These Are Officially Scotland’s Most Popular Baby Names

Trends in baby names are fascinating because they're always changing in response to the world around us, which is why Bridgerton-inspired names are tipped to have a moment.

According to the latest stats from the NRS (National Records of Scotland). Olivia was the most popular name given to baby girls in Scotland last year.

Interestingly, Olivia was also the most popular name given to baby girls in England and Wales last year. Isla – the most popular name in Scotland in 2020 – is third this year, behind Emily in second.

Meanwhile, Jack was the most popular name given to baby boys in Scotland for the 14th consecutive year. Noah and Leo were right behind, with traditional Scottish names including Finlay, Rory and Brodie also placing high on the list.

Pete Whitehouse, the NRS's Director of Statistical Services, said the results confirm a long-term trend for new parents to seek out unique baby names that no one else has.

"Almost 12% of baby girls were given a name that no other girl was registered with in 2021. Almost 9% of boys had unique names for births last year," Whitehouse said. "Together with the growing range of names being used, this means it’s far less common for children to share their name with their classmates than it was for their parents or grandparents."

The 20 most popular names givens to baby girls in Scotland in 2021:

1. Olivia
2. Emily
3. Isla
4. Freya
5. Ella
6. Amelia
7. Ava
8. Sophie
9. Grace
10. Millie
11. Lily
12. Sophia
13. Charlotte
14. Rosie
15. Aria
16. Evie
17. Maisie
18. Lucy
19. Mia
20. Eilidh

The 20 most popular names givens to baby boys in Scotland in 2021:

1. Jack
2. Noah
3. Leo
4. Oliver
5. Harris
6. Finlay
7. Lewis
8. James
9. Rory
10. Alexander
11. Brodie
12. Alfie
13. Charlie
14. Theo
15. Archie
16. Lucas
17. Mason
18. Finn
19. Thomas
20. Freddie 

You can also check out the buzziest baby names of 2022 so far and the baby names that are gradually falling out of fashion.