Name Help: A Scottish-Yorkshire Name

 

Jamie and his wife are expecting their first child -- gender a surprise.

Jamie writes: "My wife and I live near Glasgow, she’s a local girl with a proud heritage from the Isle of Mull and I’m a Yorkshireman who made the leap to live in Scotland. 

We’re looking for uncommon or atypical names, without being too unusual or hard to spell. I was called "Jim" from ages 4-18 because there were 4 "Jamie"s in my primary school class and the teacher wanted to keep things simple for herself! If possible, I'd like to avoid that! I hadn't realised that Olivia was so popular, I've also heard that "Lilly" is also very popular, so I suspect they may get removed.

We also don’t fancy anything biblical; I tried looking for Yorkshire names but found nothing but bible names!

 

So far, here are our list of contenders, they’re not in any particular order and we’d likely use one of the girl’s names as a girl’s middle name. 

 

Boys names:

Rowan
Harris
Arran
Luca

Girls names:

Hazel
Rorie
Lilly
Maisie
Skye
Olivia
Holly

※    ※    ※    ※

You seem to have a solid list of names to go from. To help you narrow down, I've put the current rank in Scotland (2018 data) for each of the names on your current list below:

Rowan = #156
Harris = #7
Arran = #47
Luca = #48

Hazel = #225
Rorie = only Rory ranked for girls at #1571 (1 birth). Rory is #10 for boys.
Lilly = #61 (Lily is #15)
Maisie = #25
Skye = #44
Olivia = #1
Holly = #32

For more information, you can find the Top 1000 names in Scotland in 2018 here.

 

Suggestions:

Arlo – A fashionable surname-crossover which has links to Yorkshire. Arlo can be considered a variant of Harlow: a surname which derives from Harlow Hill in Yorkshire. Arlo ranks at #56 in Scotland. 

Blake – Sleek, stylish and with a great literary namesake. Blake derives from the English surname (one of the earliest bearers hailed from Yorkshire) which lends it its modern style. It ranks at #54 in Scotland. 

Brodie – A traditional Scottish name which hails from Moray and is borne by one of the oldest clans in Scotland. Brodie ranks at #25 in Scotland. 

Carson – Long used as a given name in Scotland, Carson is a traditional Scottish surname. It ranks at #101 in Scotland. 

Euan – A traditional Scottish equivalent of Welsh Owain and Irish Eoghan. Euan/Ewan used to also be used traditionally across the "Old North" which comprised of Yorkshire. So Euan/Ewan is both a traditional Scottish and Yorkshire name simultaneously. Euan ranks at #104 and Ewan at #264. 

Flynn – A Gaelic name with a cheery swash-buckling vibe. Flynn ranks at #162 in Scotland. 

Fraser – Hailing from the notable Scottish clan, tailored Fraser feels traditionally Scottish, but thanks to its surname-style, also feels modern and current. It ranks at #64 in Scotland.

Grayson – A stylish surname that originates from Yorkshire. Grayson ranks at #80 in Scotland. 

Lachlan – A traditional Scottish name meaning "a loch-lander" i.e. "a Scandinavian." It has been used from an early date in Scotland and many medieval clan chiefs had Lachlan as a given name. Today this Viking-inspired name has plenty of modern appeal and ranks at #121 (Lochlan ranks at #118). 

Leon – An ancient Greek name meaning "lion", Leon has the international flair of Luca and the broad shoulders of Arran on your list. Leon ranks at #70 in Scotland. 

Roman – Similar to Rowan on your list, Roman is a stately name which has been used by royalty across Europe. It ranks at #126 in Scotland. 

 

Aila – In origin, Aila is a Scandinavian name derived from Helga (meaning "holy" in Old Norse). However, in recent years, it has been adopted by Scottish parents thanks to its similarity to Ailsa and Isla, and deriving it from the Gaelic word ail "stone, rock." It ranks at #84 in Scotland. 

Alba – Alba is the traditional Gaelic name for Scotland. Thanks to its fashionable small size and long vowels, it has become a stylish name. It currently ranks at #104 in Scotland. 

Annabel – Thoroughly Scottish in origin, Annabel was created in the Middle Ages in Scotland as a variant of Amabel (from the Latin amabilis "loveable"). Annabelle ranks at #126 and Annabel ranks at #255 in Scotland. 

Bella – Sweet Bella was most common in Scotland and Northern England (including Yorkshire) in the 18th century, so it can be considered both a Scottish and a Yorkshire traditional. Bella ranks at #69 in Scotland. 

Bonnie – A traditional Scottish diminutive meaning "pretty, beautiful" which ranks at #72 in Scotland. 

Cora – An Edwardian gem which descends from an ancient Greek goddess. and ranks at #67 in Scotland. Similar in sound is traditional Scottish favourite Flora which ranks at #120. 

Elsie – Sweet vintage Elsie started life as the pet-form of Scottish Elspeth and has been used in Scotland since at least the 16th century. It currently ranks at #68 in Scotland. 

Harley – Although more commonly used for boys in England, the Scots much prefer Harley for girls (where it currently ranks at #109 for girls). The name Harley hails from Yorkshire. 

Lena – Sleek and vintage, Lena is similar in sound to Luna and Lola but with a distinctive edge. It ranks at #91 in Scotland. 

Lyla – Ranking at #120, Lyla has highly fashionable sounds without being commonplace. In a similar ilk is celestial Lyra which ranks at #244.

Piper – As you like Pepper but your wife wasn't a fan, perhaps Piper makes for a good compromise? Ranking at #78 in Scotland it is well known but not too overly used. 

Violet – While Violet was rare in the rest of Britain, it was well used in Scotland from the 15th century, making it a perfectly traditional Scottish choice. 

 

I hope this has been of use. Best wishes for finding the perfect name.