According to legend, the Scottish clan Erskine were granted their surname by King Malcolm II after an ancestor of theirs killed a Danish general in battle. He apparently presented his bloodied knife to the king and said "eryskyne" (or "air an sgian") meaning "upon the knife", and the king made that his surname in honour of his valour. This seems a bit unlikely as an origin, especially as there’s no reason to doubt its origin as a habitational name, but it’s a fun story nevertheless.
This seems a bit unlikely as an origin, especially as there’s no reason to doubt its origin as a habitational name, but it’s a fun story nevertheless.