[2] The name is thought to be derived from Old Norse vík, which means bay[3] or inlet.

Borrowed via Germanic intermediary *wīkō ('harbour town') from Latin vīcus (Classical Latin: [ˈu̯iːkʊs̠], 'village'), Uig shares etymological roots with placenames such as Wick, Highland; Vik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland; the suffix -wich, and the word village itself.

Uig Tower is a prominent local landmark associated with the Highland Clearances.

[citation needed] Uigg, Prince Edward Island, Canada was named by settlers from Uig.

From its sheltered port, Caledonian MacBrayne ferries run to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist, providing links with the Outer Hebrides.