Aberdeenshire Cairneys are common in the records (Scottish Old Parish Registers Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Death records,1700-1854) for that city from at least the early 17^th century: forms include Cairnie, Cairny, Carnie, Carney, and so forth. Black (Surnames of Scotland, 1946) discusses their origin in the area from a place name, one of the many ‘Cairney’ places in Scotland. Black also finds however that several of the family of Cardeney or Cairdeney (Cairney) of Perth-Dunkeld settled in Aberdeed in the early 15^th century, so that is also a likely origin (the DNA genealogy test will clarify this connection if it exists, and may verify the connection to the Leslies if it is a male-line connection).

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