American jazz drummer and composer
* Ralph Erskine (disambiguation), several people
* Robert Erskine (disambiguation), several people
* Roy Erskine (born 1931), Scottish footballer
* Ruaraidh Erskine (1869–1960), Scottish nationalist activist
* Scott Erskine (1962–2020), American serial killer sentenced to death for the murder of two California boys in 1993
* Thomas Erskine (disambiguation), several people
* William Erskine (disambiguation), several people

## Fictional characters with the surname

* Abraham Erskine, in comics from Marvel Comics, the scientist responsible for the creation of Captain America
* Inspector Lewis Erskine, in American TV series The F.B.I.
* Harry Erskine, in the 1978 film The Manitou