NAPIER is a surname of considerable antiquity both in Scotland and England. The Earl of Lennox sent men under the control of his two youngest sons, Donald and Gilchrist to support Alexander II (King of Scots) in battle. The battle went hard with the Scots, who were not only forced to lose ground, but were actually running away when Donald snatched his father's standard from the bearer, charged the enemy with the Lennox-men, changed the fortune of the day, and obtained a victory. After the battle the king said, "You have all done valiantly; but there is one amongst you who had 'Nae Peer,'" and commanded Donald to change his name from Lennox to Napier, and bestowed upon him the lands of Gosford, and lands in Fife as a reward for his service.
