Published on 06/22/2020 16:49 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Edited by | Fact-checked by
With a melting pot of Norse, Gaelic, English and Irish influences, Scottish names are wonderfully unique and steeped in history.
Some Scottish baby names sound more like battle cries, translating as; “brave”, “noble” and “valiant,” while others are a little more rustic like Brody, which simply translates as “from the mud” – very appropriate for kids who love getting mucky!
So, we have searched high and low for the best 100 Scottish baby names, with so many to choose from, which will you pick?
Scottish Names for Girls
1. Aili: An unusual Scottish version of Alice, Aili is pronounced ‘ay-lee.”
2. Aila: Gaelic for “from a resilient place.”
3. Ailsa: Celticand translates as“supernatural victory.”
4. Aileana: A person from the “green meadow.”
5. Aggie: Scottish nickname for the English versions of Agnes or Agatha.
6. Annella: A very popular choice in the Scottish Highlands and a version of Anne.
7. Bonnie: Bonnie is traditional and popular because of its sentimental meaning:“ beautiful” with the most famous Bonnie, being the Welsh power ballad singer, Bonnie Tyler.
8. Caitriona: (Greek origin) shortens to Cait, Caitlin and Triona, Caitriona and is pronounced ‘ka-tree-na’ and is widely used in Scotland and simply means “purity.”
9. Ceit: Gaelic spelling and variation of Kate.
10. Caitlin: Gaelic variation of Catherine.
11. Catriona: Scottish variation of Catherine.
12. Curstaidh: Scottish version of Kirsty.
13. Cora: Roughly translates as; “maiden from the coral of the sea.”
14. Donalda: The Scottish female version of Donald.
15. Edme: Variation of Esme.
16. Elspeth: A Scottish derivative of Elizabeth.
17. Eilidh: A Scottish version of Ellie.
18. Elsie: Of Scottish heritage and a shortened version of Elspethand an alternative to Ella and Ellie.
19. Euna. Gaelic for Una.
20. Fiona: Itmeans “fair” and owesmuch of its popularity to the popular movie, Shrek and the heroine, Princess Fiona.
21. Gavenia: Gaelic and means “White Hawk.”
22. Gordania: Of Scottish origins and means “heroic.”
23. Heather: Inspired by the pretty flowering plant seen all over Scotland.
24. Iona: From the Scottish Isle of the same name.
25. Isla: Means “island” in Spanish and there is the Scottish island Islay.
26. Iseabail: Scottish variation of Isabel and has a biblical meaning, “pledged to God”
27. Kirstine: Derived from Christine.
28. Kenzy: Abbreviated form of McKenzie which means “fair one.”
29. Kyla: Of Gaelic heritage and means a “narrow split of land.“
30. Laire: Gaelic translation for “mare.”
31. Lexy: Short and sweet and Scottish form of Alexandra.
32. Lilias- (Latin origin) Now popular in Scotland, Lilias is a beautiful variation of Lily.
33. Mairi: The more modern spelling of Mary with a Scottish twist.
34. Maisie: Scottish variation of Margaret, meaning “pearl.”
35. Maidie or Madie: Means “young woman.”
36. Morag: The longer version of Mora or Mor.
37. Muireall: Means “bright sea.”
38. Nessa: Not to be confused with the elusive Loch Ness Monster, Nessa actually means from the headland and can be shortened to Ness or Nessy.
39. Norrie: Originated in Orkney and means “Northerner.”
40. Paisley: Means “church”, Paisley is hugely popular, not only for its Scottish roots but also its the famous “paisley pattern” which is a teardrop motif, it’s also a town in the lowlands of Scotland.
41. Rona: The Scottish spelling of Rhona.
42. Scotland: Why not pay the ultimate homage to Scottish heritage and call your baby girl after the country itself?
43. Struana: Gaelic for “from the stream.”
44. Tay: A version of Taylor, Inspired by the Scottish River Tay, this name has risen in popularity thanks to the American pop singer, Taylor Swift.
45. Wilma: Made famous by the cartoon “The Flintstones”, It’s also a popular variation on Wilhelmina which means “resolute protection.”
