Ptarmigan

TAR-mih-gan

Scots Gaelic

"name of a bird species"

Ptarmigan Origin and Meaning

The name Ptarmigan is a boy's name meaning "name of a bird species".

Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P- added by erroneous association with the Greek pteron ("wing").

Ptarmigan has been spotted on a baby girl in the Telegraph Birth Announcements, but there’s no reason this intriguing nature name couldn’t work for a boy, too. In fact, it sounds a bit Muskateer to many an ear, making it fabulous for the adventurous parent of a son.