Category Archives: Names

Parlan

Origin and Meaning of the Name Parlan

Parlan is a baby name of Scottish origin, used for boys. Parthalan is another Scottish variation of this name.

The meaning of Parlan is interpreted as “farmer” or “ploughman.” It is thought to have an older history, being a variation of the Hebrew name Bartholomew which means “son of the furrow.”

History

Over time the name Parlan was anglicized to MacPharlain, McFarlane, MacFarland, McFarlan, or McFarling. Parlan, as that spelling is historically not a popular name. Perhaps the popularity of Parlan is better determined by the more common anglicized versions of the name.

A Highland Scottish clan, Clann Phàrlain, were descendants of medieval Earls of Lennox. This “Clan MacFarlane” occupied land on the western shore of Loch Lomond.

Mindful Revision GIF

Famous Parlans

The Fisher King, also known as the Maimed King, of the King Arthur legends, was called Pellum, or Parlan. The Fisher King was wounded by fragments of sword and so could not ride and took up fishing as a pastime.

Useful Resources

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

Murdock

Origin of the name Murdock

The boy’s name Murdock is of Celtic origin. It has been used in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Roots of the name are composed of ‘muir’ meaning ‘sea,’ which is commonly considered to be the meaning of Murdock.

Variations of the Name

Variations of the name include Murdoch, Muiredach, Murdoc and Murtagh.

Popularity

The popularity of Murdock was at its highest in Ireland and Scotland during the Middle Ages.

Mindful Revision GIF

In 2019 it was 10,511st on the list of popular names.

Famous People with the Name Murdoch

It’s most common as a surname, shared by many notable figures throughout history and television.

  • William Murdoch was a Scottish inventor who lived from 1754 to 1839. He’s most famous for his contributions to coal gas and steam power.
  • Buz Murdock is a character from a TV show called Route 66. He grew up in New York City, where he dealt with juvenile delinquency and gangs.
  • “Howling Mad” Murdock is another fictional character. He was featured as a protagonist in the action show The A-team.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of Scottish boys’ names.

Alasdair

Meaning and Origin of the Name Alasdair

Alasdair is a popular Scottish boy’s name that was first written down in 1928. The name Alasdair is the Gaelic form of the very popular name “Alexander.”

Mindful Revision GIF

The meaning of Alasdair is “defender of man.” Alasdair is often anglicized as Alistair, but the Scottish Gaelic version has a rich history and popularity, sharing its name with many famous Scots.

Popularity

The popularity of Alasdair has slightly declined since the height of its popularity in the mid-1970s, but nevertheless, this name was ranked as the 175th most popular name in 2017, according to the National Records of Scotland.

People Called Alasdair

Alasdair is the given name of many famous historical and contemporary Scottish musicians, writers, and philosophers.

Alasdair MacLeod was a famous Olympic rower.

Alasdair Gray was a writer famous for his novels, political writing, and contributions to the postmodern literature movement. Alasdair Gray influenced many Scottish writers after him.

Alasdair MacIntyre is an influential Scottish ethics philosopher from Glasgow who revolutionalized moral philosophy in the middle of the 20th century.

Alasdair Roberts is a folk musician. Alasdair Roberts is also currently a member of the famous folk band “The Furrow Collective.”

Useful Resources

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

Ruiseart

Origin and Meaning of the Name Ruiseart

The name Ruiseart started from Gaelic origins. It also has a somewhat Scottish origin. The meaning of Ruiseart is ‘dominant ruler.’

The name Ruiseart is a form of Richard. They say that the name is great for a child with sparkle and full of life.

Ruiseart is known for being used with both boys and girls.

Popularity

The popularity of Ruiseart is very low. The name was used less than 5 times in the United States last year.

The name is very uncommon but is also an old name. It used to be popular in earlier times. However, now it is very rarely used.

How to Pronounce Ruiseart?

Interestingly, Ruiseart is pronounced with the sea making a sh sound. So it is pronounced ‘RUW SHE ART’.

Traits of someone with the name

They say that people with this name are often expressive and full of life. People with that name are known for being exciting and over the top personalities. If you are looking for a new and exciting name to name your child consider the name Ruiseart.

