Does your dog have Scottish ancestry? If so, it might be fun to find a name that harks back to Scotland. We’ve fetched some fun options for Scottish dog names ranging from the most popular male and female names in Scotland to Scottish castles and Gaelic words for a unique dog name all your own!
Gaelic words that make fun dog names
Although only about 1 percent of Scotland’s residents now speak Gaelic, many words are part of everyday life in Scotland including these phrases:
- Failte (pronounced “fawl-cha”): Welcome or Good day
- Gillie or Ghillie: an ancient Gaelic term for an assistant on a fishing or hunting trip; a good name for a hunting dog breed
- Halò (pronounced hallo): Hello
- Slàinte (pronounced “slancha”): cheers
- Tìoraidh (pronounced “cheerie”): see you later
Scottish Words
- Bairn: child
- Bonny or Bonnie: beautiful
- Ceilidh (pronounced like Kaylie): an event with dancing and song
- Coorie: to nestle or snuggle
- Craic: good fun
- Gallus: bold, daring
- Haver (pronounced hay-ver): talking nonsense
- Hoachin: busy
- Lassy or Lassie: girl. No doubt the most popular of the Scottish dog names!
- Tattie: potato
- Wee: small
- Yaldy or Yaldi: showing excitement
Scottish Clan Names
- Campbell
- Douglas
- MacDonald
- Mackintosh
- Mackenzie
- MacLean
- MacLeod
- MacNab
- Sinclair
- Wallace
Scottish Foods and Products
- Bagpipe: a fun name for a dog with a loud voice!
- Cashmere
- Haddie: Finnin Haddie, a chowder-like soup
- Haggis
- Heather
- Kilt
- Quaich: a small drinking bowl with two handles
- Scotch
- Smokie: Arbroath Smokies, a smoked haddock that serves as Scotland’s own barbecue
- Tartan
- Thistle
- Tweed
- Walkers: Walkers Shortbread has been made in the Highlands since 1898 (including Scottie Dogs shortbread cookies)
- Whisky: Scottish whisky is spelled without the e!
Scottish Monarchs
As the Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland had a long list of rulers…would one of these be a good name for your new King or Queen? (See also our list of Royal Dog Names)
- Alexander
- Anne
- Charles
- Constantine
- Cullen
- David
- Donald
- Duff
- Duncan
- Edgar
- Indulf
- James
- Lulach
- Kenneth
- MacAlpin
- Macbeth
- Malcolm
- Mary
- Robert
Scottish Castles
- Balmoral: Balmoral Castle, built by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
- Fyvie: Fyvie Castle was once a royal castle.
- Glamis: Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the Queen Mother and an imposing structure that was the legendary setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
- Hogwarts: the fictional castle in the Harry Potter books is set in the Scottish Highlands (More Harry Potter names)
- Holyrood: Holyrood Palace, one of the Queen’s official residences in Scotland, was built in Edinburgh in 1128.
- Scone: Scone Palace, near Perth, is where the Scottish kings were crowned as they sat on the Scone stone (or Stone of Destiny).
- Skibo: Skibo Castle, near Dornoch in the northeast Highlands, is a favorite for destination weddings (including Madonna’s)
- Stirling: Stirling Castle, considered by many to be Scotland’s finest castle
- Tulloch: Tulloch Castle Hotel based in Dingwall is said to be haunted.
Scottish Writers
- J.M. Barrie
- Robert (or Rabbie) Burns
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Sir Walter Scott
- Adam Smith
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Famous Names
You also might like: 400+ British Dog Names
- Alexander Fleming, discovered penicillin
- Andy Murray, tennis player
- Bonnie Prince Charlie
- Ewan McGregor, actor
- James Andrew McAvoy, actor
- Rob Roy, known as the Robin Hood of Scotland
- Sean Connery, of 007 fame
- Tilda Swinton, actor
- William Wallace, hero of Scotland
Edinburgh Place Names
The capital city boasts a labyrinth of narrow alleys considered to be some of Europe’s most haunted sites, a medical school that dates back over half a millennium, and a reputation as the hometown of some of the world’s most celebrated writers of the Victorian age.
