Place names are hot-name property at the moment as are Scottish names; combine the two together and you have a winning combination. The success can be seen in the likes of Isla, Ailsa, Skye, Iona, Arran, Harris, Struan, Brodie, Ross, Clyde, Errol -- all of which have made an easy and longstanding transition as given names.
But there are still some Scottish places that have yet to go mainstream, but nevertheless make great choices.
Here is a rundown of my top 15 under-the-radar Scottish place names:
Airdrie
With it's pleasing sound, a Celtic twist on vintage Audrey, it's surprising Airdrie hasn't fallen in with the success of Isla and Skye.
Airdrie is a town in North Lanarkshire which was once notable for its weaving industry. Older forms of the name include Ardre, Ardry and Ardrie, but has been known as Airdrie since the 17th century. It possibly derives from the Gaelic An Àrd Ruigh meaning "high pasture land, level plateau" (which would fit the topography of the town) or Ard Reidh meaning "high plain."
Airdrie is a rare Scottish surname, and even rarer as a given name. Most examples of the name as a given name are as a middle name, most likely from the surname. A handful of babies have been named Airdrie in the 20th century, however, including one girl registered in Scotland in 2013.
Airlie
Airlie is a parish in Angus, known principally for being the seat of the notable Olgivy Clan. Charles I created the title Earl of Airlie in 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, a staunch royalist who lead the Battle of Kilsyth. When the family's home Airlie Castle was destroyed by rebels in 1640, it gave rise to the popular Scottish ballad The Bonnie House of Airlie.
The etymology of Airlie is uncertain. It is possible that it derives from the same source as Errol, which was once called Arrol and Erolyn. though even that is obscure. It may be derived from the Scots Gaelic ear "east" and nil "landmark."
Though Airlie has never been common, it has been in use as a given name for girls from at least the 19th century. Since 1980, Arlie has been registered seventeen times as a first name in Scotland, given to no more than one girl in any given year.
Alva
A town in Clackmannan which is first recorded as Alueth. The town's name derives from aileach "rocky" or ail "rock" and mhagh "plain". Other Scottish place names such as Alloa, Alyth and Alloway derive from the same source.
Alva has long use as a given name, thanks to its unrelated use in other cultures:
* Alvah is a masculine Hebrew name found in the Bible meaning "exalted, highness." It was often spelt Alva and was also the middle name of Thomas Edison.
* Alva is used as a Scandinavian feminine form of Alf "elf" and Alfarr (Alvar) "elf army."
* Alva was used to Anglicise the Irish feminine name Almhath.
Of the 50 Alvas on the 1881 UK census 74% were male and 26% female. The number had almost tripled by 1901, with women taking 39% of the share. Since the 20th century, the name has been more common for girls. In 2013, 5 girls were registered in England and Wales and one in Scotland with the name Alva.
Aros
Aros is a placename given to the picturesque Aros River, Aros Park and Aros Castle on the Isle of Mull. The name derives from the Old Norse àr-òss "estuary."
Aros is very rare as a given name but not completely without precedence. Three males have been given Aros as a first name in Scotland since 1950, and one girl was registered Aros-Eve in 2011.
Brae
Brae is a name that is found on the map all over Scotland, including Skara Brae, the famous Neolithic settlement on Orkney. Brae most likely derives from the Scots Gaelic bràigh "upper part," though in some cases it may be from the Old Norse breiðr "broad."
Brae is pronounced the same as slick Bray: a name which appears in several places in England and is also a Cornish given name, derived from bregh "brave."
Since 1980, Brae has been give to two boys and one girl in Scotland. Though it has never ranked for girls, Brae has ranked for boys nine times since 1996 in England and Wales with a birth count between 3 and 9.
Clova
Glen Clova is a pretty glen in the Angus Glens within the Cairngorms National Park. The meaning is uncertain -- some have attempted to derive it from the Gaelic claon mhath "good slope" or the Old English cleof heah "high cliffs" but others believe it to be an ancient name, the meaning of which is lost to us.
The name has seen some usage for girls since at least the 19th century. While some are probably taken from the place name, others may have been mispellings of Clover.
Since 1950, Clova has been registered eleven times as a first name in Scotland, given to no more than one girl in any given year.
Corran
Corran is a bay on the Isle of Skye, which in Scots Gaelic means "rounded bay."
Corran is also an Irish masculine given name of legend, given to bard of the Tuatha De Danann. It derives either from the Irish corr "crane" or caor "rowan berry."
The name has seen moderate use across Britain since the 19th century -- though especially in Scotland -- and much of it has been unisex. The reason for this perhaps lies with the names use as a surname: an anglicised form of the Irish O'Corraidhin.
