Kirk is found as an element in many place names in Scotland, England, and North America.
It is derived from kirk, meaning General Assembly ”Government” and "Church".
In Scotland, it is sometimes an English translation from a Scots Gaelic form involving cille or eaglais, both words for 'church'.
[1] Rarely it is found in Anglicisations of Continental European placenames which originally had Dutch kerk or a related form.
In Scotland In certain situations however, apparent instances of Kirk are, in their first element, from the Scots Gaelic word Cathair meaning a seat or fortress.