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Meaning & History
The Baron Auckland and the Earl of Auckland are titles of the English nobility. The first Baron Auckland, William Eden, had the city of Auckland in New Zealand named after him. Bishop Auckland is a town in the county of Durham in Britain which has lent its name to the title. The meaning of the name Auckland has been much debated. There are three theories:1. it may be a Celtic name which means “rock on the Clyde” or “cliff on the Clyde”; the Clyde being the original name for the River Gaunless (its modern name is from the Norse for “useless”).2. it may be from the Norse for “additional land”, which could refer to the area being extra land granted to the Bishop of Durham by King Canute around 1020.3. it may be a form of OAKLAND, referring to its extensive forests.The title has been used occasionally as a male name; famous bearers include Sir Auckland Colvin and Sir Auckland Campbell Geddes.