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Scottish girls' names

30 replies

Pegase · 19/02/2020 07:43

Looking for a Scottish or Irish name for a girl. Our surname is Scottish so looking for something quite subtle but classic. Baby has Scottish and Irish heritage (among others!) Scanned DH's family tree but all names seem dated and not in a good way!

OP posts:
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florascotia2 · 20/02/2020 07:28

Apologies huntly, I was focusing too much on Scottish names.

Huntlybyelection · 19/02/2020 21:21

(Rowan is traditionally a name for boys)
Eilidh/Ailie/Ailidh
Eilish
Ishbel
Elspeth
Ailsa
Isla
Morna
Morven

Marcipex · 19/02/2020 21:19

Katie-Morag
Flora
Rowan

Isawthathaggis · 19/02/2020 21:16

I am genuinely shocked at Fiona popping up on these lists - I know of no one under the age of 40 called Fiona in Scotland. Very popular in the over 40’s.
Perhaps it’s more popular in England? Or due a revival?

weebarra · 19/02/2020 21:15

I do like Morna - all I've ever met have been lovely.
One of my best friends as a child was Morag.

thetrinityisshite · 19/02/2020 20:13

I only said Saoirse or Aoife as the OP asked for Scottish or irish names.

Pegase · 19/02/2020 20:01

Hmm thought this might hold the clue for a name as we are really struggling so thought the baby's heritage might help but possibly not it turns out!

OP posts:
florascotia2 · 19/02/2020 18:46

This is not, not, not a criticism, but following on from my previous post it just shows how complicated the topic of "Scottish" names can be:

Saoirse is Irish and modern and political. Aoife is Irish, too.

Eilidh is Helen/Ellie (ancient Greek origin) translated into Gaelic.

Ishbel is a Scots version of Elizabeth which is pretty international but Hebrew in origin.

Ailsa (not Alisa) is a place name; the origin of the name is not known.

Lorna and Fiona are 19th cent popularisations, based on older Gaelic words, though not ncessarily personal names.

Marsaili is a Gaelic translation of "Marcella" or "Marjorie".

They all are indeed nice names.

Aozora13 · 19/02/2020 18:43

Morven
Morag
Isla
Iona
Fiona
Lesley
Lorna
Elspeth
Catriona
Bridget
Lindsey
Margaret

(Actually I don’t know if the last 2 are Scottish, they’re just popular names in my Scottish family!)

shartsi · 19/02/2020 18:41

Laoghaire

KindKylie · 19/02/2020 18:39

I love Morven and knew a lovely woman called that!

I also really like Eilidh, Eilish, Ishbel and Elspeth

(Ishbel Anderson anyone?!)

unkindnessofravens · 19/02/2020 18:35

I have one of the traditional names listed above, but if I had another child I would call her Marsaili, it's a beautiful name

thetrinityisshite · 19/02/2020 18:30

Saoirse
Eilidh
Sorcha
Alisa
Fiona
Aoife
Ishbel
Lorna

Love them all

florascotia2 · 19/02/2020 18:14

Again, I don't want to be negative, but:
Maeve, Niamh, Orla, Fallon, Erin are Irish. Freya is Norse. Amilia is a mix of Amelia (Germanic) and Emilia (Latin).

In fact, very, very few "Scottish" names have Gaelic origins. See here:
www.namenerds.com/scottish/scots.html

In Lowland Scotland, people did not speak Gaelic. They often used Scots-language versions of English or international-European names, see, for example, here: www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/scots/dost/

Many "Scottish" names are Gaelic translations of European names (eg Kirsty = Christina or Christian), or modern usages of place names, eg Morven, Isla.

Many really, really old Pictish or Gaelic female names sound unexpected to modern ears, eg Gruoch (Lady Macbeth), Aifric, Devorguilla, Edna/Eithne, Eimhir, Gormlaith, Kenna (possibly), Morag, Muriel (this is the modern version; I actually like it), Murdag, Muirne/Morna (knew a lovely lady called this), Oighrig (pron Ay-rick), Rona/Rhona, Senga, Slaine (Slawn-ya)...

