Scottish Last Names

While the lin ending is more commonly found in girls' names, Carlin is an authentic Irish male choice and was used just about evenly for both sexes in the US last year.

Used quietly on boys in the US since the early 20th century, Mckenzie was abruptly overtaken by the Mackenzie spelling back in 1973 when actress Mackenzie Phillips introduced the name as a possibility for girls. While Mckenzie has never matched its sibling spelling in popularity, it nevertheless climbed the charts in its wake, peaking in 2000 at #133.

This familiar Irish surname, best known as the name of the mononamed Welsh female singer, is extremely rare as a first name in the US but could make an original Irish choice.

The Reid spelling is surprisingly more popular than the naturey Reed for both boys and girls, though more than 95% of little Reids are male.

Possible middle name for devotees of detective Sherlock...or the actress Katie.

Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.

Basie is a fabulous jazz name to honor the Count, whose birth name was William, the influential pianist, organist, bandleader and composer who led his band for almost fifty years.

When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern possibility. Kind of. The only other well-known bearer of the name in the contemporary world is singer Livingston Taylor, brother of James, who is called Liv. Given that little Livingston McConaughey's older brother is named Levi, that uplifting nickname may be too close, though his parents apparently like its sound. An original choice.

Carrington is much more popular as a last name than a first, but it's one of those surnames we could see making the leap into first name territory. A few minor historical figures have carried the name, including Carrington T. Marshall, a judge at the Nuremberg Trials, and Carrington "C.B." Williams, an ecologist known for his studies on insect migration.

The eponymous TV hero has inspired a handful of parents to use his name for their sons. Macgyver first appeared on the charts in 1989, four years after the original television series began.

Kit and Topher are the Christopher nicknames du jour, thanks to actors Harington and Grace. But now that Chris is feeling less ubiquitous, this jaunty Scottish and Irish short form has a certain charm.

All names ending in ville are in nowheresville.

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.

This Irish surname packs a lot of attitude, projecting an image of spunk and sass. The Welsh singer Duffy, born Aimee Anne Duffy, is best known for her songs Mercy and Warwick Avenue.

Sometimes heard as a first name in Scotland, particularly among the Campbell clan.

Efficient feel.

Nice Scottish sound, but too tied to sweaters and socks.

Finlay is a Scottish royal name (it belonged to Macbeth"s father) that was revived by several celebrity parents. Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn, Daniel Baldwin and Lisa Marie Presley all did a gender switch on Finlay when they named their daughters Finley.

A capital place-name possibility.

Former traditional male name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents. Actress Glenn Close is a famous female bearer.