Scottish Girl Names
Scottish girl names are a diverse group.... but they're all rich with the history, traditions and culture of this small but colorful country.
Some are historically Scottish and have their roots in ancient Celtic or Gaelic culture.
Examples include Eilidh (the Scottish Gaelic representation of Helen, meaning 'light'), Iona (after the Inner Hebridean island of Iona) and Seonaid (Scottish Gaelic form of Janet, meaning 'God's gracious gift').
Others originate in countries whose own history has touched that of Scotland, including those of Olde English, Norse and Anglo-Saxon descent.
Of course, Scottish parents don't always pick traditional names for their little ones, as any relatively recent list of the most popular Scottish baby names will show!
For example, Olivia and Emily have been in the top five Scottish girls names consistently for several years, along with the more traditional Isla.
You can see the top twenty girls names (according to National Records of Scotland) for several recent years, including 2022 and 2023 below.
As a mom I know that there were many things to think about when choosing my children's names! The name itself had to sound and feel right, as did the meaning behind it.
So on this page you'll find a hand-picked selection of Scottish baby girl names, complete with cultural origins and meanings to help you pick the perfect 'fit' for your little one.
Naming Traditions For Girls In Scotland
You'll see that some of the Scottish girl names on this list have the suffix 'ina'. This is a uniquely Scottish trait!
It was traditional to add these three letters to the end of a boys name to turn it into the feminine version.
And sometimes the name would then just be shortened to 'Ina', resulting in a lot of 'Inas' all with different forenames. A little confusing at times.
In Scotland, first names are know as forenames, and last names as surnames.
Honoring relatives and ancestors is important and even today some Scots follow traditional Scottish naming practices, while many more simply choose names of parents, grandparents or other relatives.
Historically speaking, Scotland has had a well-defined practice for allocating names to new babies.
Some families still follow these traditions even today:
- First born daughters are named after their maternal grandmother
- Second born daughters after their paternal grandmother
- Third born daughters after their mother
Additionally, first born daughters often received their maternal grandmother's maiden name as their middle name.
Viewed from outside the system, this name was often not a name you'd expect a girl to have and fewer Scots still follow this tradition.
As a child I can remember wishing I had a 'normal' middle name like most of my friends, but now as an adult I love that my ancestors and clan are a part of my name forever!
Having a middle name is common, and today favorite family names are often passed on to the next generations this way.
Many Scottish last names, especially clan names, work well as first names too!
If you'd like to learn more about the naming culture in Scotland CLICK HERE (link will open in a new window).
Name | Origin & Meaning |
| Adamina | Hebrew Feminine form of Adam, meaning 'formed of the red earth' |
| Agnes | Greek Meaning 'chaste' or 'holy'. First recorded during 14th century. Sometimes became 'Nancy' |
| Ailsa | Old German Meaning 'noble maiden'. |
| Aileen | Gaelic From the Gaelic 'Eilidh' meaning 'rays of sunshine'. Sometimes became Eilean or Ilene. |
| Ailith | Olde English Meaning 'seasoned warrior' |
| Ainslie | Olde English Meaning 'hermitage meadow'. Also Scottish surname |
| Alana | Gaelic Meaning 'beautiful' |
| Alison | Old German Meaning 'noble sort' or 'nobility'. First recorded during 12th century |
| Ann | Hebrew Meaning 'graceful'. |
| Annag | Gaelic Scottish Gaelic form of Anna. Meaning 'graceful' or 'grace'. |
| Annis | Gaelic Scottish Gaelic form of Agnes. Meaning 'chaste' or 'holy'. |
| Arabel | Roman Meaning 'prayerful'. |
| Barbara | Greek Meaning 'strange' or 'foreign'. |
| Blair | Gaelic Meaning 'field', 'plain' or 'battlefield'. A unisex name first recorded during 12th century. |
| Bridget | Gaelic From Irish Celtic. After a Celtic Goddess. Meaning 'power' or 'strength'. |
| Cairstine | Gaelic Scottish Gaelic form of Christina. Meaning 'believer or follower of Christ'. |
| Catriona | Gaelic Scottish Gaelic form of Catherine, meaning 'pure'. Dates back to the time of the Crusaders. |
| Davina | Hebrew Feminine form of David, meaning 'beloved'. |
| Donalda | Gaelic Feminine form of Donald, meaning 'world ruler' |
| Deoiridh | Gaelic Scottish Gaelic, meaning 'pilgrim'. |
| Elspeth | Scottish Scottish variant of the Hebrew Elizabeth, meaning 'God is my oath'. |
