Category Archives: Names

Sholto

Meaning and Origin of the Name Sholto

The name Sholto is a traditional Scottish first name for boys. It was commonly used in the Douglas clan because of their founder Sholto Dhu Glas.

The meaning of Sholto is sower or someone that plants seeds.

Sholto is someone who plants seeds
Sholto originated from someone who plants seeds

Popularity

The popularity of Sholto is low as it remains unranked – it did not even make the 100 most popular boys names in Scotland in 2019. The first record of the name being used was in 1732, Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of Morton.

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Famous People with the Name Sholto

While not commonly used, there are famous individuals that the name was bestowed upon including Sholto Douglas and Sholto Carnegie. Douglas was born in 1893 in Oxford. He was the First Baron Douglas of Kirtelside and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force, sering in both World Wars. Carengie was born in 1995 as is a professional rower. He has placed at countless rowing events and represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

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Anndra

History of the Name

The name Anndra can be used for male or female babies. In the bible, Anndra was an appostle who was a fisherman. Appostle Anndra was the brother of Simon Peter.

Anndra, the apostle was a fisherman
Anndra, the apostle was a fisherman

Meaning of Anndra

Anndra is of Greek origin. The meaning of Anndra is manly. The first recorded name of someone born with the name Anndra was on a Monday, January 20, 1958.

Popularity of Anndra

In Scottland, Anndra reached the 85,482 position in popularity. At least 500 people in total are named Anndra making less than one percent of people in Scotland and perhaps the entire world with that name.

Andrew

Andrew is a variation of the name Anndra. Although the name goes back to biblical times, its popularity in Scotland went down considerably during the middle 1990s. The Patron St. Andrew is celebrated in Scotland on November 30.

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Reade

Meaning and Origin of the Boys’ Name “Reade”

The name Reade is both a boys’ given name and a surname. Variations of the name Reade include Read, Reed, Reede, Reid, Rede, Ried, and Red.

Reade means a person with red hair
Reade means a person with red hair

The name Reade is of Scottish origin. The meaning of Reade is “red-headed” or “the red” in Scottish. The meaning refers to red hair or a ruddy complexion. However, some variations of the name have muddied origins with possible meanings derived from the plant “reed” or from the place name “ried,” which means “from the clearing.”

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Reade is more commonly a surname than a given name.

Popularity

The most common variant of Reade is Reid, which is the 11th most common surname in Scotland.

The popularity of Reade is that Reade was not in the 100 most popular baby boys’ name in Scotland in 2019.

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Lyle

Meaning and Origin of the Name Lyle

If you are looking for a unique name for a boy, the name Lyle is Scottish. The meaning of Lyle is peaceful with the meaning of someone lives on an island.

Popularity

The popularity of Lyle was high from the 1800’s through the 1950’s and then declined after. However, in 2018, the name refurnished and started to increase in popularity.

Famous People with the Name Lyle

Lord Lyle was a title used in Scotland in 1452 for the Lordship of Parliament. The name was created by Sir Robert Lyle. Other famous names with Lyle in it is Lyle Hill. This is a scenic landmark in Inverclyde, Scotland with spectacular views.

Lyle Hill in Inverclyde, Scotland
Lyle Hill in Inverclyde, Scotland

Popular brands with Lyle in it are Lyle Scott which is known for golfing knitwear. This product brings a more fashionable attire to the younger generations.

Why Choose the Name?

If you are looking for a unique name that is not quite popular or well known, then is is definitely the name for you. If you are looking for a more common name, Lyle could be used in other ways such as a middle name. Regardless, the name has great meaning and has a wonderful flow to it.

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Beathan

Meaning and Origin of the Name Beathan

The name Beathan in the Scottish community has meaning, the meaning of Beathan being one of the most popular names in the time of medieval Scotland, it is found in the surname Macbeth meaning son of Beathan. In more recent years it was changed to Benjamin as times shifted.

Beathan is a Medieval name
Beathan is a Medieval name

Popularity

Now the popularity of Beathan has decreased which has made hearing the name more uncommon over time associating it with an older generation. It was no supprise that Beathan was not in the top 100 boys names in Scotland in 2020.

How to Pronounce Beathan?

In English, the name sounds different be-ath-an whereas most Scottish Gaelic and non-Gaelic speaking scots give the how to pronounce Beathan as BAEy-un coming from a Gaelic speaker in his words it is one of the most uncommon names to hear anymore.

After all to be able to honor the traditions like the kilt maybe we should use traditional names to make us stand proud of our community.

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Quany

Choosing the boys name Quany

The name Quany, is a relatively rare Scottish name and the meaning of Quany is proud.

