Scottish Gaelic Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Scottish Gaelic. Scottish Gaelic is the Celtic language spoken in Scotland.
gender
usage
origin
Ailpean m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Alpin.
Alpin m Scottish (Rare)
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Ailpean, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning "white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.
Beathag f Scottish Gaelic
Feminine form of Beathan.
Beathan m Scottish Gaelic
Derived from a diminutive of Scottish Gaelic beatha meaning "life".
Cailean m Scottish Gaelic
Means "whelp, young dog" in Scottish Gaelic. This name was borne by Cailean Mór, a 13th-century Scottish lord and ancestor of Clan Campbell.
Colin 1 m Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Scottish Cailean.
Deòiridh f Scottish Gaelic
Means "pilgrim" in Scottish Gaelic.
Doug m English
Short form of Douglas.
Douglas m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means "dark river", derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is Dùghlas or Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
Douglass m English
Variant of Douglas.
Duff m English (Rare)
From a Scottish or Irish surname, derived from Anglicized spellings of Gaelic dubh meaning "dark".
Gilchrist m Scottish (Rare)
Anglicized form of the medieval Gaelic name Gille Críst, or from the surname that was derived from it.
Gilleasbuig m Scottish Gaelic
Means "servant of the bishop", from Scottish Gaelic gille "servant" and easbuig "bishop", from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos). It was often Anglicized as Gillespie or Archibald (with which it has no obvious connection).
Kendra f English
Feminine form of Ken 1 or Kendrick.
Kendrick m English
From a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names Cyneric "royal power" or Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Eanraig meaning "son of Henry".... [more]
Kenzie m & f English
Short form of Mackenzie.
Kinley f English (Modern)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Fhionnlaigh, itself derived from the given name Fionnlagh.
Lakendra f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular prefix la with the name Kendra. It can be spelled LaKendra or Lakendra.
Lorna f English
Created by the author R. D. Blackmore for the title character in his novel Lorna Doone (1869), set in southern England, which describes the dangerous love between John Ridd and Lorna Doone. Blackmore may have based the name on the Scottish place name Lorne or on the title Marquis of Lorne (see Lorne).
Lorne m English
From the title Marquis of Lorne, which was based on the Scottish place name Lorne, itself possibly derived from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This was the title of the first Governor General of Canada, where it has since been most frequently used as a given name. A famous bearer was the Canadian actor Lorne Greene (1915-1987).
Macaulay m English (British)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh, itself derived from Amhalghadh, a given name of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1861), a British Whig politician and noted historian. The given name is borne by the American former child actor Macaulay Culkin (1980-), who was named after the British politician.
Mackenzie f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coinnich, itself derived from the given name Coinneach. As a feminine given name it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-), especially after she began appearing on the television comedy One Day at a Time in 1975. In the United Kingdom it is more common as a masculine name.
McKenna f English (Modern)
From an Irish and Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Cionaodha, itself derived from the given name Cionaodh. As a given name, it was very rare before 1980. It rapidly increased in popularity during the 1990s, likely because it was viewed as an even more feminine alternative to Mackenzie.
McKinley f & m English
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Fhionnlaigh, from the given name Fionnlagh. A famous bearer of the surname was the American president William McKinley (1843-1901).... [more]
Mòr f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Mór 1. It is sometimes translated into English as Sarah or Marion.
Mòrag f Scottish Gaelic
Diminutive of Mòr.
Naomhán m Irish
Means "little saint", derived from Irish naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Neely m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (or McNeilly) meaning "son of the poet".
Niven m Scottish
Anglicized form of Naomhán.
Skye f English (Modern)
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.
Tavish m Scottish
Anglicized form of a Thàmhais, vocative case of Tàmhas. Alternatively it could be taken from the Scottish surname McTavish, Anglicized form of Mac Tàmhais, meaning "son of Tàmhas".
Tyree m African American
From a Scottish surname, a variant of McIntyre. It has been well-used as an African-American name, especially since the 1970s, probably inspired by other similar-sounding names such as Tyrone.