Scottish Translations of Foreign Names
This page is for names that have been taken from other sources (Bible, English names, Norse names etc.) and adopted into the Gaelic name pool. You may find a translation of your name on this page!
Note: not every name can be translated into Gaelic. Most of the names that are translatable are either biblical, the names of saints, or names of English and Norman settlers that became adopted into the naming pool. Modern names (i.e., names that came into common English use in the past couple of centuries, like Melissa, Tanya, and Jason) generally cannot be translated.
We have them divided by Women's Names and Men's Names.
Women's
Names
| Name | Gaelic Form | Pronunciation | Origin | Meaning | See Also/other forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggie | Aigidh | AH kee | dim. Of Aigneas | dim. of Agnes, "holy" | |
| Agnes | Aigneas | AG nes | Greek | "holy" | Aggie |
| Alice | Aileas | AH lus; EH lus | Old German | "noble" | Alice |
| Allie, Alison | Allasan | AHL uh sun | dim. Of Aileas | dim. of Alice | |
| Amelia | Aimili | AM ih lee | Latin | from the clan name Aemilius | |
| Angelica | Aingealag | an GEH lak | Latin | angelic | |
| Anne | Anna | AH na | Hebrew | grace | Annie |
| Annie | Annag; Nan; Nannag | AH nak; NAN; NAN ak | Hebrew | dims of Anna | Anna |
| Barbara | Barabal | BAR uh bal | Greek | "stranger" | Barb |
| Barb; Barbie | Babag; Babaidh | BOB ik; BOB ee | dims. Of Barabal | Barbara | |
| Beatrice | Beitris | BEE tu rish | Latin | "voyager" | |
| Bessie, Betsy | Beasag; Eilispidh | BES ik; AY lus pee | Hebrew | dims. Of Ealasaid | Elizabeth; Isabelle |
| Catherine | Caitŕona | ka TCHREE un na | Greek | trad. Associated with ‘pure’ | Kate |
| Christina | Cairist́ona | car rus TCHEE na | Latin | follower of Christ | Chrissie; Kirsten |
| Chrissie; Christie | Caitŕonag; Criosaidh | cot CHREE un nak; CRI see | Latin | dims of Cairist́ona | Christina;Kirsten |
| Clara | Sorcha | SOR uh kha | Gaelic | light (Clara means "bright; famous" in Latin) | |
| Clementine | Climidh | KLIM ee | Latin | mild; merciful | |
| Eleanor | Eilionoir | EL ee nur | Greek, via Latin | light | form of Helen, Ellen |
| Elizabeth | Ealasaid | YAH luh sutch; EL uh sutch | Hebrew | "God is my oath" | Bessie |
| Ellen | Eilidh | AY lee | Greek | light | form of Helen, Eleanor |
| Emily; Emilia | Eamag | EM ak | Latin | from the family name Aemilius | Amelia |
| Euphemia | Eapag | EP ik | Greek | Well-spoken | Effie, Eppie |
| Eve/Eva | Eubh/Eubha | AYV/AYV a | Hebrew | life | |
| Evelyn | Eibhlin | EYE leen; EV a leen | Germanic | possibly means "derired" | Nellie |
| Helen | Eilidh | AY lee | Greek | possibly, "torch" | Ellen, Eleanor |
| Flora | Fḷraidh | FLO ree | Latin | flower | Florrie |
| Florence | Floireans | FLO runs | Latin | flourishing | |
| Florrie | Fḷrag | FLO ruk | dim. Of Fḷraidh | Flora | |
| Frances | Frangag | FRAN kuk | Latin | from France | |
| Franny | Frannsaidh; Fransag | FRAN see; FRAN sak | Latin | dims. Of Frangag | Frances |
| Georgia | Sẹrsag | SHOR sak | Greek | farmer | |
| Georgie | Sẹrdag | SHOR dak | Greek | dim. of Sẹrsag | Georgia |
| Grace | Giorsal | GIR sul | English, from Latin gratia | Grace | |
| Griselda | Griseal | GREE shul | Germanic | grey battle | |
| Isabelle | Iseabail; Isbeal; Iosbail | ISH uh bel; ISH bul; EES uh bel | Latin via French | form of Elizabeth | Elizabeth |
| Izzy | Ibeag | EE pak | Latin | dim. of Iseabail | Isabelle/Elizabeth |
| Jane; Joan | Śne | SHEE na | Hebrew | God is gracious | Janet; Janie; Jinty |
| Janie | Śneag | SHEEN ak | Hebrew | dim. of Śne | Jane; Janet; Jinty |
| Janet | Sẹnaid | SHAW nutch | Hebrew | God is gracious | Jane; Janie; Jinty |
| Jinty, Jessie | Seonag; Seasag; Seasaidh;Teasaidh | SHO nak; SHES ak; SHES ee;TSCHES ee | Hebrew | dim. of Sẹnaid | Jane; Janet; Janie |
| Judith | Siubhan | SHEE van; SHU van | Hebrew | "woman from Judea" | This isn't technically a form of Judith, Judith has been traditionally used to "translate" the Gaelic name Suibhan, which is a form of Joan." |
| Kate | Catŕonag; Ceit; Ceitag; Ŕona | kat CHREE uh nak; KAITCH;KAE tchak;REE uh na | Greek | dims. of Caitŕona | Catherine |
| Kirsten | Ciorstan | KIRS tin | Latin via Scandinavia | dim of Cairist́ona influenced by Danish Kirsten | Christina; Chrissie; Kirsty |
| Kirsty | Ciorstaidh | KIRS tee | Latin | dim. of Ciorstan | |
| Leticia | Leitis | LEH tish | Latin | gladness | |
| Lillian | Lileas | LEE lus | Latin | Lily flower | |
| Lily | Lilidh | LI lee | Latin? | this could also be a dim. of Ealasaid (Elizabeth) | |
| Lizzie | Ĺosag; Ĺosaidh; Ĺsidh | LEE sak; LEE see; LEE zee | Hebrew dims. of Ealasaid influenced by Lizzie | Elizabeth | |
| Lucy | Liùsaidh | LOO see | Latin | light | |
| Marcella | Marsailí | MAR sa lee | Latin | derived from Roman god of war | |
| Marcy | Marsail; Maighsi | MAR sel; MY zee | Latin | dims. of Marsaiĺ | Marcella |
| Margaret | Mairead; Mairearad | MY rut; MEH rut; MY ru rut | Greek | Pearl | Peggy; Maggie; Meg |
| Maggie | Magaidh;MAG ee | Greek | Dim. of Mairead | Margaret; Peggy; Meg | |
| Meg | Meig | MEK | Greek | Dim. of Mairead | Maggie; Margaret; Peg |
| Martha | Marta | MAR ta | Aramaic | Noble | |
| Mary | Màiri | MAH ree | Hebrew | meaning is disputed, possibly "rebellion" or "bitterness" | Molly |
| Mildred | Milread | MIL rut | Old English | mild power | |
| Molly | Màili; Màileag; Màireag | MAH lee; MAHL ik; MAR ak | Hebrew | dims. of Màiri | Mary |
| Nellie | Neillidh | NAIL ee | Germanic | dim of Eibhlin | Evelyn |
| Peg; Peggy | Peig; Peigi | PAEK; PEG ee | Greek | dims. of Mairead | Margaret |
| Rose | Ṛs | ROS | Gaelic | the rose flower | |
| Sarah | Sàra | SAR a | Hebrew | princess | |
| Thomasina | Ṭmag | TO mak | Greek | twin-feminine form of Thomas | |
| Williamina | Uilleag | WIL lak | German | will-helmet, feminine form of William |