The name Hamish originated in Scotland and is the Scottish Gaelic form of the name James. The name James is derived from the name Jacob, which comes from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows".

The earliest known use of the name Hamish dates back to the 16th century in Scotland. It is believed to have originated as a diminutive or pet form of the name James, similar to how Jamie is also a Scottish diminutive of James.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Hamish was Hamish Munro, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Worcester in 1651 during the English Civil War. Another notable bearer of the name was Hamish MacCunn, a Scottish composer and conductor who lived from 1868 to 1916.

In literature, the name Hamish is famously associated with the character Hamish Macbeth, the protagonist of a series of mystery novels written by M.C. Beaton. The first Hamish Macbeth novel, "Death of a Gossip", was published in 1985.

Other historical figures with the name Hamish include Hamish Henderson (1919-2002), a Scottish poet, songwriter, and advocate for Scottish culture, and Hamish MacInnes (1930-2020), a Scottish mountaineer and writer known for his contributions to mountain rescue techniques.

Hamish is predominantly a Scottish name and is still widely used in Scotland today. It has a strong association with Scottish culture and heritage, reflecting its origins as a distinctly Scottish form of the more widely used name James.