Favourite Scottish names

[mintich]

My parents are Scottish and we would like to have a Scottish name for our little one( either first name or middle) what are your favourite Scottish or Gaelic names?

Lachlan not lochlan

Struan, Lachlan, Callum for boys.

@Spartak

Struan = Strew-an

Keir
Andrew

Innes, Fraser, Jamie, Fergus, Alexander, Gregor, Alastair, Magnus, Erland, Hamish.

For girls I like Esme, Ailish, Isabel, Isla, Elspeth, Fiona, Heather

My DS is called Struan, I love it! We only occasionally come across another Struan, it's unusual without being weird

Girls (Gaelic)

Lileas [lee l'us] or [lil ee as] in anglecised form
Síobhan [though this is more Irish, actually]
Maighread [mug red]
Marsaili [mahr shu lee] with the most palatal of rs, barely there - very Isle of Lewis, I think.
Cairaistióna [kuh rush tee uh na] or Ciorstag [kirstie] but also spelled several other ways;
Caitríona [kun tree uh na] or Caitrin [cah trin] [cah treen]
Eilidh [ay lay] as in hay, day, Gaelic form of Helen;
Mhairi [vah ree] or Màiri [mahr ee] again the palatal r; the former is the vocative form of Màiri (as in what you use directly speaking to someone in Gaelic), the latter is if you were talking about them;
Giorsail [guh ruh suhl], from of Griselda, or the Scots form Grizel, but often anglecized as Grace;
Flòraidh - Flora (more common in Gaelic than in English, at least traditionally)
Morag - sometimes anglecized as Sarah, but from Mhor - great/big; conflated with Màiri/Mary
Seonaid/Seonag - [sho na(k)] - form of Johanna/Jane; also Síne (Sheena);
Brìde - [bree dj uh] form of Bridget, often found as Bridie'
Fionnuala - again perhaps more Irish but also from Fionguala (Fionnaghal) means white breast or some such; anglecized as Fenella/Fionola;
Ùna - Scottish Gaelic version of Oonagh, pronounced [oo na] but also [you na] in anglecized form;
Sorcha - [sor uh xa] anglecized as Claire because it means Light, or Sarah;
Beathag [baya tuk] anglecized as Beattie/Becky, but not related to either name.

Girls (Scottish)

Mirrin/Murron - corrupted anglecized form of Gaelic version of Marion conflated with boy's name Mirren (a male saint, but possibly also female saint, mother of St David);
Morna (belongs in the above group or Mary/Mirren etc)
Ailsa - anglecised form of Ealasaid (Elsie/Elisabeth); NB Eilish is Irish;
Ishbel - anglecised form of Iseabail (Isabel/Elisabeth), nn Beaileag (Bella);
Elspeth - Scots form of Elizabeh;
Morven - from the mountain of the same name;
Devorgilla - anglecized form of Dearbhorghil, truth/true witness (other spellings with more consonants/vowels are available)
Rhona - from the island
Skye - from the island is also popular but only of recent use, mirroring the boys' names Lewis, Harris and from that, Arran;
Vaila - a Shetland name
Fiona - but that was an invented name, by MacPherson, in the 1800s or so, from Fionnuala and the Welsh, Ffion;
Lorna - seen as Scottish (and I know numerous Lornas) but invented by the author of Lorna Doone, set in Exmoor, but reflects the Scots male name of Lorne;
Annice - Scots form of (a conflation of) Agnes and Anne cf Welsh Annest;
Jean - a variant of Jane/Joan, also Jeannie (Janey, Jennie); nb Jessie is from the same name via Gaelic (Seasag/Seasaidh) not Jessica.
Grizel - form of Griselda, but rarely used in my lifetime (I knew one Grizel as a child);
Muriel - again not often used in my time (I know of two of my age), anglecized form of a Celtic name or of Muireall (related to to Marion/Mary);
Maree - from the Loch of the same name;

Katrine from the loch of the same name [cat rin];
Kirsteen/Kirsten (Ciorstín/Ciorsdan) - form of Cairaistíona/Christine/Kirstie, nn Teenie;
Nancy - from Agnes; Nan (also from Anne)
Arabella or Annabel (which is from Amabel, lovable)'
Aileen - variation on Eilidh (Helen);
Jemima - as a form of Jamesina (female of James) or as an anglecization of/from Gaelic Simeag (not sure if this too from Seumas/James);
Malvina - female form of Malcom/Melvin but also invented by MacPherson of Ossian scam;
Hectorina/Donaldina (Dolly) or Alexina etc. is a common pattern based on male relative (see Malvina).
Iona

Place names such as Ellon, Eildon, (e-ul don), Alyth (Eh lith), Skye, Isla (river/Glen but also isle of Islay), Iona (where St Columba had abbey), Paisley, Melrose (I suppose), Roslin, Doune/Doon...
nb traditionally a crofter or tenant farmer would be known by the farm name not his own name and sometimes this passed to daughters.

Gregor, Magnus, Angus, Alastair, Ross, Robert.