- Arthur: Arthur’s Seat, an excellent spot for a view of the city
- Britannia: The HMY Britannia is the former Royal Yacht, now decommissioned but remaining regal. Queen Elizabeth II once described Britannia as the one place she could truly relax.
- Castle: Edinburgh Castle, the city’s top tourist attraction, is easy to spot thanks to its perch atop an ancient volcano.
- Destiny: The Stone of Destiny, housed at Edinburgh Castle, is a slab of sandstone upon which the monarchs of Scotland are crowned.
- George: Edinburg’s George Street is often called “the Bond Street of Scotland”.
- Giles: St. Giles Cathedral, consecrated in 1243
- Leith: The port of Leith, located on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, was once a separate town but merged with the municipality of Edinburgh in 1920. Centuries ago, Mary Queen of Scots ruled Scotland from Leith; later it became headquarters for the forces of Oliver Cromwell.
- Meg: The Mons Meg, a 15th century siege gun, is at the Edinburgh Castle.
- Waverly: The train station in Edinburgh; ride to London’s King Cross station in just under five hours.
More Place Names in Scotland
- Argyll: A county in western Scotland which became the basis for the name of the Argyle pattern
- Clyde: The River Clyde flows into the Firth of Clyde.
- Greenock: Greenock’s association with the sea dates back to its earliest days when it was first established as a fishing village in 1592. Its name derived from the Gaelic word for sun or sunny hill.
- Cowan: Glasgow’s “Cowan’s Corner” stands where a building was demolished by a Luftwaffe attack during World War II.
- Dundee: Scotland’s 4th largest city.
- Glasgow: Europe’s fourth largest city by population and the economic hub of Scotland.
- Inverness: city in the Scottish Highlands.
- Lomond: Loch Lomond, the largest lake in Scotland and one Sir Walter Scott called the “Queen of Scottish Lakes”
- Mackintosh: Glasgow is closely associated with the style of architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh who launched what has come to known as “Glasgow style.” Drawing on functionality as well as spiritual needs, the style includes geometric and floral motifs.
- Mungo: Saint Mungo, who is buried at Glasgow Cathedral (one of the few Gothic churches in the country spared during the Reformation) is the patron saint of Glasgow.
- Nessie: The often-sought resident of Loch Ness.
- Lothian: a region in the Scottish Lowlands
Scottish Festivals that Make Good Dog Names!
- Fringe: Edinburgh’s International Festival and the Fringe Festival is the world’s largest arts event.
- Hogmanay: the largest New Year’s celebration in the world.
- Tattoo: No, not the inked variety, this tattoo, such as August’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, features military bands.
Scottish Dog Names: Masculine
In the last few years, there’s been a huge trend toward naming dogs with human names. According to the General Register Office (GRO), here’s a look at the most popular names for boys in Scotland!