The name Quany means proud
The name Quany means proud

As to the popularity of Quany, it is more common in culture than in a name. According to the Urban dictionary, Quany means a sexy man with a kind and ferocious side.

Famous People Called Quany

One famous rapper with the name Quany is Quany GZ, a Harlem resident and rap artist who has been getting considerable airplay in the Hip Hop Scene. Unfortunately, nobody seems to know if Quany is a name he was born with, or a moniker he adopted.

Another semi-famous artist is 26-year old Jaquan Fields of Philadelphia who does high energy clown shows under the name Quany the Clown.

Jaquan and Quany sound similar, but nobody seems to know why Jaquan chose the name.

There is also another rapper who goes by the name of KING Quany.

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Nairn

Meaning and Origin of the Boy’s Name Nairn

The name Nairn is derived from the county town of Nairnshire an old fishing port near Inverness. The meaning of Nairn is a “seaside place in the Highlands of Scotland” or “river with alder trees”

Nairn is located in the Scottish Highlands
Nairn is located in the Scottish Highlands

Popularity of Nairn

The name Nairn is not very popular, worldwide it is the 68,349th most common surnames and does not rank within the top 100 first names for boys within the UK. In Scotland, less than 1100 people have this surname making it rank 861th most common name.

Famous people called Nairn

This Unique name of Nairn is held by a family of Nairn Baronets. The name is also held by the fictional character Major General Nairn, from the Sharpe series of novels written by Bernard Cornwell.

How do you pronounce Nairn?

Nairn can be pronounced phonetically “n air n” fast and in one syllable.

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Discover the meaning and popularity of other Scottish boys’ names.

Nathair

Meaning and Origin of the Boy’s Name Nathair

The name Nathair is an old Celtic name derived from the Old Irish Nathir and Proto-Celtic *Nathrixs, and is mainly a Scottish boy’s name now.

The Welsh equivalent is Neidr, and the Breton is Naer. It is a form of the word “naga”.The meaning of Nathair is “snake” or “resembling a snake.”

Nathair is said to have originated from the word Naga, Snake
Nathair is said to have originated from the word Naga, Snake

The Female equivalent of the name is Nathaira (Na-they-rah).

Popularity

The popularity of Nathair in the United States is less than five boys with that name born in 2018, and it is not in the 1000 most popular names list.

Famous People Called Nathair

There are no famous people named Nathair, however, it is becoming popular in fiction and gaming. The character Nathair Sgaithach (Winged Serpent) is the god of pseudodragons and faerie dragons in Titania’s Seelie Court in Forbidden Realms.

A Nathair amulet featuring two snakes and a clear crystal is supposed to help with patience, focus, and wisdom.

How to pronounce Nathair?

Nathair can be pronounced as ‘Na their’.

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Aonghus

The Meaning of the Name Aonghus

The Meaning behind the name refers to the Celtic God of love and beauty. Some have assumed him to the patron deity for men and women(of all ages).

Aonghus the Celtic God of love and Beauty
Aonghus the Celtic God of love and Beauty

People Who Have Acquired The Name Aonghus

One of the more modern depictions(of Aengus) concerns his role in William Butler yeat’s poem called The Song Of Wandering Aengus. The poem is basically about how Aengus is searching for his lover.

Though the popularity of Aonghus is not that strong(as compared to other boy’s names), some of the more common names include that of Aonghus McAnally.

According to some of the Scottish folklore, Aonghus has a harp with silver strings. Young women and other lovers are carried to him through music. He imparts kisses and other forms of affection. Once he is finished, his youth and love play to his lovers like soft music in their ears.

Also, According to some of the other legends that exist, Eaengus has a white horse that he rides during the spring(to The Promised Land).

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Most Popular Scottish Boys Names in 2019

There have been a lot of different names over the years that have held the rank of most popular, and it is common to see these names change all the time. The most popular Scottish boys names in 2019 is what is going to be discussed here.

A graph of the top 5 most Popular Scottish Boys' Names
A graph of the top 5 most Popular Scottish Boys’ Names (https://scotland.shinyapps.io/nrs-baby-names/)

1. Jack “God is gracious”
This name was used 423 times and did not change positions.

2. Oliver “bearer of the olive branch or ancestor”
This name was used 337 times and did not change positions.

3. James “supplanter”
This name was used 320 times and did not change positions.

4. Charlie “man”
This name was used 288 times and rose 7 positions.

5. Harris “son of Harry”
This name was used 284 times and rose 3 positions.

6. Noah “rest”
This name was used 256 times and rose 3 positions.

7. Lewis “renowned warrior”
This name was used 254 times and dropped 1 position.

8. Leo “lion”
This name was used 252 times and dropped 3 positions.

9. Rory “red-haired king”
This name was used 241 times and rose 1 position.

10. Alfie “elf”
This name was used 234 times and rose 6 positions.

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Bearnard

The Meaning of Bearnard

The name Bearnard is a Scottish baby name that means Bear Strong or bold as a bear. It is a form of the English, French and German name “Bernard”.