Useful Resources

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

Malcolm

Meaning and Origin of the Name Malcolm

Malcolm, a boys name of Scottish and Gaelic heritage, has been in use since the 10th Century. The original usage and meaning of Malcolm was to denote disciples of Saint Columba. “Mael,” the first part of the name Malcolm, derives from the Old Gaelic term for a bald person.

Popular Boy’s Name for 11 Centuries

Many disciples demonstrated their devotion to a particular saint by shaving part or all of their hair. Saint Columba had a large following in Ireland and Scotland during the middle ages, which made the name Malcolm quite popular throughout this era. At least four Scottish kings have claimed the name Malcolm throughout history.

The popularity of Malcolm placed it as the 264th most common boys name in Scotland as of 2018.

Famous People with the Name

Malcolm Rifkind the politician from Edinburgh
Malcolm Rifkind the politician from Edinburgh

Figures in popular culture named Malcolm include famed author Malcolm Gladwell, fiery African-American civil rights leader Malcolm X, British Liberal Democrat politician Malcolm Bruce, and Sir Malcolm Rifkind – conservative British politician.

While usage of Malcolm has declined throughout the greater UK region, it has remained a somewhat popular name choice in Scotland.

Useful Resources

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

Marcus

Meaning of Marcus and Origin

The name Marcus in the Scottish Gaelic meaning is the “hammer” which has grown in popularity since within this region since the 1990s. It is considered one of the stronger more masculine names to be given. It is also considered to be an honoring to the Roman God Mars who was known as the God of War in pre-Christian times.

Marcus is possibly related to the Roman God of Mars
Marcus is possibly related to the Roman God of Mars

The popularity of Marcus

Marcus has been in the top 100 charts for baby names in Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales since the 1990s and in the top 200 in the United States since the1960s.

In Scotland, in 2017 it was ranked as 134th on the popular boy names list. It was first recorded as a surname in Germany around 1390 AAD. and has been associated with religious icons in Itay, France, and Spain since around 1000 A.D. There are a couple of variations of this name, Markus and Markes; the common nickname is Mark.

People Called Marcus

There are several historical people with Marcus as a first or surname. Here are a few to mention: Marcus Aurelius: Roman Emperor (161 A.D. – 180 A.D.), Marcus Rashford: Professional English Foward Footballer (2016 – current), Marcus Bent: Former Professional English Foward Footballer (1995-2011), and Marcus Mumford: Singer/Songwriter for Mumford and Sons (1987-current)

Useful Resources

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

Sawney

The name Sawney is the Scottish masculine form of Sandy and Alexander. Sawney is an obsolete nickname for a Scotsman.

Meaning of Sawney

Sawney means the defender of mankind.

Popularity of Sawney

Sawney was once the 121,288th most popular name. About 300 people or .0.001 percent have Sawney for a first name. It’s no supprise that Sawney was not in the top 100 boys names in Scotland in 2018.

Famous People with the Name Sawney

Sawney Bean

Sawney Bean was born in 1500 and was the head of a 45-member clan in the 16th century Scotland. Alexander Sawney Bean was the son of a ditch-digger and hedge-trimmer. Sawney decided to go into a different line of work.

Sawney Webb

William Robert Webb was also known as Sawney Webb. Webb was born on November 11, 1842, in Person County, North Carolina. In his lifetime, Sawney Webb was an educator who founded the Webb School, a private college prep school in 1870. Webb served as North Carolina United States Senator for a short while after the defeating interim Senator Newell Sanders . Webb only served as US Senator for six weeks.

Useful Resources

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

Kester

Origin and Meaning of the Name Kester

The name Kester is of Scottish decent. The meaning of Kester is one who carries Christ.

Popularity

Unfortunately the popularity of Kester is not in the top 100 baby boys’ names in Scotland in 2018, but the upside Kester is Scottish for Christopher. Even with the unpopularity of Kester there are several interesting people with the name.

Famous People with the Name Kester

Kester Berwick born in 1903 was an Australian actor that was born Frank Perkins, and later changed his name during World War II when a friend said it would be less plebeian.

Kester Smith better known as “Smitty” is an American Percussionist who has been a drummer for the Taj Mahal Tio for over 40 years. He has collaborated with Jazz, blues, and world musicians.

Kester Jacobs is a Guyanese soccer player who plays for Nishan’42 in the SVB Hoofdklasse as a defender.

