English / Map Form: Portlethen
Gaelic Form: Port Leathain
Location: Kincardineshire
Post Town: ABERDEEN
Postcode area: AB12
County: Kincardineshire
Local Authority: Aberdeen
English / Map Form: Portlethen
Gaelic Form: Port Leathain
Language Notes
G nom. sg. port, masc. ‘harbour’ + gen. sg. fem. def. art. na + gen. pl. of G leathan, 'slope (leading to a port)'Element Meaning
G port ~ harbour’ + G leathan ~ slope
Sources
| terras de Proclaithin | 1527 RMS iii, 559 |
| Portlethin | 1529 RMS iii, 878 |
| terrarum de Portlathin | 1557 RMS iv, 1148 |
| baroniam de Portlethin | 1608 RMS vi, 2122 |
| Portlathin | 1608 Records of the Sherriff court of Aberdeenshire ii, 136 |
| Portlethin | 1610 Records of the Sherriff court of Aberdeenshire ii, 154 |
| baroniam de Portlethin | 1625 RMS viii, 707 |
| baroniam de Portlethin | 1637 RMS ix, 725 |
| Port-Lethin | 1654 Blaeu Map Aberdeen/Banff |
| barony of, harbour of Porthlethin | 1659 RMS x, 680 |
| barony of Porthlethen | 1667 RMS xi, 1042 |
| Port Lethon | 1747-55 Roy |
| Portlethon, Portlethon Shore | 1820 Thomson [also Port moss, and Seat Town of Porlethon] |
Additional Information
Leathan Grange is in Portlethen, along with some building names with Leathan.
Leathan here is in the sense of a slope leading down to the port.