Scottish Names

Brooke Shields chose this name for her younger daughter. It's one of the original androgynous movie star names, precursor to Drew and Glenn and Cameron, borne by Greer Garson.

Cameron is still more popular as a boy's name than a girls and this simple, snappy short form works well for either sex.

Takes Monroe out of the Dead Presidents category and gives it new life.

Traditionally a male name, Leith now can make a highly unusual, strong but soft, and intriguing girls' possibility.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

Now a mostly-male name, in its earliest incarnation Douglas was used equally for girls and boys and could certainly make a comeback as one of the new boy names for girls".

Nice Scottish sound, but too tied to sweaters and socks.

Rona ranked in the US Top 1000 in the mid-20th century but holds new meaning in the 2020s. "Rona" has become slang for coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, which gives the name a dark and somber edge. In 2020, Rona was given to 17 baby girls (a fall from 26 the previous year). In 2021, it dropped to just 5 — we expect it to drop off the list entirely in the years to come.

Unusual multicultural choice that may appeal to the artistically inclined. The bear meaning gives it a new trendy edge as an animal name.

This unusual name found in Scottish poetry would make a distinctive Gaelic pick.

Not as popular for girls as Kylie or Kyla, but we prefer its simplicity.

William was such a popular name, thanks to the Conquerer, in early England that it gave rise to a range of nicknames, including the distinctly Scottish Wilkie. Heard mostly as a surname these days, it's the middle name of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's son James and the first name of writer Collins. While Wilkie could make an adorable short form for a little boy, we'd recommend a more substantial full name such as, well, William.

An invention of the eighteenth-century romantic poet James Macpherson, in his epic cycle about Ossian, a legendary Celtic hero. In Poland, where it was popular at the start of the 20th century, the spelling is Malwina, and it's also had some use in other Eastern European countries.

If girls have adopted Ray, why not Roy.

Classic Wilhelmina is still the dominant form of this name, but the more intuitive, streamlined Willamina is rising alongside it. The phonetic spelling eliminates some of Wilhelmina's bulk, taking it from geek-chic to modern feminissima.

New Presidential name, if you're ready to move beyond Lincoln and Jefferson. At the turn of the last century, during the original McKinley's heyday, as a first name it almost reached the Top 100.

Authentic Gaelic name with pronunciation problems in the US. In Scotland Eachann has been anglicized as Hector, not because of its sound, but because the Trojan hero Hector had the reputation as a mighty horseman.

An old-school great-grandpa name, like Irving and Ernest, that may just be ready for revival. It's also a well-known name in Hungary and elsewhere in central and eastern Europe. As a surname, it's associated with jazz sax player Booker Ervin.

This undiscovered Scottish port city name has a nice, upbeat feel and lots of good nickname possibilities.

This name will tick a lot of boxes for many parents: unisex; trendy sound; pretty instinctive to pronounce; and some great namesakes including British chef Ainsley Harriott and American footballer Ainsley Battles.