- Aaron
- Abel
- Adam
- Aidan
- Aiden
- Alasdair
- Albie
- Alex
- Alexander
- Alfie
- Andrew
- Angus
- Anthony
- Archie
- Arlo
- Arran
- Arthur
- Ashton
- Austin
- Axel
- Beau
- Ben
- Benjamin
- Blair
- Blake
- Bradley
- Brodie
- Brody
- Caelan
- Caleb
- Callan
- Callum
- Calum
- Calvin
- Cameron
- Campbell
- Carson
- Carter
- Charles
- Charlie
- Christopher
- Cian
- Ciaran
- Cillian
- Cody
- Cole
- Colton
- Connell
- Connor
- Conor
- Cooper
- Corey
- Cruz
- Daniel
- Darragh
- David
- Dominic
- Douglas
- Dylan
- Edward
- Eli
- Elias
- Elijah
- Elliot
- Elliott
- Ellis
- Enzo
- Ethan
- Euan
- Evan
- Ewan
- Ezra
- Felix
- Fergus
- Filip
- Findlay
- Finlay
- Finley
- Finn
- Flynn
- Frankie
- Fraser
- Freddie
- Frederick
- Gabriel
- George
- Grayson
- Gregor
- Hamish
- Harris
- Harrison
- Harry
- Harvey
- Hayden
- Hector
- Henry
- Hudson
- Hugh
- Hugo
- Hunter
- Innes
- Isaac
- Jace
- Jack
- Jackson
- Jacob
- Jake
- James
- Jamie
- Jason
- Jasper
- Jax
- Jaxon
- Jaxson
- Jaxx
- Jay
- Jayden
- Joel
- Joey
- John
- Jonah
- Jordan
- Joseph
- Josh
- Joshua
- Jude
- Kai
- Kaiden
- Kaleb
- Kayden
- Kerr
- Kevin
- Kian
- Kyle
- Lachlan
- Layton
- Leighton
- Leo
- Leon
- Levi
- Lewis
- Liam
- Lochlan
- Logan
- Louie
- Louis
- Luca
- Lucas
- Luka
- Luke
- Lyle
- Mac
- Magnus
- Marcus
- Mason
- Matthew
- Max
- Michael
- Miles
- Milo
- Munro
- Murray
- Myles
- Nathan
- Niall
- Nico
- Noah
- Oakley
- Odin
- Oliver
- Ollie
- Olly
- Oran
- Oscar
- Oskar
- Owen
- Parker
- Patrick
- Reggie
- Reuben
- Rhys
- Rian
- Riley
- Rio
- River
- Robbie
- Robert
- Robin
- Rocco
- Roman
- Ronan
- Ronnie
- Rory
- Rowan
- Ruairi
- Ruairidh
- Ruaridh
- Ruben
- Ryan
- Sam
- Samuel
- Scott
- Sean
- Sebastian
- Shay
- Sonny
- Spencer
- Struan
- Teddy
- Theo
- Theodore
- Thomas
- Tommy
- Travis
- Tyler
- William
- Xander
- Zac
- Zach
- Zachary
- Zack
- Zak
- Zander
Scottish Dog Names: Female
As with the most popular masculine names, we’ve turned to the General Register Office (GRO) for a look at the most popular girls’ names in Scotland:
- Abbie
- Abigail
- Ada
- Addison
- Aila
- Ailsa
- Aimee
- Alba
- Alexandra
- Alice
- Alyssa
- Amara
- Amber
- Amelia
- Amelie
- Amy
- Anna
- Annabelle
- Annie
- Aoife
- April
- Arabella
- Aria
- Ariana
- Ariella
- Arla
- Arya
- Astrid
- Aurora
- Autumn
- Ava
- Avery
- Ayda
- Ayla
- Bailey
- Bella
- Bethany
- Billie
- Blair
- Blaire
- Blake
- Bonnie
- Brianna
- Brooke
- Caitlin
- Cali
- Callie
- Cara
- Cassie
- Charlotte
- Chloe
- Ciara
- Clara
- Cleo
- Connie
- Cora
- Daisy
- Darcey
- Darcie
- Darcy
- Delilah
- Eden
- Edie
- Edith
- Effie
- Eilidh
- Eleanor
- Elena
- Elise
- Eliza
- Elizabeth
- Ella
- Ella-Rose
- Elle
- Ellie
- Ellis
- Elodie
- Eloise
- Elsie
- Emilia
- Emilie
- Emily
- Emma
- Emmie
- Erin
- Esmae
- Esme
- Eva
- Eve
- Evelyn
- Everly
- Evie
- Faith
- Fatima
- Faye
- Fern
- Fiadh
- Flora
- Florence
- Francesca
- Frankie
- Freya
- Freyja
- Gabriella
- Georgia
- Georgie
- Grace
- Gracie
- Hailey
- Halle
- Hallie
- Hanna
- Hannah
- Harley
- Harlow
- Harper
- Harriet
- Hayley
- Hazel
- Heidi
- Hollie
- Holly
- Hope
- Imogen
- Indie
- Iona
- Iris
- Isabella
- Isabelle
- Isla
- Isobel
- Ivy
- Jasmine
- Jessica
- Jessie
- Jorgie
- Julia
- Kali
- Katie
- Kayla
- Keira
- Kiara
- Klara
- Lacey
- Lana
- Lara
- Laura
- Layla
- Leah
- Lena
- Lexi
- Libby
- Lilah
- Lillie
- Lilly
- Lily
- Lois
- Lola
