200+ Scottish Dog Names: Gaelic, Unique, Cute & Fun Ideas
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If you’re thinking about getting a Scottish breed, you need a name for your dog that will do them justice. The kingdom of Scotland emerged in the 9th century and gave us a handful of wonderful Scottish dog breeds with long histories of loving and living alongside humans, like the Cairn Terrier, Golden Retriever, Skye Terrier, and Border Collie.
But you don’t have to have a Scottish breed to enjoy these names! If you want something unique, fun, and linked to a country known for its gray skies, wild landscape, and mythological creatures, look no further.
How to Name Your Scottish Dog
Everyone goes about naming their pets differently; some have a name picked out before they meet their new pet, and others wait and base the name on a character trait or a favorite fictional character. Some pet owners like traditional names like Fido, while others prefer human names like Kevin.
Whatever your process is, there is no wrong way to pick a name. We suggest taking your time because you want a name that fits your pet perfectly and won’t be embarrassed to call out at the dog park! So, we’ve gathered 200 Scottish names, and hopefully, you’ll find your perfect pick in one of our lists.
Top Female & Male Names in Scotland
If you’re into naming your pet a human name, this is the list for you. We’ve picked the most popular names in Scotland from the National Records of Scotland and separated them into male and female categories, but there are no rules, so if you fancy mixing and matching, that’s always fun to do.1
Female Names
- Olivia
- Isla
- Freya
- Millie
- Emily
- Amelia
- Grace
- Sophie
- Ella
- Ava
- Lily
- Charlotte
- Sophia
- Aria
- Harper
- Ivy
- Evie
- Lucy
- Mia
- Rosie
Male Names
- Noah
- Jack
- Leo
- Harris
- Luca
- Oliver
- Rory
- Archie
- Alfie
- James
- Theo
- Finlay
- Lewis
- Alexander
- Charlie
- Brodie
- Lucas
- Finn
- Logan
- Thomas
Scottish Names Based on Scottish People
Sometimes the best place for inspiration is from other people’s creativity, so let’s look at some fictional Scottish characters and famous Scots next, and you can get some inspiration from their last and first names.
Fictional Character Names
- Amy Pond (from “Doctor Who”)
- Bella Caledonia (Scotland as a woman)
- Jean Brodie (from the novel “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”)
- Connor and Duncan MacLeod (from the popular series “Highlander”)
- Donald Farfrae (from the novel “The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character”)
- David Balfour (from “Kidnapped”)
- Davy Jones (from “Pirates of the Caribbean”)
- Desmond Hume (from “Lost”)
- Groundskeeper Willie (from “The Simpsons”)
- James Bond (from the “James Bond” series)
- Jamie Fraser (from “Outlander”)
- Jamie McCrimmon (from “Doctor Who”)
- Merida (from Disney’s “Brave”)
- Minerva McGonagall (from “Harry Potter”)
- Moira MacTaggert (from the “X-Men” comic)
- Montgomery Scott (from “Star Trek”)
- Rab C. Nesbitt (from a popular comedy series “Rap C. Nesbitt”)
- Richard Hannay (from novels by John Buchan)
- Scrooge McDuck (uncle of Disney’s Donald Duck)
- Shrek (portrayed by Mike Meyers)
- Tam O’Shanter (title character from a poem by Robert Burns)
Famous Scottish People
- Adam Smith
- Alexander Flemming
- Andy Murray
- Chris Hoy
- David Hume
- Eric Liddell
- Ewan McGregor
- Flora MacDonald
- Jackie Stewart
- James Clerk Maxwell
- James McAvoy
- Kelly MacDonald
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Rob Roy
- Robert the Bruce
- Robert Watson-Watt
- Tilda Swinton
- William Wallace
Unique Scottish Names Based on Scottish Words
The Scottish dialect is the perfect place to find a one-of-a-kind name with a unique spelling for your dog, and we’ve added the meanings, too, so you’ll know exactly what you’re picking!
