This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Livingstone,' a parish in Linlithgowshire.

1789. Married — Alex. Cowie and Sarah Livingston: St. George, Hanover Square.

Of territorial origin from the lands, now parish, of the same name in West Lothian. A Saxon named Leving or Leuing appears to have settled in Scotland under David I. He certainly possessed a grant of the above-mentioned lands, which he called Levingestun (in Latin charters, villa Letting). Turstanus filius Leuig (for Leulg = Leving) in the reign of Malcolm IV granted to the monks of Holyrood the church of Leuiggestun, with a half carucate of land and a toft (LSC., p. 15). Two sons of Turstan, Alexander and William, are mentioned as witnesses to two charters between the years 1165 and 1214, and as Turstan himself is also a witness to one of these charters he must have lived to a good old age (LSC., p. 29; RPSA., p. 180). William Levystone, c. 1290, witnessed a grant by Malcolm, earl of Levenax to Patrick Galbraith (Levenax, p. 33). Sir Archibald de Levingestoune of Edinburghshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 194,211), and James of Leyffingstoun was great chamberlain of Scotland in 1456 (Bain, IV, 1276). John Levistone in Octofad, Islay, 1747 (Isles) The MacLeays of Appin, a small sept of the Stewarts of Appin, sometimes Englished their name as Livingstone, of whom was the celebrated missionary and traveller, David Livingstone. "There is, of course, no etymological connection between Livingston and M'Leay; it is the slight resemblance of the initial part of the names, together with the fact of the Livingstons having land on the Highland frontier, that caused the equation of the one name with the other" (Macbain). This name is used by Pennsylvania Germans as an Englishing of Loewenstein. Leuingstowne 1449, Leuiyngston 1424, Levingston 1561, Levingstoun 1627, Levingstoune 1413, Levinston 1501, Levnstoun and Levyngstoun 1528, Levyngistoun 1296, Levyngstoun 1552, Levynsthon 1429, Levynston 1443, Levynstoune 1472, Lewingstoune 1503, Lewinston 1432, Lewyngstoun 1531, Lewynston 1510, Lewynstone 1550, Lewynstoun 1465, Lewynstoune 1450, Liuiston 1660, Liuistone 1650, Livistoun 1693.

(Scot.-Eng.) belonging to Living- stone(Linlithgow), 13th cent. Levyngestone (also Levinistun) = (prob.) Léofing’s Stone (Castle) [v. under Liv­ing, and Old English stán] ‘In this parish there formerly stood an ancient stronghold.’—Nat. Gaz.

(Scottish) One who came from the lands, now parish, of Livingston (abode of Leofwine, dear friend), in West Lothian.

A parish in Linlithgowshire.

Local: from the barony of Livingstone in West Lothian. The family are descended from Livingus, a Hungarian, who accompanied Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmore, to Scotland.

Local. A barony in West Lothian, Scotland, so named from one Livingus living there in 1124; hence Livingston.