Sorcha, Una and Fenella/Fionnuala are some of the few really ancient names still in use today.

Isawthathaggis · 19/02/2020 17:17

If I had another girl I would have an eilish.

Ricekrispie22 · 19/02/2020 17:11

Isla
Orla
Fenella
Ailsa
Elspeth
Freya
Erin
Amilia
Fallon
Maeve
Niamh

CaffiSaliMali · 19/02/2020 16:35

I love Morven, Ishbel and Eilidh. They'd be on my list if I had enough Scottish ancestry to justify using them! Catriona is lovely too, and Elspeth.

I also like Alistair for boys.

You didn't ask for Irish names but Una, Aoife and Orla are gorgeous.

florascotia2 · 19/02/2020 14:22

All the Catrionas I know say "KatrEEna".

I don't know whether the OP wants names of Scottish origin, or names that happen to be used in Scotland/ are seen as traditionally "Scottish". I really, really don't wish to be negative, but:

In Scotland, Cameron is usually a boy's name. I know several. There is also the famous mountaineer and broadcaster Cameron MacNeish.

Ally/Ali is traditionally a widespread short form of the boy's names Alasdair and (occasionally) Allan. It is sometimes used for girls, but (again traditionally) Alison was the more usual given name.

There are of course people in Scotland called Lena, Lexi etc but both those names are ancient Greek in origin. Nora has a Latin origin (Honor) or perhaps a Gemanic one (Aenor/Eleanor). Erica is Latin (from the plant) or Norse; Freya is Norse also. Elise and Ella are widespread throughout Europe; in origin neither is specifically Scottish. Georgina is a female form of a name that originated in Ancient Greece and 'moved' to Germany. Grace has Latin origins.

Where are you getting 'Coira' from? In Scottish Gaelic, coir (with an accent over the o) means 'right' as in 'human right'. It can also mean 'kind'. A 'coire' ("coi-ya") is a corry: a bowl-shaped hollow on a mountain. And 'Coiria' = Korea.
'Coira' was not given to any baby in 2018, the last year for which detailed stats were published: www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/names/babies-first-names/babies-first-names-2018/babies-first-names-2018 see Table 4

I mention 'traditionally' above because, FWIW, most babies born in Scotland today are NOT given traditional Scottish names. Very interesting commentary here, on first overview of 2019 names:
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/filesstatistics/babies-names/19/babies-first-names-19-pub.pdf

mmmmmmcheeeesssseeee · 19/02/2020 11:52

Ailsa
Ainsley
Ally/Allie
Annabelle
Bridget
Caitlin
Cameron
Ceit (Gaelic spelling of kate)
Coira
Curstaidh (Gaelic spelling of Kirsty)
Eilidh
Elise
Ella
Elspeth
Erica
Fiona
Freya
Georgina
Grace/Gracie
Iona
Isobel/Isabelle
Isla
Lena
Lexi
Maisie
Moira
Nora
Skye

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 19/02/2020 11:00

Kirsty

4amWitchingHour · 19/02/2020 10:51

Eilidh and Elspeth were the two that came to my mind

Clangus00 · 19/02/2020 09:19

In Scotland Caitlin is still Caitlin (think it’s the Irish version that’s different).
I’ve known one Catriona pronounced Catrina and one pronounced as it’s spelled.

Babdoc · 19/02/2020 08:26

A huge number of Scotswomen of my parents’ generation were known as Ina.
Because their parents all wanted boys, chose boys names, and then in disappointment just stuck -ina on the end of their chosen name. So there were loads of women called Jamesina, Davidina, Williamina, Hughina, etc, and they all shortened it to Ina. The only actually female names seemed to be Margaret, Agnes and Morag!

weebarra · 19/02/2020 08:21

I know a couple of Catrionas and neither of them pronounce the O.

weebarra · 19/02/2020 08:20

Mirren
Freya
Morven
Kirsten
Shona
Mairi

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