Scottish Names

Forbes is a business magazine in the U.S., long led by Malcolm Forbes, with a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers image.  If you name your son Forbes, you're definitely implying a connection to the prominent and wealthy family -- which may be exactly what you're intending.  But if you have a more down-to-earth image in mind, try Field.

Forbes

Keir is a single-syllable name that packs a punch, but also has a endearing quality about it thanks to its similarity to the word care. Sometimes used as a short form of the more popular Kieran, it could be derived from the Irish ciar meaning "black, dark".
 
Alternatively, it may be viewed as a variation of the Scottish Kerr, itself from the Old Norse kjarr, linking it to thicket, marshland, and brushwood. Other sources identify it with keir, an Old Scots word referring to a fort.
 
Notable bearers include Keir Dullea, an American actor who starred in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Sir Keir Starmer, a British politician who was the head of the Labour Party between 2020 and 2026 and the Prime Minister of the UK between 2024 and 2026. 
 
The name ranked in the UK charts back in the 90s and 2000s, but fell out of the stats in 2024, coinciding with Starmer's election. In the US, it has been quietly used since the 1960s and saw a small spike in popularity between 1968 and 1972, around the time of Dullea's star role in 2001: A Space Odyssey. A more recent year saw it given to 7 boys, with Kieran or Kyaire being the preferred options.

Keir

Possibly inspired by Viola or by the way F and V sounds are pronounced similarly in Dutch and German, Viona is a variant of the Scottish Fiona. The change of spelling brings something bright and sharp to the name, and distances it from the Shrek association some may have. 
 
Other theories about the source of Viona include that it is a variation of Winona ("first"), Viola (botanical name), Vionnet ("way, path, trail), or Vienna (place name). 
 
Notable bearers include ice hockey player Viona Harrer, footballer Viona Rexhepi, and actress Viona Rosalina.

Viona

Most Africas today would be named for the continent, but the name actually existed in Scotland in medieval times, where there was a Celtic queen named Affrica. Africa has also been a Spanish name for girls since 1421. The church of the Virgin "Nuestra Senora de Africa" is in Ceuta, the Spanish city she is Patron of, in North Africa.
 There have been several other theories as to the origin of the name. Some believe it refers to the name of the ancient Berber people who inhabited North Africa, others believe Africa means "greyish" in reference to the color of sand, and yet another theory is that it is a Phoenician word meaning "colony," as Africa was once a colony of the Roman Empire. To complicate matters further, spelled Affrica, it is also used in Spanish-speaking countries, meaning "pleasant."
 Africa has been a recorded name in the U.S. since the eighteenth century.

Africa

This Anglicized spelling makes the pronunciation of Ailís or Aileas — the Irish and Scottish forms of Alice, respectively — slightly more obvious to English-speakers. Ailis or Aileas are more authentic spellings, but may be fighting a losing battle against the influence of Billie Eilish.

Ailish

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Bell

A Pam for the modern age, improved by a harder edge and a tad less prissiness.

Traditional Cameron and modern variants Camryn and Kamryn are currently much preferred for girls (and boys) to this alternative. Given to just 12 girls in a recent year, Cameron was chosen for 600, Camryn for nearly 700, and Kamryn for over 500. This may in part be because Camren could be easily misread for Carmen. 
 
Deriving from a Scottish surname, Cameron and its variants mean "crooked nose". This likely originated as a nickname, but if you were hoping for a different meaning, there is also the theory that the second part of the name may have come from the Gaelic abhainn meaning "river" or the Welsh bryn meaning "hill".
 One notable bearer of this name is Camren Bicondova, known for playing Selina Kyle in the TV series Gotham.

Camren

A Scottish surname, taken from Gregor and Gregory, this spelling is less popular as a given name than its more familiar counterpart, Greer. Given to 8 boys (and 18 girls) in the US in a recent year, for every one boy called Grier, there are three Greers. 
 
Meaning "alert, watchful", this distinctive sounding choice could appeal to fans of Bryer.

