In addition to the theories below as to the origin of the name "Wyld", there is another theory that its presence in Scotland is from a different origin - namely from the Ancient Welsh (Brythonic) languages spoken by the peoples of most of this part of the world until the political and military takeovers by the Angles and Scots from around 600 AD onwards. The fact that the name "Wyld" only appears in early records in two specific localities of Scotland, the Peebleshire / Lanarkshire region, on the one hand, and Forfarshire on the other, and the connection of these localities with King Arthur, has been developed into a theory in which the Wylds are traced to Merlin!! Please see Robert Stodart Wyld's Memoirs for further information - especially the initial pages.
Below are some notes which I typed up many years ago, which cite the other theories as to the name's origins. They were provided by a Mrs Meiklejohn.
