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Baby names

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

Original poster

Scottish girls names?

54 replies

lightgreenglass · 07/07/2017 10:41

So far we have Nessa, Monroe or Alba, any other suggestions?

Thoughts on the names above?

Massively outing myself but I have two boys already called Angus and Fergus.

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LittleCandle · 07/07/2017 13:25

Rhona is usually the English spelling of the name. The Scottish spelling is Rona.

You know you're really Scottish if you have a relative called Agnes, but to be honest, I would never inflict that name on a child! Of you can go down the traditional route of adding 'ina' onto the father's Christian name. For example Robina, or Hughina (but the 'ina' bit is never pronounced like 'eena'.)

florascotianew · 07/07/2017 13:24

Baby name websites can sometimes fail to grasp local shades of meaning.

To take the most obvious example from the list referred to above, Senga would cause raised eyebrows in West-Central Scotland . It IS a Scottish name, but it is also slang for a delinquent teenage girl - it's the female equivalent of 'Ned'. (I know that is a proper (nick)name, too - goes back to 16th cent, if not before - but in parts of Scotland it honestly does have a perjorative meaning.)
It's a bit surprising that the site has two English spellings for Marjorie, but does not list Marsaili, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent.

And when it comes to Nessa, the site correctly says that the word 'ness' is of Norse origin and means 'headland'. It is a Scottish place name, not a personal name. As the site also says, Nessa as a name probably originated as a short form of Vanessa, or else, as previous poster said, as a diminutive of the international name Agnes.

For what Scottish babies were actually called in 2016, here is the data from the Scottish Government:
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/filesstatistics/popular-forenames/2016/babiesnames-2016-table4.pdf

Nessa is not on the list, but it contains a good range of Scottish names, as well as many, many others.

hollyisalovelyname · 07/07/2017 13:15

How do you pronounce Eilidh?
Is it like Eily - Aisle E ?

17caterpillars1mouse · 07/07/2017 12:33

Your boys have gorgeous names, both are on my list

I adore Elspeth

Bluntness100 · 07/07/2017 11:38

I think Iona , Catriona and flora are lovely...,

Islacornx · 07/07/2017 11:33

https://nameberry.com/list/428/Scottish-Baby-Names?all=1

Never posted a link before so not sure if that'll work, but I was looking on here the other day and theres lots of pretty girls names Smile

thisismadness77 · 07/07/2017 11:20

Please use Alba as DH won't let me. :)

SquirrelWatcher · 07/07/2017 11:19

Mhairi
Catriona

Notreallyarsed · 07/07/2017 11:11

I love Morven, but then I've got a really good friend called Morven.

Rubyslippers7780 · 07/07/2017 11:03

Morag
Isla
Rhona
Elspeth
Mhairi
Morven

TheScottishPlay · 07/07/2017 11:01

Not sure Nessa is Scottish. I think it might be Greek. Ness, short for Agnes was popular when I was wee - lots of 'old' ladies named this. Not sure I'd saddle a child with Nessie after our own dear monster.
Monroe - I love this, never heard of it being used as a girl's first name.
Alba - like it, classic but with a twist.

Other suggestions - Mirren, Fiona, Skye, Fidelma, Mhairi (Vari), Maree, Katrine, Katherine.

Ledehe · 07/07/2017 11:00

Alba in Gaelic is pronounced Al-A-pahh. Monroe and Nessa aren't Scottish

Names that haven't been suggested and sound like they're spelled

Shona
Rhona
Morven
Mhairi
Lesley
Bonnie

RockyBird · 07/07/2017 11:00

Heather
Mirren
Murren
Morag

FinallyThroughTheRoof · 07/07/2017 10:54

Monroe is.not a female Scottish name but hey ho. If you like it use it.

grasspigeons · 07/07/2017 10:53

I always think kirstin is scottish and aileen.

Original poster
lightgreenglass · 07/07/2017 10:52

I've googled and according to the World Wide Web they are Scottish.

Monroe as the feminine version of Munro. Nessa as after Loch Ness and Alba is Gaelic for Scotland.

Maybe not traditionally Scottish names but they have some form of connection to Scotland.

Isla is pretty and years ago I liked it but way too popular. We don't live in Scotland if it makes a difference. I like names that look how you pronounce them as my siblings have names they are constantly correcting people on.

OP posts:
FinallyThroughTheRoof · 07/07/2017 10:48

Alba means Scotland

Yika · 07/07/2017 10:48

Love alba.

Kirsty
Elspeth

FinallyThroughTheRoof · 07/07/2017 10:48

Rockybird not really traditionally though.

Bluntness100 · 07/07/2017 10:47

I thought nessa was Irish and alba was Mediterannean? Confused

masterblaster2000 · 07/07/2017 10:47

I love Eilidh ❤️

RockyBird · 07/07/2017 10:46

Cameron is either or in Scotland

FinallyThroughTheRoof · 07/07/2017 10:45

Nessa isnt really a scottish girls name either.

RockyBird · 07/07/2017 10:45

Agnes
Senga

Smile
FinallyThroughTheRoof · 07/07/2017 10:45

Monroe is not a Scottish girls name.

In Scotland Cameron is a boys name.

Catriona
Flora
Ailsa
Iona

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