Wallace

Wallace derives from the Medieval Latin Wallensis and the Norman French Waleis, meaning "foreigner" or "Welshman," ultimately rooted in the Germanic element walh, which the Anglo-Saxons used to denote Celtic or Romanized peoples. The name was brought into Scotland as a surname and became famous through the 13th-century Scottish patriot William Wallace, whose resistance against English rule made the name a symbol of Scottish national identity. Its transition from surname to given name followed the common English-speaking tradition of adopting notable family names as forenames. Related forms include Wallis and the shortened Wally.