Wallace

Wallace derives from the Medieval Latin Walensis and the Old French Waleis, meaning "Welshman" or more broadly "foreigner," a term applied by Germanic-speaking peoples to Celtic and Romance-speaking neighbors. It was brought to Scotland as a surname by a family of Strathclyde Britons and became famous through the Scottish patriot Sir William Wallace, who led resistance against English rule in the late thirteenth century. The name subsequently crossed from surname to given name, a common pattern in Scottish and English naming traditions. Closely related forms include Wallis and the feminine Wallace or Wallis.