Fergus

Irish and Scottish, "man of force"

Fergus is one of the oldest-known Irish names still in use today. The earliest surviving record of it is as “Vorgos”, on an ogham stone inscription from around the fifth or sixth century. Since then, it has been worn by numerous men, in history and fiction, in Ireland and Scotland, but feels rather neglected today — except in Scotland, where it is a Top 100 boy name.

Compared to more popular Irish-American names, like Aidan and Nolan, the soft sounds of Fergus are almost counter-cultural. Whilst this strong, sweet name is great in its own right, it’s also an alternative way to Gus as a nickname.