Scottish Girl Names
Scottish girl names are some of the loveliest in the English-speaking world, and some of the most surprising to spell. Eilidh is AY-lee, Mhairi is VAH-ree, and Seonaid is roughly SHAW-nitch. Alongside those Gaelic gems you’ll find island names like Isla and Iona, sturdy Scots pet names like Elspeth and Maisie, and heroines from ballads and Jacobite history.
We’ve picked 100 Scottish girl names with meanings, grouped by style and with pronunciation where you need it. Looking for a brother’s name? See Scottish boy names. For clans and surnames, visit the Scottish names hub, and for the wider Gaelic world, browse Irish girl names.
Popular Scottish girl names
These names feel unmistakably Scottish and are well used in Scotland today. Isla in particular has spent years near the top of Scottish birth lists.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Isla | From the Isle of Islay | Scottish place name |
| Ailsa | From Ailsa Craig, “fairy rock” or “Alfsigr’s island” | Norse / Gaelic |
| Eilidh | Gaelic Helen; “torch, light” | Gaelic |
| Iona | From the holy isle of Iona | Scottish place name |
| Skye | From the Isle of Skye | Scottish place name |
| Freya | Lady; Norse goddess of love | Norse |
| Maisie | Pearl; Scots pet form of Margaret | Scots |
| Kirsty | Follower of Christ | Scots form of Christina |
| Fiona | Fair, white | Coined by James Macpherson from Gaelic fionn |
| Catriona | Pure (Katherine) | Gaelic |
| Mhairi | Gaelic Mary | Gaelic; the folk song “Mairi’s Wedding” |
| Rhona | Possibly from the island of Rona; “rough isle” | Gaelic / Norse |
| Shona | Gaelic Joan, “God is gracious” | Gaelic Seonag |
| Kenzie | Short form of Mackenzie, “son of the handsome one” | Scottish surname |
| Lorna | Invented for R. D. Blackmore’s novel Lorna Doone; linked to Lorne in Argyll | Scottish place name |
| Morven | Big gap, or “great mountain” | Place name; used by Macpherson |
Gaelic girl names and how to pronounce them
In Scottish Gaelic, mh and bh sound like “v,” s before e or i sounds like “sh,” and dh is often silent. Our Celtic girl names list has more from across the Gaelic world.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Seonaid | SHAW-nitch | Gaelic Janet, “God is gracious” |
| Mairead | MY-rat | Gaelic Margaret, “pearl” |
| Marsaili | MAR-sa-lee | Gaelic Marjorie, “pearl” |
| Ciorstaidh | KEER-stee | Gaelic Kirsty, “follower of Christ” |
| Ealasaid | YAL-a-satch | Gaelic Elizabeth, “God is my oath” |
| Oighrig | OY-rik | Possibly “speckled”; anglicized Effie |
| Beathag | BEH-hak | Life; anglicized Sophia or Rebecca |
| Raonaid | RUR-nitch | Gaelic Rachel, “ewe” |
| Sìne | SHEE-na | Gaelic Jane, “God is gracious” |
| Sìleas | SHEE-las | Gaelic Julia or Cecilia |
| Peigi | PAY-gee | Gaelic Peggy, “pearl” |
| Anna | AH-na | Grace, favor |
| Sorcha | SOR-ra-kha | Bright, radiant |
| Mòrag | MOE-rak | Great; also Gaelic Sarah |
| Deirdre | DEER-dra | Possibly “sorrowful”; tragic heroine of Scottish and Irish legend |
| Ishbel | ISH-bel | Scots-Gaelic Isabel, “God is my oath” |
Scottish island and place names for girls
Scotland has around 800 islands, and parents have borrowed some of the prettiest. Other nature names are in our names that mean ocean.
| Name | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Arran | Isle of Arran, “Scotland in miniature” | Unisex |
| Tiree | Isle of Tiree | Sunny, windswept Hebridean island |
| Coll | Isle of Coll | Short and unusual |
| Jura | Isle of Jura | Where George Orwell wrote 1984 |
| Harris | Isle of Harris | Famous for Harris Tweed |
| Kintyre | Mull of Kintyre | Made famous by Paul McCartney |
| Ness | Loch Ness | Short form possible: Nessa |
| Lomond | Loch Lomond | Unisex |
| Moray | Moray Firth; “seaboard settlement” | Pronounced MUR-ee |
Clan and surname names for girls
Clan surnames are increasingly used for girls, especially in the US. More ideas are in our unisex names.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie | Son of Coinneach, “handsome” | A US favorite for girls |
| Ainsley | One’s meadow or clearing | Border surname |
| Leslie | Garden of hollies | Clan Leslie of Aberdeenshire |
| Blair | Plain, field | Gossip Girl gave it new life |
| Greer | Watchful (from Gregor) | Actress Greer Garson |
| Lindsay | Island of linden trees | Border family of Crawford |
| Kyla | Narrow strait (caol), or feminine of Kyle | Modern |
| Campbell | Crooked mouth | Bold choice |
| Drummond | Ridge | Rare for girls |
| Sutherland | Southern land (to the Norse) | Northernmost mainland county |
| Fraser | Clan name, possibly Norman | Unisex |
Classic Scots girl names
The favorite names of Scottish grandmothers, many with warm Scots nicknames. They are similar in spirit to our old lady names, which are fashionable again.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Elspeth | God is my oath | Scots Elizabeth; nickname Elsie |
| Isobel | God is my oath | Scottish spelling of Isabel |
| Morag | Great, or Gaelic Sarah | Highland classic |
| Effie | Pleasant speech (Euphemia) | Also used for Oighrig |
| Jessie | God beholds; a Scots pet form of Janet or Jean | Popular in the 1800s |
| Jean | God is gracious | Robert Burns married Jean Armour |
| Janet | God is gracious | Nickname Jenny or Jess |
| Senga | Agnes spelled backwards | A Glasgow classic |
| Nessie | Short for Agnes | Also the Loch Ness monster |
| Agnes | Pure, holy | Nickname Nan or Senga |
| Marjorie | Pearl | Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce |
| Kirstine | Follower of Christ | Older form of Kirsty |
| Euphemia | Well spoken | Two medieval queens of Scotland |
| Grizel | Grey battle maiden (Griselda) | Lady Grizel Baillie, songwriter |
| Innes | Island (innis) | Also a Moray clan name |
| Aileen | Scottish and Irish form, possibly of Evelyn or Helen | Mid-century favorite |
| Mysie | Scots pet form of Marjorie or Margaret | Traditional Lowland Scots |
| Tibbie | Scots pet form of Isabel | Robert Burns wrote a song to “Tibbie” |
| Kirsteen | Follower of Christ | Scottish spelling of Christine |
Scottish feminine forms of boys’ names
Scotland has a long tradition of naming daughters after fathers and grandfathers by adding -a or -ina. These once-common names now feel quirky and heritage-rich.
