Awesome Scottish Names
- Gavin
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"white hawk"Description:
Gavin, a name with Scottish roots, has stepped into the spotlight, replacing the dated Kevin, thanks in part to pop-rock sensation Gavin DeGraw and Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale.
- Glenna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"glen"Description:
Honoring a male relative. Be bold and go with Glenn.
- Gregor
Origin:
Scottish form of GregoryMeaning:
"vigilant, a watchman"Description:
Two prominent literary namesakes make Gregor a somewhat risky choice. On the highbrow side, there's Gregor Samsa, the Kafka character who woke up one day to find himself turned into a cockroach. And then there's Gregor Clegane, one of the most feared and purely evil characters in the world of Game of Thrones.
- Ian
Origin:
Scottish version of JohnMeaning:
"the Lord is gracious"Description:
Ian is Scottish form of John, derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan. It is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic Iain, which is also a viable spelling. Ian was introduced to Americans by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.
- Isla
Origin:
Scottish place-name or SpanishMeaning:
"island"Description:
Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.
- Isobel
Origin:
Scottish variation of IsabelMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like Isabel or Isabelle.
- Jamie
Origin:
Diminutive of JamesMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Jamie is typical of the relaxed unisex names starting with J that seemed so cool in the sixties after decades of Jeans and Joans, though now pretty tepid. Jaime and even Jamey and Jayme are alternate spellings.
- Jessie
Origin:
Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of JessicaMeaning:
"wealthy"Description:
Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an Anglicized form of Teasagh, itself a form of Jean, and is used as a full name. And in the rest of the world, Jessie may be short for Jessica or used on its own.
- Keith
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"wood"Description:
Strong but gentle, Keith is one of the Scottish surnames that, along with Douglas, Craig and Bruce, were considered the epitome of cool in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was a Top 40 choice.
- Kenna
Origin:
Scottish, feminine form of KennethDescription:
Kenna is the Scottish version of Kendra, both of which are feminine versions of Kenneth. Used in the TV show Reign for one of the supporting characters.
- Kerr
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"someone who lived near wet ground"Description:
When actress Deborah Kerr entered the scene, there was a great debate over her name's pronunciation. Car or Ker. Your choice.
- Kirsty
- Lindsay
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"marshlands of Lincolnshire"Description:
In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10.
- Logan
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"little hollow"Description:
Logan, with its appealing Scottish burr, is a very hot boys' name—it's in the national Top 10 and heading for Number 1 in some states—and can also make a rich and resonant choice for a girl. Jason and Jordan Mewes have a daughter named Logan Lee.
- Lorna
Origin:
English literary nameDescription:
One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as the name of a shortbread cookie. The author claimed to have based it on the Scottish place-name, Lorn. In baby name limbo for quite some time, it was chosen by Judy Garland for her younger daughter, Lorna Luft. Lorna Simpson is an important contemporary American artist.
- Maisie
Origin:
Scottish diminutive of Margaret or MaryMeaning:
"pearl or bitter"Description:
Maisie, a charming name long popular as a nickname for Margaret or Mary, entered the Top 1000 as itself ten years ago and continues to rise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams helped propel the name back into the limelight, along with the that of her character, Arya.
- Malcolm
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"devotee of St. Colomba"Description:
Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is also a hero name for many via radical civil rights activist Malcolm X.
- Malina
Origin:
Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, SerbianMeaning:
"raspberry"Description:
Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages. For all that it's a little bit of lots of things, Malina doesn't feel very much like itself.
- Malvina
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"smooth-browed one"Description:
An invention of the eighteenth-century romantic poet James Macpherson, in his epic cycle about Ossian, a legendary Celtic hero. In Poland, where it was popular at the start of the 20th century, the spelling is Malwina, and it's also had some use in other Eastern European countries.
- Marcas