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Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings

Jane Bertin
By Jane Bertin, Journalist specialized in animal welfare. Updated: December 9, 2019
Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings
Dogs

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Adopting a dog can be the best choice you ever make. No matter the breed or type, dogs are incredibly clever and caring animals that can form deep bonds with their human companions. However, getting a dog is not a choice to be taken lightly. As their guardian, you'll have the responsibility of covering all their needs, training and socializing them properly. The first step to start training your new dog is giving them a name, but there are so many possibilities out there that coming across the perfect name for your dog can be a difficult task.

This is why here at AnimalWised we've compiled a list of Scottish names for dogs, including unisex, male and female names. We also provide their meanings to help you find the right inspiration.

You may also be interested in: Marathi Names for Dogs - With Meanings

How to choose the perfect name for your dog

First and foremost, you must choose a name that you truly like. Some people name their pets after jokes, memes or popular culture references, but they get dated pretty fast. It's important to remember that renaming a dog can take a lot of effort.

Some things you should take into account before choosing a name for your dog include:

  • It shouldn't be too long or too short. Experts recommend names that are two syllables long, three at the most. This way, you avoid confusing your dog and making the training more difficult than it needs to be.
  • You should never use the dog's name when scolding it. If you do, your dog might think the name is a bad word that you use to punish them, and respond negatively whenever you call it. You also shouldn't be scolding the dog in the first place as t is much more effective to use positive reinforcement.
  • The dog's name shouldn't sound similar to orders or words you use on a daily basis, as it would confuse them. For instance, ‘Mo’ and ‘No’ sound too similar.

We also recommend knowing the meaning of the name that you choose. This way, you will make sure that it fits your dog's personality, appearance or the sort of relationship you have with them. Every pet deserves a unique, dignified and beautiful name. Scotland is full of dignified beauty, so why not choose a Scottish name for dogs?

Why should you choose a Scottish name for your dog?

Most of the names we have compiled in our list of Scottish dog names come from Scottish Gaelic. This language, also called Gàidhlig, Scots Gaelic, or just Gaelic, is a Celtic language from the same family as Irish (Gaeilge) and Manx (Gaelg).

While it is a native language of Scotland, only about 1.1% of the population speaks it, mostly in the Outer Hebrides, the island chain in the northwestern coast. There have been efforts and policies to revive it. While choosing a Scottish Gaelic name for your dog may not preserve the language, it will help to reignite interestin it from everyone around you.

Scottish names are influenced by the general trends of English-speaking countries, but the most traditional names show the influence of other languages due to geographical or historical proximity like Irish, French and Old Norse.

Scots is another of the native languages of Scotland. It's a Germanic language that has been recognized as such and that is spoken in the south and east of Scotland and some parts of Ulster, Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, the Irish language is more common. This language is sometimes referred to as Gaelic also, even if it is not technically the case.

There are many reasons to choose a Scottish name for your dog; they have beautiful sounds and meanings. They also refer to well-known historical figures. They are a perfect choice if you have Scottish ancestry or if your dog belongs to a Scottish breed. Scottish dog breeds include:

  • Bearded Collie
  • Border Collie
  • Border Terrier
  • Cairn Terrier
  • Dandie Dinmont
  • Golden Retriever
  • Rough Collie
  • Scottish Deerhound
  • Scottish Terrier
  • Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
  • Skye Terrier
  • Smooth Collie
  • West Highland White Terrier (Westie)

Sadly, some of these breeds are in the list of Vulnerable Native Breeds in the UK, as less than 300 puppies are registered every year and are considered at risk of disappearing.

While these Scottish dog names are great for Scottish breeds or any type of dog, you could also consider this list for your cat. This may be especially if it's a Scottish Fold.

Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings - Why should you choose a Scottish name for your dog?