46. Wanda: Means “a narrow path.” and made famous by the film called, “A Fish called Wanda.”
Scottish Names for Boys
1. Aiden: (Celtic origin) perfect for a little boy who is “little and fiery.”
2. Ainsley: Unisex and means, “one’s own meadow.”
3. Alec or Aleck: A popular Scottish baby name and an abbreviation of Alexander.
4. Argyle: Gaelic for from the “land of Gauls.”
5. Alistair: Gaelic variation of Alexander, “defender of mankind“
6. Angus: A strong name made famous by the “Scottish play” Macbeth, by playwright William Shakespeare.
7. Arran: Or Aaron, Geographically inspired name from Scotland’s stunning Isle of Arran
8. Athdar: Gaelic for “oak tree ford.”
9. Art: (Celtic origin) means “noble one” or “bear-man.”
10. Baen: Scottish for “fair-skinned.”
11. Banner: A strong baby boy’s name and another word for “flag bearer.”
12. Baldie: Scottish variation of Archibald
13. Blair: Gaelic for “child of the ford” and a common surname.
14. Breac: Gaelic for “speckled.”
15. Brody: Gaelic for “from the muddy place” and a castle in Scotland (Brodie Castle.)
16. Bruce: A very common surname in Scotland, with the Bruce’s were a powerful Scottish family.
17. Boyd: Gaelic word for “blond.”
18. Brodie: Gaelic and means, “ origin,” or a “place.”
19. Campbell: Gaelic for “crooked mouth” also a popular Scottish clan.
20. Clyde: Inspired by the famous Scottish river Clyde.
21. Connor: (Celtic origin)Usually translated as “lover of hounds.”
22. Callum or Calum: Very sweetly means “dove” and very popular in Scotland.
23. Casey: (Irish and Gaelic origin) meaning,“vigilant”
24. Cian (kee-an): Means “ancient.”
25. Cillian (kill-ee-an): Celticfor “little church”
26. Darragh: (Irish origin) means “oak.”
27. Dougal: A Gaelic name translated as “dark stranger” and was the nickname given to Vikings.
28. Ewan: A regal title and means, “born to nobility.”
29. Fingal: Gaelic for “White stranger“
30. Finley or Finlay: (Scottish/ Irish origin) “fair-haired hero.” Shortened to Finn.
31. Flynn: The Gaelic form of “son of red-haired one.”
32. Grant: Meaning “great” or “tall.”
33. Gordon: From Gaelic and literally translates as “gor-dun” and means “hill-fort”.
34. Hamish: Means “supplanted,” a very popular name in Scotland.
35. Liam: (Irish origin) means “resolute protection.”
36. Maxwell: Means “great stream.”
37. Patrick: (Latin/ Irish origin) meaning “nobleman” and Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.
38. Quany: Simply means “proud.”
39. Roy: (Celtic origin) and means “red.”
40. Rory: It doesn’t get more Scottish than this boy’s name meaning “the red-haired king.”
41. Ryan: (Celtic/Irish origin)means, “little king.”
42. Scott: Not the greatest mystery, it’s someone who hails from Scotland, or if you are a Star Trek fan, you may think of “Beam me up Scottie!
43. Sean: (Celtic origin) a derivative of John, and means, “God is gracious.”
44. Seamas or Seumas: (Celtic origin) the Scottish equivalent of James.
45. Tor: (Scandinavian origin) means “God of thunder.”
46. Willie: The adorable pet name for William.
Scottish Unisex Names
1. Ainslie: A famous Scottish family surname and means “one’s own meadow.”
2. Cameron: A strong gender-neutral name, made even more famous by Hollywood movie star, Cameron Diaz.
3. Camden: This is a trendy unisex name of Scottish origin and means, “winding valley.”
4. Lennox: An edgy name for girls or boys and Gaelic for “with many elms.”
5. Logan: Gaelic and translates as “little hollow.”
6. Rae: Scottish for “grace” so perfect for a little boy or girl.
7. Skye: Inspired by the stunning Isle of Skye, a Scottish Island. Skye is extremely popular in America, with a host of celebrities calling their children Skye.
8. Wallace or Wallis: A strong and popular, traditional Scottish name, for any baby girl or boy – made in Scotland.
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