Gaelic names well used in the Highlands

[OliverKitten]

Sorry for putting a baby name post in Scotsnet, but if I put it in baby names I'll get a million useless answers from people who don't live in the Highlands 😆

I'm looking for Gaelic boys names (properly spelt in Gaelic, eg Aonghas rather than Angus or Innes) which are well used in the Highlands. Some of our families don't have Gaelic, and they're not going to cope with Gilleasbuig or Tormod because they haven't heard of people using those names iyswim. I don't care if he has to spell it all the time when he's outwith the Highlands, but I want his name to sit easily when he's among his own people.

We've listed -
Iain
Calum
Cailean
Seamus
Ruairidh
Fionn (a bit unusual but easy to say so would be okay)
Alasdair
Niall
Eoghann

We've hunted through our Facebook friends lists and things like that but can't come up with any others! I feel sure we've forgotten some obvious ones. Can anyone help? If you also live in the Highlands which Gaelic names are used locally?

Domhnall

Michael
Seonaidh
Cailean

Finlay
Murdo
Seumus (sic)
Huibhard (sic)

The last two I know personally and Huibhard is a middle name pronounced Hibbard, so possibly a family surname. Until I heard it out loud, I thought it was Hubert 😳

Dùghlas

My island family is full of Anglicised spellings.

I like Alasdair and Iain which will never go out of fashion

@CharlotteStreetW1 Huibhard? How do they get Hibbard from that?

Beinn
Creag
Cairn (Carn?)
more Irish than scots - Ciaran

Seoras
Coinneach
Seamus/Hamish
Calum
Alasdair
Ruairidh
Feargus/Fergus
Innes
Aonghas/Angus
Iain
Niall
Uisdean (Hugh)
Kenneth

Thanks everyone!
I like Seonaidh / Seonachan a lot, but we already have a close relative called that so we can't use it unfortunately.
Domhnall and Dughlas are great names and not hard to say. Pretty rare (I only know one of each who uses them in Gaelic) but they'll go on our list 😊

No idea! Although having said that, it was a third party who said it so maybe she was wrong.

How should it be pronounced?

I love Seoras and Uisdean, traditional Gaelic names that aren’t too difficult to spell but have a really nice ring to them when spoken.
Also Eachann (Hector), this was on my baby name list.

I'm actually not that keen on Uisdean (and I can't think of anyone I know with it) but you have reminded me of Crisdean! I know about five Crisdeans so definitely well used and I reckon it's going on the list.
Seoras is a good name, but we can't use it with our surname unfortunately.

I don't know the Gaelic spelling but what about Menzies?

Aww I love Uisdean I know two and live in the Highlands.

Thought of another one! Uilleam?

Dughall?

I know Williams who call themselves Uilleam when speaking Gaelic, but nobody actually called Uilleam. Ditto Dughall. Unless there are actually tonnes of Uilleams and Dughalls all over the place but just not near me 🤷

Caimbeul
Fionnladh
Tearlach
Raibeart

How could I forget Ailean, although that's not really a wee boy's name, more folk my age. I really like it, though.

Ailean Raibeart is such a good name.

@Lessstressedhemum I agree, they are lovely names! But do you actually know more than say one or two people named any of them? I don't mean people called Charlie who change it to Tearlach when speaking Gaelic, but actually named Tearlach on their birth certificate? If these names are genuinely popular where you are I'd be really interested to know!

Most folk I know change Charlie when speaking Garlic to be honest and the Raibearts and Aileans tend to be my age or older.

Caimbeul is my middle son's middle name, his first name is Innes. My other boys have mostly anglicised names because my husband wouldn't allow Gaelic spellings. My 2nd son has Aonghas as a middle name.

Murdo is a great name !

I love Coinneach. I know two.
My nephews friend is Sandaidh.
My grandson is Cailean

I have an Alasdair, although we don't speak Gaelic. I just preferred the spelling and pronunciation.