Bearnard mean's as strong or bold as a bear
Bearnard mean’s as strong or bold as a bear

The meaning of Bearnard is ‘a boy who has natural strength and is as powerful as a bear’. It consists of 8 letters and 2 syllabuses, pronounced as Bear-nard.

Origin of the Name

The name Bearnard is of German origin that has found its home in Gaelic. This means it applies mostly in Scottish Gaelic languages. This name derives from the Old High German name “Berinhart” that describes a strong, brave or powerful bear.

Popularity

Bearnard is generally used as a boy’s name in Scotland. However, the name is not regularly used as a baby name and not ranked within the top 1000 names. Instead, similar names such as Bernard are commonly used for boys. The popularity of Bearnard was high in the 192os and 1930s before it began declining.

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Discover the meaning and popularity of other Scottish boys’ names.

Simidh

Discover the Meaning and Popularity of the Name Simidh

Simidh is a Scottish name for boys that is not very popular in the country or around the world. It is a version of the name Simon, which is often used for boys around the world.

Even though the spelling is a bit more complicated than Simon and other similar names, the name is very simple, as Simidh has only two syllables and is easy to pronounce.

The name Simidh was not given to many notable people. It was originally a Gaelic and Hebrew name. The meaning of Simidh in Scottland is “hearkening.”

Popularity

It was not listed as one of Scottland’s 100 top names for baby boys in the year 2019. The popularity of Simidh is not impressive, but the popularity of the name that it comes from is much greater.

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Ullieam

Ullieam as a boys name

The name Uilleam is commonly spelled, “William” in English. The meaning of Uilleam has a Scottish origin and means “willing protector”.

Popularity

Over time, the popularity of Uilleam has remained low. In 2018 Ullieam was not in the top 100 baby boys names in Scotland.

Famous People with the Name

William Wallace
Uilleam Uallas (more commonly known as William Wallace)

A famous historical figure known as, Uilleam Earl of Mar was a famous Scottish builder in the 13th century. Another notable figure with the name was Uiilleam the 1st Earl of Ross. He was the ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scottland. Finally, Uilleam Uallas (William Wallace) was a famous Scottish knight who became famous while fighting in the first Scottish war of independence. Some people spell his name with two w’s.

Summary

The name Ullieam is, therefore, a historical Scottish name that predates the modern form of William due to the change over the English language over time. Today, you will likely never encounter a Ullieam unless in rural Scottland, even then the name is very rare and commonly not used.

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Rae

Gentle Rae and Historical Meaning

The majority of popular boy names are based on power, strength, or nobility. Provided the Medieval Scottish heritage of royalty behind the name Rae, it is understood the Strathclyde-Briton family were the primary ones to use it. Though the popularity of Rae not considered common to see or hear a male have, it still bears great significance behind it.

Meaning

The meaning of Rae is grace, timid, or bashful. The name also originates from Scottish, Hebrew, German, and Old English descent. Normally for an adolescent boy, they consider being labeled bashful, lacking nobility. However, given this name will label the boy just as noble and strong, just like any other.

History

After leaving the Romans, the Britons of Strathclyde dominated the west of lower Scotland and Northern England. The Strathclyde-Briton family also divided into three sub-kingdoms upon leaving. Instead of destroying the land, they helped build a strong relationship with the Welsh through culture and language, which was an ancient form of Celtic (Brythonic).

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Brochan

The Meaning of Brochan

The Scottish boys’ name Brochan is a Gaelic word which in English translates to porridge.

Brochan translates to porridge
Brochan translates to porridge

The name was made popular by a Scottish Gaelic song called “Brochan Lom” a traditional Gaelic folk song which sings about thin, watery, porridge. It is a popular children’s tune. The song is popular more for its tune than its meaning.

The song is commonly played for Highland Schottische (a popular ceilidh dance.) The tune was seen in the 1949 film Whiskey Galore! which was used as a drinking song. The term Brochan is also used as Gaelic slang meaning mess, shambles, broken, or you’ve made a mess of it!

Popularity of Brochan

Brochan was the 1282 most popular baby boys’ name in Scotland in 2017. The name has recently seen an increase in popularity.

People with the Name

Brochan Evans is a Scottish child actor known for his work in Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot, Requieum, and Keeping Faith.

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