Scottish Last Names

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

Efficient feel.

This ancient Scottish surname may be pagan in origin, referring to a "holy day", but today it makes an attractive and unique Scottish name for girls. Halliday has many spelling variations and traveled throughout the British Isles and to France, where it has royal associations, and eventually to the new world. Johnny Hallyday was a French pop star.

English place name derived from the Anglo-Norman personal name Hasten or Haesta, made famous by the battle of 1066.

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

The energetic Brody is a name that claims different meanings and origins depending on whether you're looking at its Irish, Scottish, or English history -- and Eastern Europeans claim a version too. This spelling is much more popular for boys, but has seen some use for girls in recent years, including volleyball player Gabrielle Reese's daughter. An alternate spelling is Brodie.

A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan.

Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear.

Down-to-earth surname name with a drawl, also associated with cereal and dog food.

As wooden as its second syllable.

McKay is the Anglicized form of Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh" in Gaelic. Aodh is the origin of names such as Aidan and Hugh, making McKay a subtle way to honor people with those names.

This name's all-male occupational roots help it break the Barbara bonds, but still not the most inspiring surname choice.

Magee became one of the first gender-bending Irish surname names so popular today thanks to New York television newswoman Magee Hickey. In case you don't know, the g is hard, as in Maggie, but with the opposite emphasis.

Can be used either with or without the addition of Mac.

A handsome surname derived from Henry, like Henderson and Hendrix.

While actress Glenn Close didn't inspire many parents to give their daughters her name in particular, she did help launch a general trend toward boy names for girls.