In 2013, 4 babies were registered with the name in Scotland (3 boys, 1 girl) while 4 boys recieved the name in England and Wales.
Eriska
Part Erica, part Mariska; a rarity with a lot of potential.
Eriska is a small tidal island off Scotland's west coast and part of the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area. Etymologically it most likely shares the same route as Eriskay, an island in the Outer Hebrides which derives from the Old Norse Erikr + ey "island," therefore "Erik's island."
Intriguingly, the Gaelic name for Eriska is Ùruisg, the Scots Gaelic name for a brownie -- a sprite who was believed to dwell in streams and waterfalls. For this reason, many translate Eriska as "water nymph island."
Eriska has only very recently been adopted as a given name and it is still rare. It was registered for one girl in Scotland in the years 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012 while Eriskay was used once in 1976 and 2006.
Evanton
Evan is a solid fashionable staple, so why Evanton with its hip -on ending.
A village in Easter Ross in the Highlands, Evanton quite prosiacally means "Evan's town." It was, in fact, named by the founder Alexander Fraser in the early 19th century after his son Captain Evan Fraser.
Evanton has been registered for only one boy in 1962 in England and Wales.
Evelix
Eve, Beatrix...Evelix!
Evelix is both the name of a village and a river which runs through it in Sutherland. Evelix is the anglicised spelling of its Gaelic name Èibhleag, which literally translates as "burning coal, cinder, ember" and is pronounced EEV-lək.
Thus far, Evelix has not been used as a given name in Britain.
Kiloran
Kiloran Bay is a well known beach on Colonsay and also features as the name of a ficticious isle in the 1945 film I Known Where I'm Going!
The name in Gaelic is Cill Oran meaning "Chaple of St Oran." Oran, or Odhran, was a 6th century Irish saint who preceded St Columba as bishop of Iona.
The name Odhran derives from the Old Irish odhar "pale," though in Modern Scots Gaelic oran means "song."
Kiloran has been in use in Britain since the 1920s at least. It is rare in general, but it is not altogether uncommon to find it in announcements in The Times or The Telegraph.
Morven
Morven is the name of a mountain in Caithness and in Aberdeenshire. Both names derive from the Gaelic Mhòr Bheinn -- mor "big, great" and beinn "mountain, hill."
Morven is also an alternate form of Morvern, a peninsular in Lochaber. This derives from an alternate route, however -- muir, "sea" and beàrn "gap, breach."
Morven has been in use across Britain since at least the 19th century, mostly for girls, but occasionally for boys. It has ranked in the top 250 of Scotland for girls since 1975, peaking at #92 in 2000.
Roslin
Looking for a Celtic or nature twist on Rosalind? Look no further.
Roslin is a village in Midlothian, also found spelt Rosslyn and Roslyn. It is famous for Rosslyn Chapel which, since the 1980s has been connected to the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail, a trait reinforced by Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (2003).
The old spelling Roskelyn shows clearly that the name derives from the Gaelic ros "headland, promontory," and cuileann "holly."
Roslin, Roslyn and Rosslyn have all been in use in Britain for girls since at least the 19th century.
Since 1975, Roslin has been used 21 times in Scotland, though Roslyn is the much more common spelling, having been registered 324 times, most especially in the 70s and 80s.
Tiree
The Isle of Tiree is the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides mentioned in Enya's Orinoco Flow (1988). The origin is debated, but most likely is that it derives from the Scots Gaelic tir "land" and iodh "corn."
Tiree is also spelt Tyree, which itself became a surname. Both Tyree and Tiree have been in use for both boys and girls in Britain since the 1980s, though it has never quite managed to crack Scotlands top 500 for either gender.
Tiree is pronounced tī-REE (the first syllable is the same as 'tie') in Scotland.
Vaila
With its easy pronunciation -- VAY-la -- Vaila has all the same stylish and poetic qualities as Isla, yet is much less common.
Vaila is a small island in Shetland, which was colonised by the Vikings from the 8th century.
The Old Norse name was Valey a compound of valr which could mean either "the battlefield, the slain" or, in its Germanic counterpart, "Welsh/Roman/Celt," + ey "island." Alternatively, the first element could be valdr "might, power." Other theories put forward are that it means "falcon island, "horse island" and "round island."
Vaila has been in use since the 19th century and has maintained quiet use ever since. Of the 183 registrations of the name (some as middle names) in Scotland from 1855 to 2013, the majority were born in Shetland itself.
In 2014, Vaila ranked #430 in Scotland with 8 births.