Scottish names for female dogs

When choosing from our list of Scottish dog names, it's helpful to look at different categories. Whether choosing for a girl or boy dog, looking at their appearance can be a great to way find the right inspiration:

  • Aila: Oak tree
  • Barabal: Foreign
  • Cailean: Dove
  • Edna: Kernel
  • Eimhir: Swift
  • Fenella: White shoulder
  • Fergie: Man of vigor
  • Fiona: White
  • Grizel: Griselda; gray battle
  • Lassie: Young woman; name of a famous Rough Collie
  • Lileas: Lily
  • Liùsaidh: Light
  • Mór: Great
  • Morag: Diminutive of Mór
  • Morven: Big gap
  • Oighrig: Speckled one
  • Senga: Slender
  • Sorcha: Radiant

Similarly, you may want to look at their personality. These Scottish Gaelic names according to personality might help:

  • Aifric: Pleasant
  • Beitris: Traveler
  • Caitriona: Pure
  • Caoimhe: Gentle
  • Ealair: Cheerful
  • Gormlaith: Illustrious lady
  • Lorna: Victorious
  • Marsaili: Mars
  • Morna: Festive
  • Murdag: Sea warrior
  • Rona: Counselor
  • Slàine: Health

Historical or fictional Scottish women's names might also help inspire you to choose one for your dog:

  • Abi: My father is joy
  • Aileen: Desired
  • Alba: Scotland
  • Brodie: After the character Jean Brodie
  • Caledonia: Rocky land
  • Effie: Well-spoken
  • Elspeth: My God is an oath
  • Flora: After Flora Macdonald, Jacobite heroine
  • Glenna: Valley
  • Inglis: After Elsie Inglis, doctor and suffragette
  • Iona: Island
  • Isobel: My God is an oath
  • Jean: God is gracious
  • Jessie: Diminutive of Jean
  • Kenna: Born of fire
  • Kirstin: Christian
  • Mairead: Margaret; daisy
  • Màiri: Mary
  • Maisie: Diminutive of Mairead
  • Malvina: Heroine of the Ossian cycle
  • Maura: Mary; great
  • McGonagall: After Minerva McGonagall, a character in Harry Potter
  • Moira: Mary; fate
  • Piper: Pipe player
  • Rhona: Island
  • Sheena: God is gracious
  • Tara: Crag

Scottish names for male dogs

Just as with choosing a female Scottish dog name, looking at the dog's appearance can work just as well for males. Maybe their hair type, facial expression or another aspect of their appearance relates to one of these Scottish names:

  • Alpin: White
  • Artair: Bear
  • Cailean: Young dog
  • Calum: Dove
  • Coinneach: Handsome
  • Conall: Strong wolf
  • Dougal: Dark stranger
  • Duff: Dark
  • Duncan: Brown warrior
  • Eachann: Brown horse
  • Fergus: Man of vigor
  • Finlay: White warrior
  • Grant: Great
  • Laddie: Young man
  • Rorie: Red king
  • Ruadh: Red
  • Tasgall: God's helmet

Names according to personality:

  • Aidan: Fire
  • Aindrea: Manly
  • Angus: One strength
  • Archibald: Bold master
  • Bhaltair: Ruler of the army
  • Fearchar: Dear man
  • Heckie: Hector; holding fast
  • Mungo: Gentle
  • Murdo: Sea warrior
  • Naomhán: Little saint
  • Neil: Champion
  • Stuart: Steward, guardian
  • Sweeney: Well-going
  • Tadg: Poet

Historical or fictional Scottish male names:

  • Alan: Rock
  • Alasdair: Leader of men
  • Aneirin: Brythonic poet of the 6th Century
  • Balfour: Surname of the hero of Kidnapped
  • Beathan: Life
  • Bruce: Surname of the king Robert the Bruce
  • Burns: After Robert Burns, Scottish poet
  • Cináed: Born of fire
  • Craig: Crag
  • Deacon: After Deacon Brodie, part-time burglar
  • Deòrsa: Farmer
  • Desmond: After Desmond Hume, a character in Lost
  • Ewan: Born from the yew tree
  • Fingal: Hero of the Ossian cycle
  • Forbes: Field
  • Fraser: Popular surname
  • Gavin: From Gawain, legendary knight
  • Glen: Valley
  • Graham: Homestead; surname
  • Greyfriars Bobby: Name of a famous Skye Terrier
  • Hamish: Jacob; supplanter
  • Hume: After David Hume, philosopher
  • Iain: God is gracious
  • Ivor: Archer
  • Keir: Surname
  • Keith: Wood; surname
  • Lachlan: Norwegian
  • Macbeth: Scottish king immortalized by Shakespeare
  • Malcolm: Disciple of St Columba
  • McGonagall: Notably terrible Scottish poet
  • Montgomery: After Montgomery Scott, a character in Star Trek
  • Muir: Moor, sea; surname
  • Murray: Settlement by the sea; surname
  • Nicol: Victory of the people
  • Ninian: Saint who converted the Picts
  • Pàdraig: Patrick; nobleman
  • Rabbie: Diminutive of Robert; bright fame
  • Rob Roy: Folk hero immortalized by Walter Scott
  • Tam Lin: Hero of Scottish Border ballads
  • Wallace: Foreigner, after William Wallace
Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings - Scottish names for male dogs

