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The short answer
Scott is a masculine name used in English and Scottish. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning ‘Gael, Gaelic speaker’, with the ultimate origin uncertain." It ranked #534 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning ‘Gael, Gaelic speaker’, with the ultimate origin uncertain. The entry lists its usage as English, Scottish.
Editorial confidence: uncertain
Popularity
Scott ranked #534 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #534 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Scott in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Scott mean?
Behind the Name does not give Scott a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic.
Is Scott a popular name?
Scott ranked #534 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Scott a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Scott appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Scott — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
