Traditional Scottish Girls' Names

Isla

Scottish place-name or Spanish

"island"

Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those…

Rowan

Scottish and Irish

"rowan tree; little redhead"

Stylish, gentle, and rustic at the same time, Rowan is a name that falls into various categories. Unisex and cool, mystical and woodsy, with the feel of both Rose and Riley, Rowan is a fresh but…

Ailsa

Scottish from Norse

"elf victory"

Ailsa is a traditional Scottish name for girls related to a rocky island in the Firth of Clyde called Ailsa Craig. It might make an interesting alternative to the outdated Ashley or overly popular…

Eilidh

Gaelic form of Eleanor

Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into…

Eilis

Irish variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Familiar in the US thanks to the lovely movie Brooklyn , based on the Colm Toibin novel of the same name. Popular in medieval times, it is still used in Ireland (properly spelt with a fada: Eilís)…

Heather

English botanical name

"small shrub"

This flower name was one of the most popular in her class in the seventies and eighties, a fact reflected in the 1989 movie Heathers , in which every snobby girl in the high school clique bears the…

Iona

Scottish place-name

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

Mairead

Irish, shortened fom of Mairghread, variation of Margaret

"pearl"

Pronounced MAW-rayt or ma-RAYD, Mairead is close enough to Maureen to be accepted here. The name became popular in Ireland due to admiration for the saint of that name. Peig and Peigi are its…

Mairi

Scottish variation of Mary

"bitter"

Why does Mairi (rhymes with Harry) seem so much cooler than Mary? This Irish form of Mary was not used before the seventeenth century, as it was considered too sacred. The vocative case of the name,…

Niamh

Irish Gaelic

"bright"

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who…