As you can see even with the unpopularity of the name Kester there are still people in history that do carry the name. Even if people don’t name their children Kester, there are several names that have derived from the origin of the name.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other Scottish boys names.

Norval

The name Norval is a boy’s name. In the 19th century Norval was used as a surname. Norval is an Anglo-Scottish version of the French surname Norville.

Meaning of Norval

Norval means northern town. Norval also means from the north valley.

Norval can mean North Valley
Norval can mean North Valley

Popularity of Norval

Norval was at the height of popularity in 1897 when 89 baby boys were born. The popularity matched 1897 in the early 1900s. Norval fell off the charts after 1980.

Famous People with the Name Norval

Norval White

Norval White was born in New York in 1926. He was best known as an architect, writer, historian, and professor.

Norval Marley

Norval St. Clair Marley was born in Clarendon Parish in Jamaica on November 30, 1884. Other dates including 1885 and 1881 are documented as Marley’s birth year. The naval captain was best known as Bob Marley’s father.

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other Scottish boys names.

Evander

Origin and Meaning of the Name Evander

There is some debate on the origin of the name Evander. The most commonly accepted belief is that the name originates in the Greco-Roman world. It is derived from the Greek Evandros and the Latinized Evandrus. Both forms of the name mean “good man”.

As a Scottish name, it is more likely that Evander is an Anglicised form of Iomhar, which derives from the Norse, Ivor. Here, the meaning of Evander is “bow warrior” or “strong man”.

Popularity of Evander

The name Evander has not been very common over the last century, although it has had a recent spike in the popularity of Evanderm in the United States. In 2018, 198 boys were given the name Evander, making it the 1,061st most common name given to baby boys that year.

The story is different in Scotland. Evander is not included in the list of 100 most popular Scottish names. In fact, only one baby boy was given the name in 2018, ranking it as 1,282nd in popularity.

Famous Evanders

The Boxer Evander Holyfield
The Boxer Evander Holyfield

Although an uncommon name, there have been notable Evanders. Evander of Pallene was a mythological figure credited with founding the city of Pallantium, which would later become Rome.

In modern times, American boxer, Evander Holyfield, became a household name as the heavyweight champion. Another sports figure, Evander Kane, is a noted Canadian professional hockey player.

Useful Resources

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

Baby Boy

Most Popular Scottish Boys Names in 2018

Scottish Boys Names the Top the Charts

When naming your baby boy, it is important to know which names are popular and what the names actually mean. Some of the most popular Scottish Boys Names in 2018 include Oliver, James, Logan, Lewis and Jack.


1. Oliver– Oliver comes from the term olive branch meaning to extend a token of peace and satisfaction which is why this name stands for a boy whom is peaceful and intelligent. It dates all the way back to biblical times and has been popular in Ireland ever since.

2. James– James comes from the Hebrew word for supplier and is though to have derived from the name Jacob. It signifies one who is a hard worker and supplies for his family.

3. Logan– This name is actually a derivative of a place in Ireland making it a popular Scottish name. It is said to mean hollow and when broken down can be described as little hollow.

4. Lewis– Lewis is said to have come from the gaelic God Lugh meaning light making the name stand for brightness. It’s popularity has seemed to dwindled until now in 2018 it is making a come back!

5. Jack– Jack is one of the most popular male names around. It is used in many different cultures and stands for gracious God meaning one whom is thankful.

The Offical Top 10 Baby Boys Names

Here’s the list of the offical baby boys’ names in Scotland in 2018 according to the Scottish Goverment.

  1. Jack
  2. Oliver
  3. James
  4. Logan
  5. Leo
  6. Lewis
  7. Alexander
  8. Harris
  9. Noah
  10. Rory

Coinneach

Meaning and Origin

Coinneach is a very distinctive Scottish male name. The meaning of Coinneach comes from the Gaelic word for handsome which is “caoin.”

Popularity

Coinneach does not have a high popularity in Scotland. Government statistics say that the popularity of Coinneach did not rank in the top 100 names of 2017.

Famous Men with the Name Coinneach

Coinneach is often anglicised to “Kenneth.” Many historical figures with the name Coinneach are now referred to as Kenneth.

Coinneach mac Ailpein, or Kenneth MacAlpin, is commonly thought of as the first king of Scots. His rule is therefore a key part of Scottish national identity.

