Scottish Names

An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.

Aili

A nickname style name, Neely could derive from the strong sounding Cornelia, as a playful alternative to Nelly from Eleanor and Helena, or as a variation of the Scottish surname McNeilly, with the cool meaning "son of the poet". 
 
Wilkie Collins used 'Neelie' for a character in his novel, Armadale.

Neely

This spelling variation of Cameron was briefly popular for girls back in the late 90s, however, it has since fallen out of favor. While it appears in the Top 1000 for boys in the US, Cameron, Camryn, or Kamryn are preferred for girls. 
 
Originally deriving from a Scottish surname and nickname name, Kameron is made up of the Gaelic elements cam and sròn meaning "crooked nose". If you were hoping for a more geographical or nature connected 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". In this case, Cameron would be drawn from a village and a district in Fife, Scotland, of the same name. 
Despite the high profile of actress Cameron Diaz, both Cameron and Kameron are used far more often for boys than for girls. Kameron leans even masculine than the original, with more than 700 boys receiving the name in a recent year, compared to around 30 girls.

Kameron

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.

Willamina

Historically more popular for boys and generally less familiar than its sound-alike Rowan, Roan is a name with multiple meanings, origins, and pronunciations. Given to less than 10 girls back in 2023, time will tell if singer-songwriter Chappell Roan has brought the name more exposure. 
 
On one hand, Roan — said with two syllables — is simply a spelling variation of stylish Rowan, connected to both the red-berried tree, and to the Irish Ruadhán meaning "little red head". Alternatively, it's a Frisian name that rhymes with Joan, ultimately derived from the German element hraban meaning "raven" 
 
Roan can also be considered a word name, used to describe the coats of horses and other animals that are white mixed with another tone such as red or chestnut, again said with a single syllable.

Roan

This Scottish form of Thomas has a lot of charm, evoking images of men in plaid kilts playing the bagpipes. As for the 'ish' ending, it could either be seen as cozy and hamish, or a little wishy-washyish.

 Bottom line: If you're looking for a similar name with more worldly appeal than Travis or an offbeat namesake for an ancestral Thomas, you could do well to consider Tavish.

Tavish

In Celtic lore, Fergus was the ideal of manly courage, making it a charming, slightly quirky Scottish and Irish favorite.
 As a name, Fergus forms a link between Ireland and Scotland, as Gaelic tradition has it that Irish Prince Fergus Mac Eirc and his two brothers crossed the sea and founded the kingdom of Argyll in Scotland, thereby making this an excellent choice for parents of either country or those of combined heritage.
 Fergus has often popped up in children's literature, such as in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and is the name of one of Shrek and Fiona's triplets. On a loftier level, there is the Yeats poem, Who Goes With Fergus? and Fergus MacIvor is a central character in Walter Scott's novel Waverley.
 With the nickname Fergie having been appropriated by two high-profile females, Gus might make a more approachable option these days.

Fergus

If you like the idea of Tadhg but don't feel like the spelling works where you are, Teague might work as an alternative. It could also fit the bill if you're seeking a unique single-syllable first or middle name for your son. 

Teague

Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native habitat, it is sometimes spelled Keeva.
 Caoimhe comes from a word with several positive meanings--beautiful, precious, beloved, gentle, and graceful. It's also the name of an Irish saint.
 Caoihme has been very popular in Ireland in recent years.

Caoimhe

Islay is the name of a Hebridian island famous for its whisky. Don't be fooled by the "y" at the end - this name is pronounced exactly like the more well-known Isla.

Islay

A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow, with the character Adair McCleary, who had ahead-of-their-time brothers named brothers Hogan, Cagney and Quinn. Given to just 22 girls in a recent year (along with 59 boys), it remains a familiar but quietly used choice.
 
A name with several different sources, Adair may be considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar. As such, it would mean "wealthy spearman". Other possibilities are that it derives from the place name, Adare, meaning "ford of oak trees" or from the Irish Darragh, also relating to oak. In any of these cases, it is pronounced uh-DEHR. 
Adair may also be seen in Brazil, likely used as a variation on the Portuguese name, Ademar. Pronounced with three syllables ("a-du-EER"), it would mean "wealth and fame". Adair may make an appealing alternative to Addie, Ada, Blair, or Arde.

Adair

Errol was a swashbuckling name in the Errol Flynn era, which still has a trace of jazz cool.m thanks to jazz pianist Erroll Garner. 

Errol

Made famous by former child star Macaulay Culkin, one of the more popular Mac names. 

Macaulay

Though TV's "Frasier" made the name famous, and Frazier is a well-used variation, Fraser is the original, used mostly in Scotland. 

Fraser

Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".
 
Could Glenda rise back up the charts as a clunky cool option? Perhaps one day, but with around 20 girls called Glenda in each recent year, it hasn't yet begun to climb.

Glenda

The spelling variation Greer may be much more popular, but this one might appeal to fans of Bryer and Brier. Given to 18 girls (and 8 boys) in the US in a recent year, Greer is used about five times more often.
 
Meaning "alert and watchful", it's one of the original androgynous movie star names, precursor to Drew, Glenn and Cameron, borne by Greer Garson who rose to fame in the 1940s.
 
Ultimately a Scottish surname derived from Gregory, this spelling was chosen by Brooke Shields for her second daughter back in 2006, sister to Rowan.

Grier

Sanders is one of the S-ending surnames gaining traction as a first name for boys in the US. It jumped nearly 2000 points in popularity this year.

Sanders

A mix of Yvonne and Elaine, Yvaine was first noticed in the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel and then movie Stardust, in which Claire Danes played the 'fallen star' Yvaine. This In all its forms, one of the most classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a> is now attracting namer attention--just as that other Gaiman-inspired name, Coraline, did. Yvaine has a definite romantic, medieval charm. A small segment of namers are definitely taking notice.
 The name probably derives from the Arthurian male name Yvain, one of the Knights of the Round Table

Yvaine

The attractive Euan and Ewan are just coming onto the U.S. radar, via actor Ewan MacGregor and Harry Potter's Euan Abercrombie.

Euan

Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form — one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out to Laird and Ewan territory, this may be worth consideration. It also sounds just like the Yiddish word for homey.
 In Scotland, where it became popular in the second half of the nineteenth century, Hamish is a nickname for a Highlander, and it's a high-ranking name in South Australia, where it's currently in the Top 50.
 Some people may have become familiar with Hamish via one of the grooms in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Hamish

 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 8)