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Baby names

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

Original poster

Scottish boys names which English family don't find weird/can pronounce!

90 replies

twiglet · 15/12/2018 02:22

Myself and DH are English but lived in Scotland over 10 years. We want a Scottish/celtic name but that English families can spell and nothing too used so Alexander is out, James is also out and DH doesn't want any royal ref names!
We can't agree on what our favourite is!
And due in 8 weeks....

So far we have:
Tristan (my fav using the Scottish Saint ref)
Finlay (DH fav)
Logan
Arran (DH not so sure)
Cameron (my worry is family will think Tory ref....)

Not Scottish but on the maybe pile is Rueben.

Any suggestions/help Blush

OP posts:
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BikeRunSki · 15/12/2018 16:04

Angus
Fergus
Fraser
Alistair/Alastair

BlueUggs · 15/12/2018 16:09

Are your family stupid or just rude?
Surely you tell them the name, how to pronounce it and the spelling???
What names do you like that you're concerned they won't be able to pronounce?
I think Arran is a nightmare. Is is Arran/Aran/Aaron/Aarron......

TeacupDrama · 15/12/2018 16:11

I'm English living in Scotland and can't pronounce the "CH" sound like in loch I say lock and would say lacklan I have tried and tried I can't do the ch in lachlan etc so saying they can't do that sound is reasonable enough, however, that would not apply to many other Scottish names

Willow1992 · 15/12/2018 17:10

IME pronouncing the ch in Lachlan like the ch in Zachary is a common and accepted pronunciation outside of Scotland, so if you hate it and will be around English relatives a lot then I wouldn't choose it.

bellsonthesleigh · 15/12/2018 17:41

I have an Arran. No real issues with the spelling; just tell people it's spelled the same as the island. Seems to be becoming a slightly more popular spelling these days.

FairyFantastic · 15/12/2018 23:19

OP I feel your pain. Me and DP are English living in Scotland. I was desperate for a Scottish name for DD (eventually got a Scottish middle name woo!) but gutted as no one was keen/could pronounce my proper Gaelic/Scots names.
Out of your picks I like Tristan. A bit different nowadays.
Fraser is my top pick - one of those names that screams Scotland and whilst popular, is nicely dispersed if you get me? There was a baby Fraser on the ward when DD was born.
Also quite like the suggestions of Andrew and Malcolm.

MrsBungle · 15/12/2018 23:24

I have a Cameron (I’m Scottish but live in England) and have never had the Tory reference. It’s also quite uncommon down here. I also loved Fraser and Keir (didn’t go with Keir as English dh was not pronouncing it properly Hmm Grin )

CormoranStrike · 16/12/2018 00:14

Am I the only Scot who thinks Tristan sounds like a posh upper class name, rather than a Scots name?

festivedogbone · 16/12/2018 17:54

Rory
Magnus
Harris
Angus

festivedogbone · 16/12/2018 17:54

CormoranStrike no, I had no idea it was apparently a Scottish name either.

museumum · 16/12/2018 18:30

Yep Tristan would have been assumed very upper class English where I grew up (Central belt).

Lara53 · 16/12/2018 20:45

My son is Cayden James. We have only ever met one other Cayden who is a year older. We live in South East of UK

Divgirl2 · 16/12/2018 22:47

Cayden is a modern "invented" name, but I think its roots are Irish rather than Scottish.

CupsAndPentacles · 16/12/2018 22:54

I find the Irish 'Lorcan' much easier than Lachlan.

Not keen on Cayden, nothing wrong with Aidan but Cayden is like a mash of two names. I think Caedhlan means thin.

midsomermurderess · 16/12/2018 22:58

Iain.

Branleuse · 16/12/2018 22:59

Euan

Branleuse · 16/12/2018 23:00

I used to know a Hamish too. He was a punk

Thetigerwhocameto · 17/12/2018 01:29

I really like:
Hamish
Fraser
Finn
Finlay

Note for future, don’t discuss names. DDs name would’ve been flamed by everyone as a Gaelic name with a European middle name DFIL first reaction was to ask if we had just thrown scrabble letters down and gone with that 🙄 (he loves the name now as it is DD’s name, if he’d (and MIL) had known before it wouldn’t have been so simple.

Maybe make your choice and don’t share it?

Veterinari · 17/12/2018 14:49

Cayden is a modern "invented" name, but I think its roots are Irish rather than Scottish.

It’s a modern given name (more commonly spelled Caden) but as a surname MacCadáin has been around innScotland since the Middle Ages

moredoll · 17/12/2018 15:16

Alasdair
Sholto
Tavish
Murdo
Angus
Gilles
Ainsley

moredoll · 17/12/2018 15:16

Gillies

ronatheseal · 17/12/2018 15:48

Donald, Ewan (Euan), Calum, Neil, Hector, Dugald, Kenneth, Angus, Ronald, Iain, Duncan, Murdoch (Murdo), Fingal, Malcolm, Allan, Lachlan, Finlay, Fergus, Colin, Farquhar, Sorley, Charlie. These are still used names that are relatively easy to pronounce.

sunshineandthunder · 17/12/2018 15:51

Cameron is my DS name and I love it as much now as when we chose it. We are Scottish and as far from Tory as you can be so it's something that has never crossed my mind! My DS is 12 and it's a name that suits a baby, boy, teenager and man IMO. Not overly used now either. Good luck!

sunshineandthunder · 17/12/2018 15:53

Callan, Caelan, Fraser, Ross and Finlay were also on our shortlist.

helpingvsdoinghomework · 18/12/2018 00:07

Douglas- i love that name soooo much!