Unisex Scottish names for dogs and puppies

Finally, maybe you want to choose a Scottish dog name which can be applied to either male or female dogs. This list of unisex Scottish dog names is for you:

  • Ainsley: Solitary woodland; surname
  • Arran: Island in Scotland
  • Athol: Region in Scotland
  • Bairn: Baby
  • Barclay: Birch wood; surname
  • Blair: Battlefield; surname
  • Bonnie: Beautiful
  • Cameron: Crooked nose; surname
  • Campbell: Crooked mouth; surname
  • Cannie: Smart, clever
  • Dafty: Silly
  • Embra: Nickname of Edinburgh
  • Greer: Alert
  • Haggis: Traditional Scottish food
  • Highlander: From the Scottish Highlands
  • Lennox: Surname
  • Lindsay: Region in
  • Logan: Little hollow; surname
  • Lomond: A loch in Scotland
  • Nessie: Nickname of the Loch Ness monster
  • Scotch: Malt or grain whisky made in Scotland
  • Skye: Island in Scotland
  • Stirling: City in Scotland
  • Tartan: Traditional Scottish pattern
  • Thistle: National flower of Scotland
  • Tweed: River in Scotland
Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings - Unisex Scottish names for dogs and puppies

Scottish surnames for dogs

Another aspect of Scottish culture is that it is not uncommon for Scots to call each other by their surname (or some variation of this name). While ‘Mac’ and ‘Mc’ names are some of the most common, they are by far the only ones. Here we provide some Scottish surnames which might be useful in choosing one for your dog:. The 20 most popular Scottish surnames are:

  1. Smith
  2. Brown
  3. Wilson
  4. Campbell
  5. Stewart
  6. Thomson
  7. Robertson
  8. Anderson
  9. MacDonald
  10. Scott
  11. Reid
  12. Murray
  13. Taylor
  14. Clark
  15. Ross
  16. Watson
  17. Morrison
  18. Paterson
  19. Young
  20. Mitchell

But there are many more surnames to choose from if you want a Scottish dog name for your pet:

