evelynmargaret's list "Celtic Name Crushes" of 20 great name ideas: undefined - undefined!

Celtic Name Crushes

Callum is a gentle, charming name of Scottish origin, that is a popular choice across the UK. In the US, it was a rare option until the late 2000s, however, since 2017 it's been rising up the ranks. Complete with easy, breezy and cool nickname Cal, it climbed more than 60 places in the US in 2024, placing it just outside the Top 150.
 
The name was derived from the Latin Columba, a unisex given name meaning "dove", which in turn made it popular among early Christians because the dove is a symbol of purity, peace and the Holy Spirit. St. Columba was one of the most influential of the early Celtic saints for building a monastery on the Scottish island of Iona, and essentially bringing Christianity to Scotland.
 
While Callum can be considered a spiritual choice then, the symbolism is subtle, making the name more versatile and accessible. Doves represent peace more broadly after all.
 
Also spelled as Calum, other variations include the Irish Colm and Colman, the German Koloman, and the Scottish Malcolm.

Callum

Maisie, a charming name long popular as a nickname for Margaret or Mary, entered the Top 1000 as itself ten years ago and continues to rise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams helped propel the name back into the limelight, along with the that of her character, Arya.

In literature, Maisie is the name of the precocious young title character in the Henry James novel What Maisie Knew, and is also the main female character in Rudyard Kipling's The Light That Failed. And to bring things up to date, Maisie is a half-blood character in the Harry Potter series. Spelled Maisy, it's a popular children's book series.
 When Maisie re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2014 at 658, it was one of the fastest rising names of that year. She's still got a ways to go In the US to catch up to other English-speaking countries, where Maisie ranks in the Top 100.

Maisie

During its Top 10 heyday in the late 90s and early oughts, Andrew was one of the "cooler" classic boy names, an update on the old guard Roberts and Richards.
 While there are still plenty of babies named Andrew -- more than 5000 in the US last year -- it now feels more like a Dad Name than baby name. And the shamed Prince Andrew has not helped the name's image much.
 
Andrew is a variant of the Greek name Andreas, ultimately derived from the element aner, meaning "man." In the New Testament, Andrew was one of the twelve apostles and the first disciple to be called by Jesus. 
 
Although the origins of the name are Greek, Andrew is the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia, as well as Greece. It has associations with two of America's most famous artists, Wyeth and Warhol.
 
One advantage of Andrew is its host of nicknames: Andy makes it friendlier, while Drew adds to its sophistication.
 
Andrew also has several appealing foreign manifestations that are sometimes used in the U.S., including Andre (French), Andrei (Russian), Andres (Spanish), Andrea (Italian), Andreas (German, Dutch and Greek) and Anders (Norwegian and Swedish).

Andrew

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972. It is still popular in some European countries, including Hungary and France.

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
Flora is the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. Neeleman is one of the main inspirations for our Natural Glamour group of names that makes up one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of the year, a trend that includes Flora.

Flora

Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is also a hero name for many via radical civil rights activist Malcolm X. 
 Malcolm was the name of four Scottish kings — including the son of Duncan who succeeded to the throne after Macbeth murdered his father — and has been a standard in that country.
 Denzel Washington named one of his sons Malcolm, as did Harrison Ford.
 Actor Malcolm McDowell is one current bearer. Other namesakes are writer Lowry; bestselling author and trendspotter Gladwell; Sex Pistols musician McLaren; and actor Jamal Warner. There have also been several Malcolms on TV — e.g., in Malcolm in the Middle, Firefly and in the Outlander series. There were no fewer than three characters named Malcolm in the Harry Potter books.

Malcolm

Gavin, a name with Scottish roots, has stepped into the spotlight, replacing the dated Kevin, thanks in part to pop-rock sensation Gavin DeGraw and Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale. 
 Gavin also has made literary appearances in J.M. Barrie's The Little Minister and in William Faulkner's Snopes family trilogy. In the form Gawain, he was one of the Knights of King Arthur's Round Table.
 Gavin entered the ranks in the 1950's and climbed as high as Number 30, in 2008, before dropping a bit on the charts.

