Scottish Names

This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names. 

Iona

Though Collins makes the Top 300 for girls, it sounds strong and handsome for boys too, kind of like the newly-stylish Brooks. The final s updates it from the 80s-ish Colin or the Twilightish Cullen. Might make an innovative honorific for a grandpa Nick.

Last year, more than 1200 baby girls were named Collins in the US versus only about 50 baby boys.

Collins

Similar in sound to choices like Riley, Miley, and Kylie, Wylie has been sporadically featuring in the US stats for girls since the 1920s, though it has been more consistently used since the late 90s. A recent year saw it given to 65 girls — the highest number of girls called Wylie in a single year. 
 
One of those names with multiple origins, Wylie can be viewed as an English surname, denoting someone from the town of Willey (meaning "from the willow clearing" or "idol's meadow") or someone from the River Wylye (meaning "tricky river"). Alternatively, its a Scots form of the classic William, making this an unexpected way to either the name without using Wilhelmina, Willow, or Willa. 
 
Also spelled as Wiley (though less popularly for girls), the name is used around 3 times more often for boys.

Wylie

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own. 

Nessa

One of several Anglicized forms of Caolán, this spelling is borrowed from the Old Irish root, cáel. 
 
With its stylish -an ending and its cool 'KAY' sound, Caelan entered the Top 500 in England and Wales in 2022, while in Ireland, it was one of the fastest rising names last year, entering not just the Top 100 for the first time, but leaping straight to the Top 50. 
 
Its popularity in the US may be compromised by its similarity in pronunciation to the trendy girls' name Kailyn in its wide variety of spellings. Caelan's Anglicized relative Colin is still much more popular on this side of the pond.
 
As a name, it derives from the Irish element cáel meaning "slender", combined with a diminuitive suffix, giving it the over all meaning "little slender one".
 
Caelan appears in Derek Landy's book series Skulduggery Pleasant and is notably borne by Irish rugby player, Caelan Doris, selected in 2023 as the Players' Player of the Year at the Rugby Players Ireland awards. This may have encouraged more parents to use the name.

Caelan

Brice, much more often spelled Bryce, is an old saint's name that now has a sleek and sophisticated image—it feels elegant and efficient. Of the two spellings, Bryce is much more popular for both sexes.
 Though the name is given much more frequently to boys than to girls, director Ron Howard did a bit of gender bending when he called his daughter Bryce Dallas—a name now featured on marquees. Painter Brice Marden represents the other spelling, while St. Brice was a fifth century Frenchman who was a disciple and successor to St. Martin as bishop of Tours.

Brice

Sudsy name that could be a new character on "Days of Our Lives." 

Breck

A relatively common surname, Dixon would be an inventive way to honor an ancestral Richard or Dick, the X form a lot livelier than the Dickson spelling, just as Dix is a more modern short form than Dick; it would be right at home alongside Dax and Jax.
 But you don't need us to point out the considerable downside of this name. Besides being a sexual slang term, dick is also the most common epithet describing someone who's a jerk or a meanie (trying to avoid other unsavory words here). And Dix sounds exactly like dicks, which makes it not the least bit easier a name to carry these days than Dick.

Dixon

This early Scottish title -- known to us via Shakespeare's Macbeth -- has recently surfaced as a baby name possibility, familiar sounding through its similarity to names like Zane and Wayne.

Thane

Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fitz can be a short form of any of them and is often, like Mac, a nickname drawn from a surname.

Fitz

A Scottish town and river name, Afton has a cool, contemporary sound, similar to Alden, Austen, Effie, and Aspen. Derived from Old English, it could mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon given name of unknown meaning.
 
Popular, briefly, back in the 1910s and then again in the 80s (thanks to the character in TV show Dallas character), Afton happens to coincide with a (formal) Swedish word for "evening".

Afton

This Scottish place name and surname was more popular for boys in the US until the mid-1940s; in the UK, the Leslie spelling is predominantly masculine, with Lesley 
widely used as the feminine variant. Now ranking in the mid-400s for girls and not at all for boys in the US, it could be time to bring this smart, subtle nature name back, especially considering the current popularity of -ley names for both sexes. Trivia tidbit: Both President Gerald Ford and comedian Bob Hope were born Leslie, while Gone With The Wind actor Leslie Howard was actually born Laszlo, according to some sources.

Leslie

Made famous in fifties movies as a wholesome backwoods gal, Tammy was a Top 10 choice from the mid-60s to early-70s, but is now given to fewer than 100 babies per year in the US.

Tammy

In the US, Wilma is appears to be eternally fossilized in Bedrock as Fred Flintstone's wife, but in Sweden it's a Top 10 hottie. It did have its moment in the US--from 1912 to 1940 it was a Top 100 name. One notable namesake: track and field star Wilma Rudolph.

Wilma

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.

Mckinley

In this country, more recognizable with the Alistair spelling. 

Alasdair

Traditionally a Scottish surname, referring to a barren heath, a bare promontory, or headland, Melrose could also be viewed as a mashup of Melanie, Melissa and Rose, as in the case of model and designer, Melrose Bickerstaff, born Melissa. 
 
The '90s soap opera Melrose Place might once have given it a melodramatic vibe, but the association is fading, leaving Melrose a whimsy yet preppy choice, that could appeal to fans of Primrose and Marigold.
 
Chosen by actress Melinda Shankar for her daughter in 2026, if you do view Melrose as a compound choice, it could have the meanings "honey rose" from Melissa or Melina and "dark rose" from Melanie

Melrose

Blane is the attractive surname name of an important sixth-century Scottish saint, though Blaine is a more familiar spelling. Ultimately from the Old Irish Bláán, it has the coloful and upbeat meaning of yellow. 
 Briefly popular in the 50s and 60s, Blane was the name (and spelling) of the heroine's preppy object of affection in the iconic 80s movie 'Pretty in Pink'.

Blane

An interesting vowel combination lightens up Graham. 

Graeme

This ancient royal Scottish name and its equally-correct spelling French variation Stuart had a brief vogue in midcentury America--it was Number 286 in 1955--dropped off the list completely in the nineties. 
 The Stuart version was introduced to Scotland by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who grew up in France. As a surname, it was an occupational appellation for someone who served as a steward in an aristocratic or royal household. Stewart and Stuart started being used as first names in the early nineteenth century. One current bearer is Stewart Copeland, best known as the drummer for the band the Police.
 NIckname Stewie is not a plus--just think Stewie Griffin on Family Guy.

Stewart

 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 7)