  • ACHESON
  • ADAMSON
  • AIKEN
  • AITKEN
  • ALLAWAY
  • ALLEN
  • ARMSTRONG
  • ATCHISON
  • BAIRD
  • BARBER
  • BATESON
  • BEATTIE
  • BEGBIE
  • BOYD
  • BRECKENRIDGE
  • BRECKINRIDGE
  • BRODIE
  • BRUCE
  • BUCHANAN
  • BURNS
  • CALHOUN
  • CAMERON
  • CAMPBELL
  • CARSON
  • CLACHER
  • COBURN
  • COCKBURN
  • COLQUHOUN
  • COUTTS
  • COWDEN
  • CRAIG
  • CROFT
  • CRUICKSHANK
  • CUMMINS
  • CUNNINGHAM
  • CURRIE
  • DARROW
  • DAVID
  • DAVIS
  • DONAGHUE
  • DONNE
  • DOUGLAS
  • DRUMMOND
  • DUBHGHLAS
  • DUFF
  • DUNBAR
  • DUNCAN
  • DUNCANSON
  • DUNN
  • EWART
  • FAIRBAIRN
  • FAULKNER
  • FERGUSON
  • FINDLAY
  • FINLEY
  • FRASER
  • FRAZIER
  • GIBB
  • GIBBS
  • GIBSON
  • GLEN
  • GLENN
  • GRAEME
  • GRAHAM
  • GRAHAME
  • GRANT
  • GREER
  • GRIER
  • GRIEVE
  • HAMBLEDON
  • HAMBLETON
  • HAMELDON
  • HAMILTON
  • HARDIE
  • HENDERSON
  • HENDRY
  • HEPBURN
  • HOLME
  • HOLMES
  • HOUSTON
  • HUG
  • HUME
  • HUNTER
  • IRVINE
  • IRVING
  • JACK
  • JARDINE
  • JOHNSTON
  • KEIR
  • KEITH
  • KELLY
  • KENDRICK
  • KERR
  • KIDD
  • KINLEY
  • KYLES
  • LENNOX
  • LESLIE
  • LESTER
  • LINDSAY
  • LINDSEY
  • LISTER
  • LITHGOW
  • LOGAN
  • LOWE
  • LOWRY
  • LUSK
  • LYNE
  • MACALASTAIR
  • MACBAY
  • MACBETH
  • MACCALLION
  • MACCALLUM
  • MACCANCE
  • MACCHRUIM
  • MACCLELLAN
  • MACCLELLAND
  • MACCONNELL
  • MACDHUBHGHAILL
  • MACDOMHNAILL
  • MACDONALD
  • MACDOUGALL
  • MACEALAIR
  • MACEANRAIG
  • MACFARLAND
  • MACFARLANE
  • MACGREGOR
  • MACGRORY
  • MACINTYRE
  • MACIOMHAIR
  • MACIVER
  • MACKAY
  • MACKENNA
  • MACKENNY
  • MACKENZIE
  • MACLEAN
  • MACLEOD
  • MACLEÒID
  • MACMHUIRICH
  • MACNEIL
  • MACPHARLAIN
  • MACQUEEN
  • MACRAE
  • MACTHAIDHG
  • MAC WILLIAM
  • MAGEE
  • MAGRAITH
  • MASSON
  • MASTERS
  • MATHESON
  • MATHIESON
  • MAXWELL
  • MCADAMS
  • MCAFEE
  • MCARTHUR
  • MCCAIG
  • MCCALLUM
  • MCCLELLAN
  • MCCLELLAND
  • MCCONNELL
  • MCCOY
  • MCCRACKEN
  • MCCRAE
  • MCCREERY
  • MCCRORY
  • MCDANIEL
  • MCDONALD
  • MCDOUGALL
  • MCEACHERN
  • MCEWAN
  • MCFARLAND
  • MCFARLANE
  • MCFEE
  • MCGEE
  • MCGILL
  • MCGREGOR
  • MCINTYRE
  • MCIVER
  • MCKAY
  • MCKELLAR
  • MCKENZIE
  • MCKINLEY
  • MCRAE
  • MCREYNOLDS
  • MCTAGGART
  • MCWILLIAM
  • MELVILLE
  • MELVIN
  • MILLIGAN
  • MITCHELL
  • MOFFETT
  • MONROE
  • MORAY
  • MORRIS
  • MUNRO
  • MUNROE
  • MURRAY
  • NEIL
  • NESS
  • NEVIN
  • NIVEN
  • NORRIS
  • OLIVER
  • PATERSON
  • PATTERSON
  • PATTON
  • PAYNE
  • POTTINGER
  • RALSTON
  • RAMSAY
  • RAMSEY
  • READY
  • REID
  • ROSE
  • ROSS
  • ROWE
  • RUSKIN
  • RUTHERFORD
  • RUTHERFURD
  • SANGSTER
  • SAUNDERS
  • SCHOOL
  • SCOTT
  • SKEATES
  • STARRETT
  • STEWART
  • STIRLING
  • STROUD
  • STRUDWICK
  • STUART
  • SUTHERLAND
  • TAGGART
  • THORBURN
  • UNDERWOOD
  • URQUHART
  • WALDROUP
  • WALLACE
  • WALLIS
  • WATERS
  • WATSON
  • WOOD

Have you found the right name among our Scottish names for dogs? Do you have more ideas? Tell us in the comments section!

If you still haven't found the perfect name for your dog, take a look at our other lists:

If you want to read similar articles to Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings, we recommend you visit our Names category.

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Iris K Frankel
you omitted two important Scottish Dog Breeds from your list. The Gordon Setter and the Golden Retreiver, the two Gun Dog breeds established in Scotland
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi Iris,

Thank you for sharing these!
Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings
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Scottish Names for Dogs - With Meanings

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