Alastair
From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair (“Alexander”). Doublet of Alexander.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
scottish gaelic names
Explore names with source-linked origins, etymologies, and pronunciations. Open a name to see its language context and regional pronunciation variants.
Explore names by language and tradition48 names · Page 1 of 1. Origin labels follow the cited name sense; earlier roots and uncertain meanings are explained on each name page.
Alaster
A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, variant of Alistair.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
Aleister
From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman French Alexandre or Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
Alistair
From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, from Norman Alexandre or Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
Allister
Anglicized from Alasdair, the Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends R
Angus
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, perhaps literally "one choice".
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
Blair
From Scottish Gaelic blàr (“field, plain”).
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends R
Boyd
From Scottish Gaelic, either buidhe (“blond, yellow, fair”), or a habitational surname from the Isle of Bute in Scotland.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends D
Callum
Scottish surname, shortened from McCallum; also a variant of Calum.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
Cameron
From Scottish Gaelic Camshròn, from cam (“crooked, bent”) + sròn (“nose”). Compare Campbell, from Scottish Gaelic cam (“crooked”) + beul (“mouth”).
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Clyde
From Scottish Gaelic Cluaidh, the name of a river in Scotland, of uncertain origin. Possibly influenced by clut (“the cleansing one”). Borrowed from English Clyde.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
Corrie
From Scottish Gaelic coire (“cauldron, boiler; corrie”), which denotes a bowl-shaped geographical feature similar to a cirque.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends E
Cullen
From Scottish Gaelic cuilinn.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Dalrymple
From Scottish Gaelic dail (“field, meadow”) + an unexplained second element.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends E
Donald
Name of Scottish kings and an early saint, from Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and reinforced by Medieval Latin Donvaldus ~ Donaldus, from Old Irish Domnall, from Proto-Celtic…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends D
Dougal
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Dùghall, from Old Irish dubgall (“Dane, black-haired foreigner”), synchronically from dubh (“black”) + gall (“stranger”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
Douglas
Unadapted borrowing from English Douglas. a male given name from Scottish Gaelic, equivalent to English Douglas Borrowed from English Douglas.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
Duncan
* As a Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname, from Donnchadh, a name composed of donn (“brown”) + cath (“battle”). Also spelled as Donagh and Donaghue, Donahue. * Also as an Irish…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Ewan
From Scottish Gaelic Eòghan. Not related to Iwan and Evan.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Ewen
A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, variant of Ewan.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Fenella
From Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal, from Fionnghuala.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Fergus
From Irish or Scottish Gaelic Fearghas. The first element may be related to modern fìor (“true”) or fear (“man”) (cf. Fearchar). The second element has been understood to mean…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
Fingal
From Scottish Gaelic Fionnghall, from fionn (“fair”) + gall (“stranger”). Used by Macpherson as a rendering of the Irish Fionn mac Cumhail.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
Fiona
From Irish fionn (“fair, white”). In use before 1713. Popularized by James Macpherson (see 1765 quotation), and perhaps by the 19th-century Scottish writer William Sharp, who…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Gilmore
From Scottish Gaelic gille (“servant lad”) + Moire (“Mary mother of Jesus”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends E
Grant
From Scottish Gaelic Grannd, from Anglo-Norman graunt (“big, large”), from Old French grant, from Latin grandis. Doublet of grand. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends T
Hamish
Anglicized spelling of Scottish Gaelic Sheumais, vocative case of Seumas, from English James (see for more). Doublet of James etc.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends H
Iain
From Scottish Gaelic. Cognate of John; see there for more.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Ian
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic Eòin. Unadapted borrowing from English Ian. Doublet of João, Ivan, Jean, Ruan, and Geovane. Borrowed from English Ian, from Scottish Gaelic…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Kenna
* As a Scottish surname, shortened from McKenna. * As a Manx and Irish surname, from Ó Cionaodha /Ó Cionaoith (“descendant of Cionaodh”), a name usually Anglicized as Kenneth.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Kenneth
Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”)…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends H
Lachlan
From Scottish Gaelic Lachlann, Lochlann (“land of the lochs, loch or fjord land, i.e. Scandinavia”), said to refer to an immigrant from Norway, a Norseman.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Lochlan
Variant of Lachlan.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Logan
From Scottish Gaelic lag (“little hollow”).
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Lorna
Coined by English novelist R. D. Blackmore in 1869 for his novel Lorna Doone, possibly from the Scottish place name Lorn(e) in Argyll.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Malcolm
Royal name in Scotland, anglicised from various historical Goidelic names equivalent to Scottish Gaelic Maol Chaluim or Calum, Irish Maol Colm, Middle Irish Máel Coluim, Old…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
Malwina
Borrowed from English Malvina, from Scottish Gaelic Mala-mhìn.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Maura
Either from Irish Máire and Scottish Gaelic Màiri, or from Italian Maura. When borrowed from Irish, a doublet of Moira.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Meryl
A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, variant of Muriel.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
Mhairi
From Scottish Gaelic Màiri (“Mary”), which in the vocative case becomes a Mhàiri.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
Morven
A variant of the place name Morvern, from Scottish Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the sea gap" or "the big gap".
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends N
Muriel
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Muireall, from muir (“sea”), from Old Irish muir, from Proto-Celtic *mori, from Proto-Indo-European *móri; + geal (“white, bright”), from Old…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
Niall
Borrowed from Irish Niall or Scottish Gaelic Niall, ultimately from Old Irish Níall, of uncertain original meaning. Suggestions include nél (“cloud”) and nïa (“champion”),…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends L
Paisley
From Scottish Gaelic Pàislig (“pasture”). Despite occasional respellings such as Paisleigh, this word does not etymologically contain the suffix -ley/-leigh.
- Gender
- neutral
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends Y
Roy
From various sources: * Anglo-Norman roy (“king”) a variant of Old French roi, from Latin rēx, rēgem from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of Rey. *…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends Y
Sheena
Anglicization of Scottish Gaelic Sìne and Síne, ultimately from Latin Joanna, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Shona
Scottish Anglicized form of Seonag ( =Joan) and an American variant of Shauna.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
Sorcha
Borrowed from Irish and Scottish Gaelic Sorcha (literally “light, radiant”). From sorcha (“bright, clear, conspicuous”), from Old Irish sorchae (“bright, luminous”). From…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A