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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Latin/Scottish. Need help from Scots!

57 replies

PoppyAmex · 08/11/2013 05:47

I've posted before on Chat and got unanimous (unheard of?) thumbs up for "Harris" but having huge second thoughts.

Multicultural family; I'm Southern European and DH is Scottish.
We have decided on a Scottish name for this boy, who's due in 1 week.

DD is 19 months and has a staunchly Latin / Mediterranean name (Maria Francesca) - named after both my grandmothers, Maria is the most classic name in my country, used for saints and queens, very traditional.

And there lies the problem, I really love the sound of Harris but it's so modern and trendy (and that's not my bag)

I adore Angus, but DH thinks it's meaty/steaky.
I suggested Sholto and he just laughed.

I could potentially convince him on Hamish, which I also love.

Any thoughts?

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TimidLivid · 08/11/2013 11:40

My friends baby is called Brennan, also lots of Lachlan's Logan's

TimidLivid · 08/11/2013 11:38

maybe not posh enough for you but I'm similar ancestry and have an Anna-Lucia, Elliot and Lewis.
Spanish relatives like to call him Luis with an accent Elliot becomes Ellito and Anna-Lucia is the only person we know with that name round here.

soontobeslendergirl · 08/11/2013 11:34

Jock :o

soontobeslendergirl · 08/11/2013 11:34

Ross
Ruaraidh

MairyHoles · 08/11/2013 11:33

Struggle, even.

soontobeslendergirl · 08/11/2013 11:32

Merrick
Torin
Neil
Cameron
Dugald
Forbes

MairyHoles · 08/11/2013 11:32

My shortlist for number 3 was Hamish, Fergus or Lachlan. Still love them all. But I also think that Alasdair and Cameron are lovely names. Really liked Hunter as well but its not very Scottish!

I can assure you that even Scottish people struggly to pronounce Lachlan properly, even when corrected many times...

soontobeslendergirl · 08/11/2013 11:26

What about:

Munro
Cairn
Ivo
Kerr
Moray/Murray
Nairn
Tiernan
Ian
Grant
Greg
Blaven
Martin

Using place names or surnames (sometimes they are both) is very common in Scotland and always has been - there is bound to be something that fits the bill.

stinkingbishop · 08/11/2013 11:13

Here you go. You owe me Wink.

Harris is a patronymic meaning 'son of Harry'. As long as there have been Harrys, there have been boys called Harris. When they started looking at records of popularity in 1880 it was 411th out of 1000 names recorded.

And it is v Scottish. It comes from the Gaelic Ó hEarchadha' which means descendant of Earchaidh (ie Harry ie noble warrior).

So, basically Mr PoppyAmex, the name is Scottish for 'son of MrPoppyAmex, the famous noble warrior'.

He MUST like that Grin.

chemenger · 08/11/2013 11:10

What about Hector? I knew quite a few highland Hectors of my parents' generation, haven't seen it recently. I mostly know scottish males of student age, and they seem to be almost all called variants of Alastair with Cal(l)um becoming more popular.

Original poster
PoppyAmex · 08/11/2013 11:02

Now, obviously I know the island name isn't modern, but according to my half arsed research it hasn't been used as a first name until very recently.

Please feel free to prove me wrong and tell me of ancient "Harrises" and then I wouldn't have to say "you were named after an island I have no connections to and have never visited" Grin

Love Lachlan but laughing my head off at the thought of my poor family trying to pronounce it. That's also a problem with some of the other mentioned, like Duncan (would be pronounced doonkan, for sure)

Also like Murdo, Tavish and Struan - all vetoed by DH. Argh!

OP posts:
Anjou · 08/11/2013 10:36

I agree with the posters re: Harris being modern - it's definitely not! Grin

I'll second Struan and add Gregor, Innes, Frasier, Finlay and Lachlan. All traditional Scots names and I know at least one of each. (I'm in Edinburgh).

Also, Sholto is a brilliant name! It's also very old and very Scottish. Smile

ceeveebee · 08/11/2013 09:12

My DS is called Roddy (Roderick on his birth certificate) which has a Celtic feel to it but not sure if its actually Scottish? We also had Angus, Rory, Fraser on our list

gingysmummy · 08/11/2013 09:09

my ds is called Andrew it is actually a greek name but also adopted as a scottish name after st Andrew we are also scottish

stinkingbishop · 08/11/2013 09:04

Or Kenneth or Douglas or Donald or Malcolm. But they all sound a bit old to me...

If DH says Harris is too modern, say you'll compromise on Macbeth. That should get him to agree Wink.

EyeOfNewtBigtoesOfFrog · 08/11/2013 09:02

Hamer
Murdo
Dougal
Gordon
Fraser
Alastair
Innes
Tavish
Keir
Struan

I've met a Hamer who was a very scottish old man :)
Know several of the others too.

OooohShiny · 08/11/2013 09:01

I love Archie (but I'm biased)

Murdo, Angus or Hamish would be my other top picks.

Never heard of Sholto? And not overly keen on Harris Blush

dancemom · 08/11/2013 08:57

How about Seamus Gaelic for Hamish? Or Lewis instead of Harris?

stinkingbishop · 08/11/2013 08:57

Don't think Harris is modern. Agree the island's been there a while, as has the tweed Wink.

Second Andrew. Or Hamish. Or Alastair. Or Angus.

Robert? Calum? Stuart? James/Jamie? Archie?

More unusual - Struan, Mungo.

Cremolafoam · 08/11/2013 08:56

Hamish
Euan
Kirk

Figgygal · 08/11/2013 08:56

Duncan, hamish, rowan, lachlan, logan, Rory are some of he top of my head!!

Love rory!!

LittleBairn · 08/11/2013 08:52

Sholto is very uncommon in Scotland but I know a few try hard trendy Londoners who used it...

daughterofafarmer · 08/11/2013 08:52

Grin At Harris being modern!! I think Harris is a great name.

What about Lewis or Lachlan?

thistlelicker · 08/11/2013 08:21

Logan. Cameron.

Spaghettinetti · 08/11/2013 08:19

I'm not Scottish, so probably don't qualify to give any advice here, but I think Harris is a great name. I wouldn't say it's modern. As another poster says, the island's been there ages...plus it could also be classed as Southern European as it is used as a shortened form of Charalambous in Greece, although I'm guessing your connections are Italian, like mine :-)