Grier

The Mc and Mac surnames are asserting themselves as first names and this is among the most usable.   MacArthur or McArthur makes a perfect honorific for an ancestral Arthur and leads directly to the nicknames Mac or Art

Macarthur

An old-man name that sounds cute when used for a little girl, and is starting to seem cool again for boys too. For girls, it might be associated with Mina Murray (later, Mina Harker) from Bram Stoker's Dracula and its many adaptations.

Murray

Arran Island (not to be confused with the Aran Islands in Ireland) is a large island in Scotland's Firth (or bay) of Clyde. An attractive name, long popular in Scotland, but may be confused with the Biblical Aaron elsewhere. Currently in the Scottish Top 100, it recently re-entered the charts in England and Wales too. 

Arran

Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in Northern Ireland's Top 100 for girls several times over the past decade. The name also has potential political connotations: Fianna Fáil is a conservative Irish republican political party.

Fianna

Succinct and snappy, this name is both an alternative form of Keir and a short form of Kieran. It could therefore stem from the Irish ciar meaning "black" or the Scottish Kerr (via Norse kjarr), referring to thicket or marshland.

Kier

Taken from a Scottish town, a Scots surname, and the name of an intricately patterned fabric, Paisley means "church" or "cemetery." It ranks highly for girls and is in US Top 100. It may feel a little swirly to ever catch on for boys, but with gentle names like Rowan, Teddy, Casey, Emery, and Trace rising in the US, and Hadley, Oakley, McKenzie, and Presley ranking in the UK, Paisley might one day be considered for any gender.

Paisley Currah, a political scientist, professor, author and advocate for transgender rights, is a notable bearer of the name.

Paisley

A surname and a place name, Reston blends the sounds of Weston, Stetson, Rhett, and Reese, giving it an on-trend feel. Derived from the Old Scottish Ristun (itself adapted from Old English), the name likely means "settlement by the brushwood".

Reston

Similar in style to Blakely, Blair, and Oakley, Blaney could be considered a nickname for Blane (meaning "yellow"), or an Irish surname and place name, referring to either the point or tip of a river (borrowed from the Welsj blaenau) to a village in Northern Ireland, whose name comes from Bléinigh meaning "creeks".
 More traditionally used in the last name spot (as in racing driver, Ryan Blaney), it has, very occasionally, been used as a given name too.

Blaney

This variation of Cameron is used more commonly on boys, however, it does see quiet use on girls most year. Given to around 5 girls, compared to 60 boys in a recent year, classic Cameron and variants Camryn and Kamryn are preferred. 
 
Deriving from a Scottish surname made up of the Gaelic elements cam and sròn, Cameron and its variants mean "crooked nose". This likely originated as a nickname, but if you were hoping for a different meaning, there is also the theory that the second part of the name may have come from the Gaelic abhainn meaning "river" or the Welsh bryn meaning "hill".

Kamren

More famously spelled Wallis as a feminine name: the woman for whom the King of England abdicated the throne.

Wallace

A spelling variation of Adair, which may, as with Blaire, appeal to those who want to use it for girls. Derived from either Edgar ("wealthy spearman "), Darragh (or place name Adare), relating to oak trees, or from the Portuguese Ademar, ("wealth and fame"), in English it would be said as uh-DEHR, while in Portuguese, it would be a-du-EER.

Adaire

 may be familiar outside their native land, but many retain their distinctly Scottish style. While Scottish names may relate to both Ireland via their individual versions of the Gaelic language and to England via their shared heritage in the United Kingdom.

 today evidence that blend, with English names such as Emily and Jack sharing the stage with distinctly Scottish baby names such as Isla and Finlay. If you have Scottish heritage or simply love that beautiful land, you may be interested in finding a Scottish name for your baby.


Here, our full list of Scottish boys' names and Scottish girls' names, ranked by their current popularity on Nameberry.

Scottish Names with origin and popularity, including Scottish names for boys and names from Scotland for baby girls. (Page 10)