Coinneach Odhar, or the Brahan Seer, was allegedly able to predict the future. He used an Adder stone (a stone that has a natural hole in the middle) to aid his visions.

Coinneach mac Mhaoil Chaluim is the modern Gaelic version of Kenneth II. Kenneth II was the King of Scots in the late 900s A.D.

Useful Resources

See our complete list of Scottish boy’s names.

Check out the most popular Scottish names for boys.

Chattan

The Etymology and Meaning of Chattan

Undoubtedly the name Chattan, which has a stunning number of spellings such as Chatto, Kato, Cato. Shatto, etc, ought to bring great pleasure to desirous of a Scottish name rooted in Scottish culture.

The actual origination point of the name is much debated, but, for example, the Catti of the Gauls and Sutherland’s Catav aside, it is typically associated with Saint Cathan. Nonetheless, some have contended the pronunciation has “Chattan” sounding as “Hattan.”

The name Chattan comes from Cait, an ancient name of Gilchattan Mor, baillie of Ardchattan who was a follower of Saint Cattan.

The meaning of Chattan is clan of the cats.

Popularity of Chattan

While there are other male names that have dominated in the statistics of Scotland regarding the occurrences of names in Scottish society, Chattan has not been one of those, the name not making it into the top 100.

Historical Persons Named Chattan

Having celebrated connections to Scotland’s Isle of Bute as well as to his sister’s son Blane, this 6th Century Irish monk named Naomh Catháin but who is normally known as Cathan and variations thereof, including Chattan, was also begotten of the royalty of Dál Riata. The monk was revered as a saint in the Scottish Hebrides. Saint Cathan was admired because he was one of the very first missionaries to come to the Isle of Brute that was part of Dál Riata in northeastern Ireland. Cathan lived in a chapel that was founded by Clan MacLeod. Little’s known about Cathan who’s associated with nephew, Saint Blane.

In the Episcopalian religious system as well as in Roman Catholicism, he is recognised and revered, but mostly in the shadow of Blane.

There is also the Clan Cattan that was a confederacy of clans that formed in the 1600s. The Chattan Clan has 12 subclans. Each clan has his own chief who runs a the clans under the Scottish laws.

Useful Resources

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

Allen

Meaning and Origin of the Celtic name Allen

Allen is a great name with strong Celtic roots that had gained international popularity. The name Allen is a derivative of Allan from Scotland and Alan from England and Ireland.

Allen is said to have originated from the word for 'little rock'
Allen is said to have originated from the word for ‘little rock’

One meaning of Allen is “little rock” from the Gaelic word ailin which is said to be derived from ail which means rock. Another possible meaning of Allen or Allan comes from Alauna, who may have been a Celtic and/ or Brittany river goddess.

Alauna means “to flow or to stream.” Allan Water is a famous river in central Scotland that is referenced in ballads and a Thomas Hardy novel. Other meanings of Allen include harmony or noble.

Popularity

The popularity of Allen increased in the 1970s and has slowly declined in use over the years. Allen was the 915th most popular boys’ name in Scotland in 2017 with only 2 babies being given that name.

Famous People Called Allen

The popularity of Allen as an alternate spelling can be contributed to the American poet and writer, Allen Ginsberg, who gained recognition in the 1940s. Famous Scottish individuals with the first name Allan include trade unionist, Allan Findlay and a former footballer, Sandy Allan.

Dougie

Meaning and Origin of the Dougie

The name Dougie, pronounced “Doogie”, is a variant of the powerful Scottish surname Douglass. Its roots can be traced back to South Lanarkshire, Scotland; an area known for dark rivers like the River Nethan. The meaning of Dougie translates into dubh glas, the Scottish Gaelic words for dark water.

Popularity

The popularity of Dougie or Douglas, had its peak ranking in the early twentieth century when it was placed 57th most popular name for boys. Since that time it has experienced a steady decline as it is now ranked 338th in the UK.

Although Douglas was once used as a female first name, the rare feminine variant Douglyn, hasn’t made any significant rankings.

Famous People Called Dougie

Dougie Brown is an English comedian an actor who appeared on Granada Television’s series The Comedians.
Dougie Donnelly is a Scottish sportscaster from Glasgow who was formerly affiliated with the BBC.
Dougie Reid was a famous Scottish football player and an inside forward. He played for Portsmouth and Stockport County.

Useful Resources

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