Scottish Boy Names

434 scottish boy names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

Looking for girl names instead? Scottish Girl Names →

There is a reason so many parents circle back to Scotland when they want a boy’s name that sounds capable. These are clan names and place names, worn smooth by centuries of use, and the surname-strong Scottish boy names set the tone: Logan, a Scottish surname and place name that became one of the most-used boy names in America; Graham, a Scottish surname with a clipped, well-tailored sound; Maxwell, which hands you Max for free; and Lennox, taken from a district and clan in western Scotland and now one of the boldest picks on the list.

Pull in the other direction and you find names that are shorter, older and far more informal — the ones that sound like a friend rather than a resume. Rory, an anglicized form of the Gaelic Ruaidhri, is bright and quick. Archie, the everyday form of Archibald, is pure vintage charm. Reid and Mack are one-syllable and unfussy, Bruce carries the weight of Scottish history without feeling heavy on a child, and Sterling and Cameron round out a list that is equally comfortable in a boardroom or on a soccer field.

Every name below opens to its full page — a sourced meaning, its U.S. popularity, and a clear audio pronunciation so you can hear it before you fall for it.

Scottish Boy Names — Page 3

Lamonta#13254 in the U.S.Lamonta reads as an -a extension of Lamont, a Scottish surname turned given name that comes fro▶Lamon#13265 in the U.S.Lamon is best read as a shortened or respelled form of Lamont, a Scottish surname from the Gael▶Koulter#13306 in the U.S.Koulter is a modern K-spelling of Coulter, a Scottish and English surname taken from a place na▶Knoxen#13320 in the U.S.Knoxen is a modern American extension of Knox, a Scottish surname from Old English cnocc, 'roun▶Knoxly#13321 in the U.S.Knoxly is a modern American coinage: Knox — the Scottish surname from Old English cnocc, 'round▶Knoxsyn#13322 in the U.S.Knoxsyn is a modern American coinage built on Knox (Scottish surname, from Old English cnocc, '▶Kayl#13325 in the U.S.Kayl is a modern, trimmed respelling in the Kyle family. Kyle comes from a Scottish place name ▶Kreighton#13335 in the U.S.Kreighton respells Creighton, a surname from the Scottish place name Crichton, generally explai▶Lamond#13348 in the U.S.Lamond is a variant spelling of Lamont, a Scottish surname from the Old Norse personal name Log▶Macintyre#13365 in the U.S.Macintyre is a Scottish surname from the Gaelic Mac an tSaoir, 'son of the carpenter (or crafts▶Les#13390 in the U.S.Les is the everyday short form of Leslie — a Scottish place-name and surname, perhaps from Gael▶Loudon#13411 in the U.S.Loudon is a Scottish surname from Loudoun in Ayrshire — a place-name usually read as 'beacon hi▶Mackenley#13425 in the U.S.Mackenley is a recent American blend, joining the Mac- of Scottish surnames — 'son of' — with t▶Maclean#13426 in the U.S.Maclean is the anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic MacGilleEathain — 'son of the servant of Eath▶Murry#13457 in the U.S.Murry is a phonetic spelling of Murray, from the Scottish region of Moray, understood as 'settl▶Lemont#13461 in the U.S.Lemont is a variant spelling of Lamont, a Scottish surname from the Old Norse personal name Log▶Mcarthur#13471 in the U.S.The Scottish surname MacArthur, 'son of Arthur' (Arthur being a Celtic name possibly tied to 'b▶Matheson#13474 in the U.S.Matheson is a Scottish surname meaning 'son of Matthew' (with the Highland clan Matheson also l▶Maxwel#13489 in the U.S.Maxwel is a one-L respelling of Maxwell, a Scottish surname meaning 'Mack's well' or 'Mack's st▶Mccauley#13498 in the U.S.McCauley (also MacAulay) is an Irish and Scottish surname, from Mac Amhalghaidh, 'son of Amhalg▶Mcrae#13499 in the U.S.McRae (MacRae) is a Scottish Highland surname, from Mac Rath, 'son of grace' or 'son of prosper▶Murdoch#13528 in the U.S.From the Scottish Gaelic Muireach/Murchadh, 'sea warrior; mariner' (muir, 'sea'). A rugged clan▶Kyl#13537 in the U.S.Kyl is a clipped, e-less respelling of Kyle, a Scottish name from the Gaelic caol, meaning a 'n▶Murdock#13555 in the U.S.An anglicized form of the Gaelic Murchadh (Scottish Muireadhach), usually glossed 'sea warrior'▶Mckale#13580 in the U.S.Mckale is a modern surname-style name using the Scots-Gaelic Mc- or Mac- prefix, 'son of,' atta▶Ness#13598 in the U.S.From the Scottish and northern English 'ness', a headland or promontory (from Old Norse nes) — ▶Renwick#13651 in the U.S.Renwick is a locational surname from a place in Cumbria, generally read from Old English or Old▶Pate#13684 in the U.S.From the surname Pate, which arose from a medieval short form of Patrick (Latin Patricius, 'nob▶Rorey#13799 in the U.S.A modern respelling of Rory, the anglicized form of Gaelic Ruaidhri — from ruadh ('red') and ri▶Ruari#13803 in the U.S.A simplified spelling of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Ruaidhri (also Ruairi, Ruaridh), from ruadh ▶Scot#13852 in the U.S.From the Old English Scottas, originally a word for the Gaels of Ireland who settled in what be▶Robertson#13913 in the U.S.Robertson is a patronymic surname meaning simply 'son of Robert', Robert coming from Germanic h▶AlistorA respelling of Alastair/Alister, the Scottish/Gaelic form of Alexander, from the Greek 'defend▶KamyrenA modern respelling of Kamryn/Cameron; by the Cameron route it traces to Scottish Gaelic 'cam s▶

Explore More

Scottish Girl Names All Scottish Names All Origins → ← All Baby Names

Frequently Asked

What are popular Scottish boy names?

Logan and Cameron are the most widely used, with Graham, Maxwell and Lennox close behind in current American usage.

What is a strong Scottish name for a boy?

Lennox, Bruce and Maxwell all read as confident and grown-up. Each also has an easy short form, which matters more than parents expect once a child starts school.

Are there short Scottish boy names?

Yes — Reid, Mack, Scott and Drew are all single-syllable and pair well with longer surnames.