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Scottish Last Names

  1. Greer

    • Origin:

      Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin

    • Meaning:

      "alert, watchful"

    • Description:

      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.
  2. Montgomery

    • Origin:

      Norman

    • Meaning:

      "man power"

    • Description:

      This image of this distinguished Anglo-Scottish surname, drawn from the French place name of the ancient castle of Saint Foi de Montgomery, is rapidly shifting from fusty and formal to cool. And dashing short form Monty (or Monte) nudges it to cute.
  3. Allen

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "handsome, cheerful"

    • Description:

      Allen is the spelling of this name -- other common spellings are Alan and Allan -- most associated with the surname; it might also be the most appropriate if you're trying to steer clear of Al as a nickname, as this can easily offer you Len or Lenny as options.
  4. Kelvin

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "narrow or wooded river"

    • Description:

      A tributary of the River Clyde in Scotland, called in Scottish Gaelic Abhainn Cheilbhinn: caol ("narrow") or coille ("wooded") + abhainn ("river"). As a surname, it derives from the name of the river.
  5. Ross

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "upland, peninsula"

    • Description:

      Like Friends, Ross is off the air and into syndication as a baby name, having plummeted from its zenith in the late 80s to fall off the US Top 1000 in 2013. Today, Ross is more likely to be a dad name than a newborn name.
  6. Ainsley

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "one's own meadow"

    • Description:

      While theoretically unisex, this surname name has been edging up the girls’ names list, perhaps originally as an Ashley substitute. One quality in Ainsley's favor: It's remained steadily popular -- but not TOO popular -- for more than 20 years now, ranking consistently around Number 400. That makes it stylish and familiar without showing up everywhere.
  7. Finlay

    • Origin:

      Irish and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired hero"

    • Description:

      Finlay is a Scottish royal name: it belonged to Macbeth's father, Finlay MacRory--or Findlaech mac Ruaidri--that has a bit of a split personality. It has two acceptable spellings--Finlay and Finley, the first more popular in its native Scotland, where it ranks in the Top 10, the second in the US. It is also becoming more and more unisex in the States, with the Finley spelling now split between girls and boys, while Finlay was used last year for TEN TIMES as many boys as girls, about 50 to only five.
  8. Blaine

    • Origin:

      Irish and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "yellow"

    • Description:

      Attractive Scottish and Irish surname name of a seventh-century saint, associated with the illusionist and escape artist David Blaine.
  9. Lindsey

    • Origin:

      English surname meaning "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"

    • Meaning:

      "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"

    • Description:

      Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the "ey" ending was usually reserved for women and the "ay" ending reserved for men, and that tradition has continued
  10. Mackenzie

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth"

    • Description:

      This lively Scottish surname is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Coinnich, Coinnich being one of the original Gaelic forms of Kenneth.
  11. Dallas

    • Origin:

      Place name, surname and Irish

    • Meaning:

      "meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"

    • Description:

      A laid-back cowboy name which feels both cool and gentle, Dallas has ranked in the US Top 500 since records began in 1880. Never super popular but surprisingly never out of style, Dallas is given to nearly 1400 boys in the US every year.
  12. Sinclair

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "from the town of St. Clair"

    • Description:

      The most famous Sinclair was the (male) writer Lewis, but these days the name works at least as well for a girl.
  13. Rae

    • Description:

      Rae as a masculine name has Scottish and Hebrew origins. It derives from the Scottish surname Rae, meaning "grace" or "deer," or it may be a shortened form of Raymond, meaning "wise protector." In Hebrew contexts, it could be related to the word "ra'eh" meaning "friend" or "companion." Though more commonly used for girls in recent decades, Rae has a history as a male name, particularly as a middle name or nickname. Its single-syllable simplicity gives it a strong, straightforward quality appreciated by parents looking for a minimalist name option. The name carries a gentle yet masculine energy and works well in combination with longer first names. As a standalone male name, Rae remains relatively uncommon, giving it a distinctive quality.

  14. Macklin

    • Origin:

      Variation of Maclaine, MacLean, or MacLaughlin, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "son of servant of Saint John; son of Lachlann"

    • Description:

      Borrowed from several Scottish surnames Macklin feels more wearable as a first name: a cool and current way to nickname Mack.
  15. Greer

    • Origin:

      Scottish contraction of surname Gregor, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "alert, watchful"

    • Description:

      Greer is typically used as a girl name in the US, particularly in this form. The spelling Grier is gender-neutral, given to boys about 43 percent of the time.
  16. Kelly

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "war"

    • Description:

      Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
  17. Lindsay

    • Origin:

      English surname

    • Meaning:

      "marshlands of Lincolnshire"

    • Description:

      In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10.
  18. Monroe

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "mouth of the Roe river"

    • Description:

      Monroe is a presidential surname which feels fresher than Jackson, Lincoln and Taylor. Marilyn Monroe is a famous female namesake, but her smart Scottish surname feels equally usable for either sex. Plus, we think old man nickname Moe would sound both cool and adorable on a baby boy today!
  19. Love

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Meaning:

      "love"

    • Description:

      Love makes an endearing middle name, as in Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, more parents are considering Love as a first name — enough for it to enter the charts for the first time in 2022 as one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Other love-related alternatives include Juliet, Valentina, and Amor.
  20. Sinclair

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "from the town of St. Clair"

    • Description:

      Could be a novel way for a boy's name to honor an ancestral Claire.