Gavin

Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form Oenghus has important historical overtones in Scotland, and the Gaelic form Aonghas is associated with two distinguished modern poets. In Irish folklore, Angus Og is a chieftain-lord who used his magical powers for the pleasure and prosperity of mankind--and in Irish myth, Aonghus was the god of love and youth.
 These days, Angus is even more popular in Australia than Scotland, possibly due to the fame of Scottish-born Australian musician Angus Young, lead guitarist and co-founder of the seminal rock band AC/DC.
 Other pop culture references: Angus was the first name of TV's McGyver and the young actor who plays the half man on Two and a Half Men is Angus T. Jones. Angus Wilson was a noted British novelist and short story writer.

Angus

Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/453/royal-baby-names">royal name</a> that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity aside, Duncan is one of the most classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
 From a surname based on a clan name, Duncan was the name of a Scottish saint and two early Kings of the Scots. The beneficent Duncan I, who lived in the eleventh century, was immortalized in Shakespeare's Macbeth. 
 The brave and handsome Major Duncan Heyward is one of the main characters in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. Other cultural references include Duncan Idaho, the only character to appear in all of Frank Herbert's Dune novels; Duncan MacLeod, the immortal protagonist of Highlander; one of Garp's sons in The World According to Garp; and singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik.
 David Bowie's son Zowie changed his name first to Joey and then finally to Duncan.
 
Duncan peaked int he late 90s and has been a downfall since, even falling out of the Top 1000 in 2021 — but made a reappearance in 2022.

Duncan

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

Fraser

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.
 Ross originated as one of the many <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/428/scottish-baby-names">Scottish names</a> taken from the surname of a famous clan, and is a place name in that country as well. It's a quiet, understated Celtic name that could come back in the current climate of single-syllable boy name popularity, though it will probably take a few years.
 Other notable Rosses besides the Ross Geller character include tycoon and maverick presidential candidate H. (for Henry) Ross Perot, mystery writer Ross (born Kenneth) Macdonald, and one of the twin sons of Jane Pauley and Garry Trudeau.

Ross

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

One of the first generation of cool surname names, now largely used for girls in the US, but still popular for boys in its native Scotland. A prominent association for Brits is former prime minister Tony Blair, who was leader at the time of the Iraq War.

Blair

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 the British Isles, it was transformed into Aileen or Evelyn. It has rarely been heard in the US, but it is slowly starting to be used here too.

Eilidh

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

Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which also derived from Jehanne—although Sinead is not a nickname for Siobhan. Siobhan was the name of several early Irish queens and was introduced to the American public by the actress Siobhan McKenna.
 
Siobhan is a lovely Irish name which has spawned many Anglicized variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/804/irish-names-for-girls">Irish girls' names</a>.
 
There have been a wide variety of fictional Siobhans, from a Detective Sergeant in the John Rebus novels to a vampire in Stephenie Meyers's Breaking Dawn to a character in J. K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy. Most famous these days is the only daughter Siobhan in TV's Succession, appropriately nicknamed Shiv.

Siobhan

As this long-term Age of Jordans, both male and female, begins to wind down, the neglected Scottish favorite Gordon, with its more distinguished history, could come back as a distinctive alternative. Gordon is one of the most classic authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
Originally a surname, it was used in honor of nineteenth century general Charles George Gordon, killed defending the city of Khartoum. Conservative but not stodgy, Gordon was a Top 100 name from 1911 to 1943 and is showing some new signs of life. It fell off the charts in 2009 and reentered in 2014.
 A contemporary political headliner is former Prime Minister Gordon Brown (born James Gordon), and other distinguished bearers of the name have been photographer and film director Parks, Scottish celebrity chef Ramsay, and the beloved "Sesame Street" character Gordon Robinson. We won't even mention that symbol of corporate greed from the 80's movie Wall Street.

Gordon

Arran Island (not to be confused with the Aran Islands in Ireland) is a large island in Scotland's Firth (or bay) of Clyde. An attractive name, long popular in Scotland, but may be confused with the Biblical Aaron elsewhere. Currently in the Scottish Top 100, it recently re-entered the charts in England and Wales too. 

Arran

In this country, more recognizable with the Alistair spelling. 

Alasdair

This Katherine variation, used through Ireland and Scotland, is pronounced like Katrina. The name became popular after the Crusaders brought home stories about the colorful fourth century martyr, Catherine of Alexandria. Its later popularity increased following the success of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 Catriona, the sequel to Kidnapped.

Catriona

Anglicized form of Seònaid, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Janet. It has historically been quite popular in Scotland, although it hasn't ranked in the Top 100 there since 1995. 

 Shona is also, coincidentally, the name of an ethnic group who live in southern Africa, mainly Zimbabwe.