Scottish Place 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…

Eden

Hebrew

"place of pleasure, delight"

Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the 17th century. Eden entered the Top 1000 in 1989, and…

Hope

Virtue name

Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be…

Skye

Scottish place-name

The e-addition takes the name from slightly hippie-ish nature name to the place name of a picturesque island off the coast of Scotland, and for baby namers it's by far the more popular spelling. Skye…

Cara

Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese

"dear; friend; face"

Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English…

Iona

Scottish place-name

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

Alva

English form of Irish Ailbhe, Swedish and Norwegian feminine form of Alf

"white; elf"

While the male Alva or Alvah relates directly to the minor Biblical character, the female version is more likely an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ailbhe, or a feminine form the name Alf (and Alf-…

Fara

Fara is a feminine name with multiple potential origins, giving it a rich cross-cultural significance. In Arabic, Fara can mean "joy" or "happiness," while in Persian it may relate to "glory" or…

Ellon

Ellon is an unusual feminine name that likely originated as a variation of more common names like Ellen, Ellie, or Eleanor. These names share Germanic roots meaning "light" or "bright one." Ellon…

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 It might make an interesting alternative to the outdated Ashley or overly popular…