Scottish Names

Hundreds of families have adopted this Scottish name, attracted by its trendy Ty beginning and upbeat second syllable. (Tyrell and Tyrese are also increasing in popularity. ) Tyree Glenn was a great jazz trombonist. 

Tyree

This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name).
Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
 Greer makes a good, strong, sophisticated and distinctive middle-name prospect.

Greer

Irvin is an Old Man name that has an uncertain future.  Losing the final g in Irving makes the name slightly less dated -- but just slightly.  There's something about the 'erv' sound that makes Irvin and brothers feel unappealing. 

Irvin

Has a bit of a hayseed image, and that oy sound is tough to work with. 

Boyd

Tough, cool, and rugged, Ramsey is a Scottish and English surname that has plenty of potential as a given name. Similar in style to Murray, Murphy, and Rafferty, it was chosen for around 90 boys and 70 girls in the US in a recent year.
 
Also written as Ramsay, the surname comes from an Old English place name, meaning "garlic island", likely owing to the growth of wild garlic in the area. Today, it is perhaps best associated with chef Gordan Ramsey and actor Bella Ramsey, though other bearers include physicist Norman Foster Ramsey, radio personality Dave Ramsey, and footballer Aaron Ramsey, among many more. 
 
Villainous Ramsay Bolton in the series A Song of Ice and Fire and its adaptation Game of Thrones may however have tainted the name for some, and it should be noted that the Ramsay spelling is rarely used.

Ramsey

Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.

Glen

Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
 In the Swinging Sixties, Annabel was in the thick of things as the name of London's trendiest disco and nightclub, named for the wife of the owner. The Annabel spelling is preferable today to Annabelle, too closely associated with the eponymous horror movie doll.

Annabel

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin's daughter Ireland opened up the map for names like Scotland, and now that it's been chosen by Kourtney Kardashian for her daughter Penelope's middle name -- in honor of daddy Scott Disick -- Scotland is sure to appear on more birth certificates.  Can Scotlyn be far behind?

Scotland

One of the first generation of cool surname names, now largely used for girls in the US, but still popular for boys in its native Scotland. A prominent association for Brits is former prime minister Tony Blair, who was leader at the time of the Iraq War.

Blair

A updated spelling of stylish boy name Knox, which could be considered superfluous and totally cool, depending on your perspective. More than 60 boys were given this name in a recent year in the US: the highest number on record. 

Knoxx

Adair has flair, the grace of a Fred Astaire, and a daring, spirited vibe. It's usually considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar, though other possibilities are that it derives from the place name, Adare, meaning "ford of oak trees" or from the Irish Darragh meaning "oak tree". In any of these cases, it is pronounced uh-DEHR.
 
Alternatively, it may be used as a Portuguese name, likely as a twist on Ademar. Pronounced with three syllables ("a-du-EER"), it would mean "wealth and fame". 
 
A unisex choice, Adair does lean masculine, with 59 boys and 22 girls given the name in the US in a recent year.

Adair

To Americans, a quintessential British name, introduced to the U.S. public by suave journalist/PBS Masterpiece Theater host Alastair Cook. Sometimes used in the U.S. by parents with Scottish heritage.

Alastair

Dashiell, though missing from many other name sources, is among the hottest new names, chosen by such celebs as Cate Blanchett and author Helen (Bridget Jones) Fielding. With its great dash and panache, Dashiell is associated with detective writer Dashiell Hammett (born Samuel, as in Sam Spade, Dashiell being his mother's maiden name). Alice Cooper was ahead of the game: He named his son Dashiell in 1985.
 For those still confused about the pronunciation, it's kind of similar to castle or bashful. And anyone can pronounce Dash, which is such a dashing nickname.

Dashiell

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like Isabel or Isabelle.
 Isobels have appeared on several high-profile TV shows: Isobel Crawley is Matthew's mother on Downton Abbey, Isobel Fleming is a Vampire Diaries character, and Isobel Stevens was known as Izzie on Grey's Anatomy.

Isobel

Referring to the Scottish Isle of Skye, this spelling brings Sky down to earth. Skye is used ten times more often for girls than boys, while the gender split on the Sky spelling is more like three to one in favor of the female side.

Skye

Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form Oenghus has important historical overtones in Scotland, and the Gaelic form Aonghas is associated with two distinguished modern poets. In Irish folklore, Angus Og is a chieftain-lord who used his magical powers for the pleasure and prosperity of mankind--and in Irish myth, Aonghus was the god of love and youth.
 These days, Angus is even more popular in Australia than Scotland, possibly due to the fame of Scottish-born Australian musician Angus Young, lead guitarist and co-founder of the seminal rock band AC/DC.
 Other pop culture references: Angus was the first name of TV's McGyver and the young actor who plays the half man on Two and a Half Men is Angus T. Jones. Angus Wilson was a noted British novelist and short story writer.

Angus

Bryce is the preferred spelling over Brice for both genders, with nearly 70 girls named Bryce in one recent year vs. only five called Brice.  But note that there were over 3000 boys named Bryce and 240 named Brice, making this a predominantly male name.  Actress Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of director Ron, is the most notable female bearer of this name.

Bryce

Similar in style to Ripley and Murphy, Ramsey is a Scottish and English surname, borrowed from a place name meaning "garlic island", likely due to the the growth of wild garlic in the area. Associated with chef Gordon Ramsey and actor Bella Ramsey, it was chosen for around 90 boys and 70 girls in the US in a recent year.

This ancient royal Scottish name had a brief vogue in midcentury America, but it would be far from a fresh choice for a baby boy now. 

Stuart

Murray, you may be surprised to discover, is a Scottish surname name --that of an ancient noble clan--with a sea-swept meaning, and just could be in the next wave of reevaluated grandpa names. Currently Number 60 for baby boys born in its native Scotland; it was at its highest in the US in 1922, when it reached Number 208, but has been off the list since 1975. Could it be time for a comeback? TV Murrays have appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Flight of the Conchords and Degrassi: The Next Gemeration.
 Lisa Kudrow used it as the middle name of her son Julian.

Murray

 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 6)