Scottish & Irish Whiskey Brand Names Explained

Traditional Scottish and Irish brand names may sound quite confusing to many whiskey drinkers around the world. With so many Glen’s and Ard’s and More’s, it can be hard to keep all the many distilleries and brands straight! Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a method to the madness.

Although there are many exceptions, with brands named after their founders or using other modern naming conventions, most Scottish and Irish whiskey brand names are derived from Gaelic. As you’ll see in the following infographic, by learning the meaning of some basic Gaelic words, you can start to translate the meaning behind many popular brands. Spoiler: most brands and distilleries are “creatively” named after their location or surroundings.