You can get scots baby names books there's some gorgeous names out there.

My dd has a scots name I won't say which one

But I like
Catriona
Iona
Isla
Kirsty
Bonnie
Flora
Ailsa
Elspeth
Fiona
Heather
Mhairi
Mirren
Rhona

Angus
Hamish
Drew
Blair
Glen
Cameron
Calum
Craig
Fraser
Lachlan
Logan

Grizel/Grizelda Please don't name your child that.

Boys (Gaelic)

Somhairle [sor ley] from the poet but also the Summer Isles (I think);
Sioltach (Sholto) [show ul tak] (means sower)
Paidraig (por ack) - means Patrick/Peter, though Peadar exists too;
Aonghus [un gus] (Angus, also anglecized as Aeneas sometimes or Innes);
Seumas [shay mas] (Hamish) - James;
Calum/Colm - Columba (Malcolm means servant of St Columba)
Muireadhach (Murdo) [mu uh ruh dack] means lord
Gille Iosa (Gillies) [gill us] hard g - servant of Jesus
Gilleasbeag (Gilliespie) - servant of the Bishop;
Gille Crìosd (Gilchrist) - servant of Christ/Christopher;
Also Gillander(s) (anglecized, cannot remember Gaelic) - servant of Andrew and Gillean (anglecized, hard G), servant of John but too close to female Jillian/Gillian.
Torcuil/Torcull- [tork wull] (something to do with Thor);
Tormod (Norman);
Seoras [shaw ruhs] - George also Geordie in Scots, Dod;
Niall [nee uhl] (Neil) - cloud;
Coinneach [co uh nya x] (Kenneth) - handsome;
Cormag [cor mack] - similar to Irish'
Diarmad [dare mat] - anglecized as Kermit, Dermott;
Eoghan [you in] (Ewan);
Domhnall [daw ul] (Donald) cognates of which Ranald, Ronald etc.
Amhlaidh [ov lay] (Aulay), cognate of Olaf;
Seonnaidh - Johnnie;
Ruaraidh [roo uh ray] (Rory) to do with red; also anglecized as Roderick, Derrick etc;
Dàibhaidh [day vay] (David) - one of the Scottish King names.
Alasdair [al us tuhr] (Alastair) - Gaelic verison of Alexander, of course, another name of Scottish Kings;
Neacail - Nicol, Nicholas (?) < I like this particularly
Fionnlaigh - (Finlay) [fi un lay];
Fearghas - (Fergus);
Fionnghall - Fingal.

Scottish Boys' Names

Magnus - from Norse;
Ola - from Olaf;
StClair or Sinclair;
Duncan (not a favourite);
Lindsay;
Ninian - from the Saint;
Erland - Orkney name;
Iain - anglecization of Gaelic form of John;
Hector - (Eachan is the Gaelic form of which Hector the anglecization);
Archie (Earidsidh is the Gaelic form of which Archie is the anglecization);
Hugh (Aodh < too like Odd in English, though [ohay]);
Alan (Ailean);
Anndra (Aindreas);
Hamish (Seumas) - also Jamus;
Mungo - Saint of Glasgow;
Grant;
Scott;
Erskine;
Fraser;
Kennedy;
Keith;
(all of above Clan names)
Lewis;
Harris;
Arran (from the island on the model of Lewis/Harris, both also last names);
Gregor ;
Lachlan(n);
MacKenzie (variant on Kenneth, of course);
Stuart/Stewart;
Rab (Robert);
Cunningham(e);
Forbes [for bus when a first name];
Moray (Earl of, and the region);
Murray (last name);
Struan;
Fiddes [fid ez];
Fyfe;
Ross;
Cowan;

Also last/place names, of course, if you want Hawick, Jedburgh, Leslie, Dalgarno, Lennox, Kelvin (river), Melville, StJohn (tho' not very Scottish as a name, the other name for Perth is St John's Town), Kyle, Glen, Stevenson (for the Lighthouse family), Baird (televison); Kincardine; Kinneil; Blair; Athol(l).

@SkyeCoo yes they are, but I was under the impression they are of Gaelic origin. Sorry!

A pp suggested Ivor. Which would be an excellent choice for your favourite Welsh name...

Love most of these names. Not Scottish myself!. Like Katrine - I have been to that loch, v.beautiful. Struan is lovely, as is Innes.

I love Nairn for a boy. Also Atholl and Struan. Mhairi for a girl

Duncan
Gordon
Magnus
Innes
Kester
Murdo
Fraser

Morven, I just love it.
Elspeth
Fiona
Ishbel

@mrsknackered & @skyecoo - Ossian is both Irish/Scottish, or rather Celtic; Orlaith not so much.

I liked Elidh but dd2 had a load in her class butif you are not in Scotland that wont be a problem.
Isla and Blair are my favourites also Jamie is nice.

Well we have Irish in the family too so a Celtic feel is fine!

I love Saoirse (irish) and Morven. Beautiful!

Murray and Iona