The 'foreign Briton.' In Gaelic the name is rendered Mac a Bhreatnaich, the 'Briton's son' (of Strathclyde). The original Galbraith was most probably one of the British race settled among the Gaels. Gillescop Galbrath witnessed the gift by Maldowen, son of Alwin, earl of Levenax, of the church of Kamsi (Campsie) to God and S. Kentigern, c. 1208—14 (REG., p. 88). In an earlier charter, but within the same period, by Alwin, earl of Levenax of the same church he appears as Gillescop Galbrad 'nepote nostro' (ibid., p. 87). As Gillescop Gallebrad he witnessed a charter by Maldouen, earl of Levenax to Robert Herthford a. 1224 (RMP., p. 217). Maldouen the earl in 1238 fruited to William, son of Arthur, son of Galrat three carucates of land in Lennox, viz. the two Buthernoclds and Kyncaith (Levenax, p. 30). About 1246 or earlier Gillaspec Galbraith witnessed grant of the lands of Colquhoune to Umfridus de Kilpatrick (ibid., p. 25), and about the same date Earl Maldouen granted to Maurice, son of Gillaspic and Arthur, his son a quarter land in Auchincloich "que jacit propinquior Strochelmakessoc in escambio duarum terrarum, videlicet Thombethy et Letyrmolyn" (ibid., p. 27). Hugh de Galbrath was provost of Aberdeen, 1342 (ER., I, p. 480; REA., I, p. 72); and the name also occurs in Angus, 1506 (RAA., II, p. 368). A number of 'wrychtis' were employed by Sir George Calbrathe in 1494 (ALHT., I, p. 246). James Galbrat was "dekin of the Tailzour crawft" in the burgh of Canongate, Edinburgh, 1554 (LSC., p. 293). Robert Caubraith, a pupil of John Major, may be Robert Galbraith who was rector of Spot in 1534, Lord of Session in 1537, and murdered in 1543. A Gaelic saying of uncertain date ranks Galbraith as the greatest of surnames:

"Bhreatunnach o'n Talla Dheirg,

Uaisle 'shliochd Albann do shloinne."

(Galbraith from the Red Tower,

Noblest of Albannic race, thy pedigree.)Stolen from Fore bears

Talla dhearg was probably Dumbarton. Tannahill in his "Kebbuckston Weddin" spells the name Cobreath. Cabreth 1692 Calbratht 1474, Calbreath 1685, Galbrach 1372. Galbrithait 1476, Galhracht 1528, Galbrafte 1440, Galbrayt 1592, Calbraytht 1551, Gallbraith 1679, Gallbraithe 1638, Galbrithart 1476, Gawbrath 1464. Collectively the Galbraiths are known in Gaelic as Clann a' Bhreatannaich.

(Celtic) British or Welsh Stranger [for Old Gaelic Gall-Breathnach— gall, a stranger, low-countryman; Breathnach = Mod. Gaelic Breatunnach, British, a Briton]

(Scottish) A stranger or foreigner, especially the foreign Briton.

A Celtic family of remote antiquity, formerly settled at Baldernoch in Stirlingshire. "The Galbraiths are called in the Celtic language Breatanuich or Clann a Breatanuich, i.e. Britons, or the children of the Briton. They were once a great name in Scotland, according to the following lines: —

A compound of two Gaelic words, Gall and Bhreatan, that is, strange Briton, or Low Country Briton. The Galbraiths in the Gaelic are called Breatannich, or Clann—a—Breatannich, that is, the Britons, or the children of the Britons, and were once reckoned a great name in Scotland, according to the following lines:—

"Bhreatanuich o'n Talla dhearg,

Hailse sir Alba do shloinneadh."

"Galbraith's from the Red Tower,

Noblest of Scottish surnames."

The "Talla dhearg,"or "Red Tower,"was probably Dumbarton, that is, Bun Bhreatain, the hill or stronghold of the Britons, whence it is said the Galbraiths came. Galbraith, Welsh, the diversified plain.