| Emilia | Roman Meaning 'winning'. Often seen as Emily. |
| Fenella | Gaelic Meaning 'white shoulders' or 'fair shoulders'. |
| Fiona | Gaelic From Irish Gaelic meaning 'fair one' or 'white'. |
| Flora | Italian Meaning 'flower'. Was a popular name in the Scottish Highlands. |
| Heather | Anglo Saxon Meaning 'as the heather'. Popular due to native Scottish plant with the same name. |
| Hilda | Old German Meaning 'battle maid' or 'woman of battle'. |
| Gavina | Celtic Feminine form of Gavin, meaning 'white hawk' or 'hawk woman'. |
| Greer | Scottish Unisex name derived from the Scottish surname, meaning 'watchful' or 'vigilant'. |
| Innis | Gaelic Unisex name, from the Gaelic 'inis' meaning 'island'. |
| Isla | Olde English From Scottish word 'Islay' meaning island. |
| Isobel | European From Spanish Isobella, meaning 'God is my oath' or 'Gods' consecrated'. Came to Scotland from Europe in 13th century. |
| Jamesina | European Scottish feminine form of James (Spanish), meaning 'supplanter'. |
| Jean | French Scottish form of Jeanne, meaning 'God is gracious'. Popular for centuries. |
| Kirstine | Scottish Scottish form of Christine, meaning 'believer or follower of Christ'. Often shortened to Kirsty. (Also see Cairistine). |
| Lachina | Norwegian Feminine form of Lachlan, meaning 'lake land' or 'land of lochs'. |
| Lyall | Old Norse Unisex name, from Scottish surname. Meaning 'shield wolf'. |
| Margaret | Greek Meaning 'precious' or 'pearl'. Became popular during 11th century. |
| Mairi | Hebrew Scottish version of Mary, meaning 'bitter'. Also written as Mhairi. |
| Morag | Gaelic Scottish version of Sarah, meaning 'princess' |
| Murdina | Celtic Feminine form of Murdoch, meaning 'warrior of the sea'. |
| Rhona | Old Norman Meaning 'wise ruler'. Dates back to 7th century. |
| Sorcha | Gaelic Meaning 'radiant'. |
| Thomasina | Hebrew Feminine version of Thomas, meaning 'twin'. |
| Una | Gaelic Irish Gaelic originally. Meaning 'famine or hunger'. |
Taking a look at the most popular Scottish girl names for 2020 you can see below that Olivia has been toppled from the #1 spot, and replaced with Isla. This is the first time Isla has been in the number one spot.
1. Isla
2. Olivia
3. Emily
4. Freya
5. Ava
6. Sophie
7. Ella
8. Grace
9. Amelia
10. Lily
11. Sophia
12. Charlotte
13. Evie
14. Millie
15. Maisie (new addition)
16. Rosie
17. Mia
18. Jessica
19. Aria & Ellie (tied)
Here's a list of the Top 20 Scottish Girl Names in 2022 where you'll notice that Olivia is back in it's traditional number one position
1. Olivia
2. Isla
3. Freya
4. Millie
5. Emily
6. Amelia
7. Grace
8. Sophie
9. Ella
10. Ava
11. Lily
12. Charlotte
13. Sophia
14. Aria
15. Harper
16. Sophia
17. Chloe
18. Ivy
19. Evie
20. Lucy
Here are the top 20 baby girl names in Scotland for 2023 according to the National Records of Scotland website. Isla and Olivia continue to duke it out with Isla winning back the #1 spot.
Also notice that there are two newcomers to the top 20 for 2023... Orla (or Irish origin and meaning 'golden princess') and Maisie (a traditional Scottish girls name meaning 'pearl'.
- Isla
- Olivia
- Freya
- Emily
- Amelia
- Ella
- Charlotte
- Millie
- Grace
- Ava
11. Lily
12. Aria
13. Sophie
14. Orla
15. Maisie
16. Sophia
17. Rosie
18. Ivy
19. Evie
20. Lucy
Baby naming trends in Scotland
According to the National Records of Scotland, their data shows that the number and variety of names given to both girls and boys in Scotland is increasing every year, and there are consistently more choices for girls than for boys.
Younger moms ((25 and under) favor the more contemporary names such as Aria (and Luca or Arlo for a boy), while moms who are 35 and older choose more traditional Scottish baby names such as Emily (or Jack for a boy).
There are also more unique names being chosen, sometimes with only a handful of babies per year being given them.
Celebrities, television, movies and entertainers seem to have a big impact on baby names (and I'm sure this isn't only in Scotland!).
Popular names such as Luca could be reflecting the Disney movie, or a Love Island resident. Other names not in the top 20 but likely made noticeable by popular culture include Mabel (Only Murders in the Building), Mollie (reality show), Oakley (BBC's Strictly come Dancing) and much more.
Suffice it to say, whatever your taste in Scottish baby names, be it Celtic, traditional or contemporary, there are plenty of choices to be had!
If you're interested in finding out more about any particular name and how popular it is, or has been historically, in Scotland you can check out this app courtesy of the National Register of Scotland.
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