- Lottie
- Lucia
- Lucie
- Lucy
- Luna
- Lydia
- Lyla
- Lyra
- Mabel
- Macie
- Maddison
- Madison
- Maeva
- Maeve
- Maggie
- Maia
- Maisie
- Maja
- Mara
- Margot
- Maria
- Marley
- Marnie
- Martha
- Mary
- Matilda
- Maya
- Mia
- Mila
- Millie
- Mirren
- Mollie
- Molly
- Mya
- Myla
- Mylah
- Nancy
- Naomi
- Nevaeh
- Neve
- Niamh
- Nina
- Nola
- Nora
- Norah
- Nova
- Olive
- Olivia
- Orla
- Orlagh
- Orlaith
- Paige
- Payton
- Penelope
- Penny
- Peyton
- Phoebe
- Piper
- Pippa
- Poppy
- Quinn
- Rachel
- Rae
- Raya
- Rebecca
- Reeva
- Remi
- Rhea
- Riley
- River
- Robyn
- Romy
- Rosa
- Rose
- Rosie
- Rowan
- Ruby
- Sadie
- Saoirse
- Sara
- Sarah
- Savannah
- Scarlett
- Sienna
- Skye
- Skylar
- Sofia
- Sophia
- Sophie
- Summer
- Sylvie
- Thea
- Tilly
- Victoria
- Violet
- Willow
- Wren
- Wynter
- Zara
- Zoe
- Zoey
Is your dog Scottish?
The following dog breeds hail from Scotland:
- Bearded Collie: Polish lowland sheepdogs left in Shetland became the foundation for the Bearded Collie in the 1500s.
- Border Collie: First developed in Scotland, this Border Collie flourished in the border region between England and Scotland.
- Border Terrier: Like the Border Collie, this scrappy little terrier hails from the border region between England and Scotland.
- Cairn Terrier: Developed in the Scottish Highlands, the Cairn Terrier was developed to chase vermin in the cairns, the stacks of stones used as markers and burial mounds.
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier: Like the Border Collie and Border Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier hails from the border region between Scotland and England.
- Golden Retriever: The Golden Retriever hails from the Scottish Highlands where it was developed in the 1800s.
- Gordon Setter: The Gordon Setter’s name refers to Gordon Castle in Moray, Scotland.
- Rough Collie and Smooth Collie: Collies worked by the shepherd at Balmoral Castle drew the eye of Queen Victoria who soon added some to her kennel, and helped bring the dog to fame. (Although Lassie sure helped a lot, too!)
- Scottish Deerhound: Once called the Highland Deerhound, the Scottish Deerhound traces its origins back to the 16th century.
- Scottish Terrier: The Scottish Terrier–or Scottie–is one of the most recognized dogs from Scotland.
- Shetland Sheepdog: The Shetland Sheepdog, affectionately known as the Sheltie, was developed in Shetland Islands. (Don’t miss our post on Sheltie Dog Names from Shetland!)
- Skye Terrier: Developed on the Scottish Isle of Skye, this terrier traces it roots back over 400 years.
- Sporting Lucas Terrier: This fairly new Scottish dog breed was developed in Mey then later in Abington in the 1990s.
- West Highland White Terrier: As the name suggests, the West Highland White Terrier was developed in Scotland, first by the Malcolm clan to help remove vermin from the estate.
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Pin it to remember these Scottish Dog Names
Scotland Baby name lists contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Paris Permenter is the award-winning co-author, with John Bigley, of over 30 pet and travel books including The Healthy Hound Cookbook and Texas with Dogs, both available through Simon and Schuster. Paris is also a member of the Dog Writers Association of America.
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