- Afore: before
- Bilin: boiling
- Braw: good-looking
- Bridie: a meat pie
- By-Bit: snack
- Foosty: moldy or musty
- Gallus: bold or daring
- Hauden: holding
- Haver: talking nonsense
- Hinnie: honey
- Laird: Lord
- Lassy/Lassie: girl
- Pilk: peel or top and tail
- Pirl: poke or twirl
- Scouther: burn
- Swallie: drink of alcohol
- Tattie: potato
- Totie: small
- Tweetle: whistle or sing
- Yaldi/Yaldy: showing excitement
Gaelic Names for Scottish Dogs
The Gaelic language isn’t spoken as much as it once was, so why not bring it back to life in a small way with a beautiful Gaelic name for your Scottish dog to remind them where they came from?
Gaelic Female Names & Meanings
- Ainsley: woodland
- Catriona: pure and is the Gaelic form of Katherine
- Eilidh: radiant one and is pronounced AY-lee
- Liusaidh: warrior and is pronounced LOO-sai
- Mairead: pearl and is the Scottish form of Margret and is pronounced MUR-aid
- Malvina: smooth brow
- Morag: star of the sea and great
- Rhona: derived from Rona, which is a Scottish island and means rough island
- Sorcha: brightness and is common in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages
Gaelic Male Names & Meanings
- Aidan: fire
- Beathan: life
- Blair: plain or battlefield
- Cináed: born in fire
- Coinneach: handsome and pronounced CON-ak
- Fingal: fair stranger
- Lachlann: land of the lochs
- Ruadh: red
- Uisdean: intelligent and is pronounced OOSH-jun
Gaelic Words and Meanings for Scottish Dog Names
- Alba: Scotland
- Bairn: baby
- Caber: tree trunk
- Cairn: rocky mountains
- Coire: kettle
- Glen: a valley
- Loch: lake or inlet
- Mod: Gaelic festival
- Pillion: pack saddle
- Strath: wide valley
Fun Scottish Dog Names From Scottish Castles
It’s an old country, so there are quite a few castles in Scotland, and maybe one of these names might inspire your Scottish dog’s name!
- Balmoral
- Dunnottar
- Edinburgh
- Fyvie
- Glamis
- Hogwarts (it’s fictional, but we couldn’t keep it off the list!)
- Holyrood
- Inverness
- Linlithgow Palace
- Scone
- Skibo
- Stirling
- Tantallon
- Tulloch
Cute Scottish Names for Dogs
Our last two lists are popular Scottish names if you want something cute but not as unique as some of our other options.
Female Names
- Aggie
- Ailia
- Athdara
- Aurla
- Alba
- Alana
- Arabella
- Bonnie
- Callie
- Edin
- Eune
- Elsie
- Elspeth
- Iona
- Isla
- Isobel
- Kenna
- Kerr
- Kerry
- Kirsty
- Leana
- Lexi
- Lilias
- McKenna
- Mirren
- Morven
- Nessa
- Paisley
- Senga
- Sheena
Male Names
- Alasdair
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Angus
- Aodh
- Archie
- Bowie
- Broderick
- Brody
- Bruce
- Buchanan
- Caden
- Cailean
- Callum
- Cameron
- Ciaran
- David
- Douglas
- Drew
- Eoghan
- Erroll
- Fraser
- Fergus
- Glenn
- Graham
- Grant
- Irving
- Kirk
- Ross
- Scott
Final Thoughts
Finding the perfect name for your new pet is always a challenge; there are infinite names to consider, but if you have a theme in mind, it’s a little easier to narrow down your search, and Scotland is an inspirational theme. We’re sure that whatever you pick for your dog, they will love it because you chose it!
Read Also:
- 100+ Classic Dog Names: Timeless, Vintage & Old Fashioned Ideas
- 100+ Black & White Dog Names: Ideas For Stunning & Unique Dogs
Featured Image Credit: Kseniya Merenkova, DreamsTime