| Name | From | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Davina | David, “beloved” | Popularized in Scotland in the 1600s |
| Robina | Robert, “bright fame” | Nickname Bina |
| Williamina | William, “will + helmet” | Short form Wilma or Mina |
| Wilma | Short for Williamina | Later famous as Wilma Flintstone |
| Thomasina | Thomas, “twin” | Nickname Ina or Tamsin |
| Jamesina | James, “supplanter” | Rare, traditional Highland form |
| Georgina | George, “farmer” | Now used worldwide |
| Alexina | Alexander, “defender of men” | Nickname Lexie or Ina |
| Donalda | Donald, “world ruler” | Very Highland |
| Kenna | Kenneth, “handsome” or “born of fire” | Modern and short |
Girl names from Scottish history and legend
Queens, Jacobite heroines and ballad heroines: these names carry stories. Explore more with names that mean queen.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Flora | Flower | Flora MacDonald, Jacobite heroine |
| Margaret | Pearl | St. Margaret, queen of Scotland |
| Mary | Beloved, or bitter | Mary, Queen of Scots |
| Gruoch | Uncertain | The historical Lady Macbeth |
| Annabella | Loving, graceful | Annabella Drummond, queen of Scotland |
| Joan | God is gracious | Joan Beaufort, queen of James I |
| Christian | Follower of Christ | Christian Bruce, sister of Robert the Bruce |
| Isabella | God is my oath | Isabella MacDuff, crowned Robert the Bruce |
| Bonnie | Pretty, fine (Scots) | Bonnie Prince Charlie’s nickname |
| Jenny | Scots pet form of Janet | Jenny Geddes, who threw a stool in St. Giles’ |
| Ailie | Scots pet form of Alison or Helen | Traditional Scots |
Nature-inspired Scottish girl names
Heather hills and rowan berries: names from the Scottish countryside. More options appear in our names that mean flower.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Heather | The heather plant | Scotland’s iconic purple moorland flower |
| Rowan | The rowan tree | Protective tree in Scottish folklore |
| Thistle | Scotland’s national flower | Bold and unusual |
| Bracken | The fern covering Scottish hills | Earthy and rare |
| Linnhe | From Loch Linnhe | Sounds like “Linny” |
| Brae | Hillside, slope (Scots) | Short and modern |
| Glenna | Feminine of Glen, “valley” | Soft and vintage |
| Corra | Possibly from coire, “cauldron” or corrie | Pretty and rare |
How to choose a Scottish girl name
- Weigh Gaelic against anglicized. Mhairi and Eilidh are stunning, but outside Scotland you may spend years spelling them. Mairi, Ailie or Isla are easier alternatives.
- Borrow an island. Isla, Iona, Skye and Arran are easy to say, instantly Scottish and meaningful if your family has roots there.
- Revive a family name. Scots grandmothers’ names like Elspeth, Effie and Jessie are charming and increasingly fashionable.
- Check the nickname. Catriona becomes Cat or Trina; Elspeth becomes Elsie or Beth; Isobel becomes Isa or Belle.
- Pair Gaelic with simple. A Gaelic middle name like Seonaid or Mairead with an easy first name gives you heritage without spelling headaches.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Scottish girl name?
Olivia, Isla and Amelia have topped National Records of Scotland lists in recent years. Isla, which comes from the Isle of Islay, is the most distinctly Scottish of them.
How do you pronounce Mhairi?
Mhairi is usually pronounced VAH-ree. The “mh” in Scottish Gaelic makes a “v” sound, and the name is the Gaelic form of Mary.
What Scottish girl name means light?
Eilidh, the Gaelic form of Helen, is traditionally linked to “torch” or “light.” Sorcha means “bright, radiant.”
Is Fiona a Scottish name?
Yes. Fiona was popularized by Scottish poet James Macpherson in the 1760s, based on Gaelic fionn, meaning “fair” or “white.”
What are old Scottish girl names?
Elspeth, Morag, Effie, Jessie, Grizel, Euphemia, Marjorie and Senga are traditional Scottish names common among earlier generations.