Jack and Olivia are Scotland’s top baby names

National Records of Scotland (NRS) reveals most popular names in 2017.

Jack and Olivia were the most popular first forenames for babies whose births were registered in 2017, National Records of Scotland (NRS) announced today. Jack was the most popular boys’ name for a tenth consecutive year; Olivia was the top girls’ name for a second year.

The second most popular name for boys was Oliver, which rose from third in 2016 to second in 2017. Harris (which rose six places to seventh) was the only entrant to the boys' Top Ten (and the fastest climber within the boys’ Top Twenty), while Charlie (down four places to fourteenth) dropped out of the Top Ten. There were three entrants to the boys’ Top Twenty: Thomas (up six places to joint seventeenth), Archie (up two places to nineteenth) and Rory (up five places to twentieth).

Emily remained the second most popular name for girls. Aria (up two places at tenth) was the only entrant to the girls’ Top Ten; Lucy (down two places to joint eleventh) dropped out of it. There were two entrants to the girls’ Top Twenty: Harper (up twelve places to eighteenth) and Hannah (up five places to nineteenth).

Other big climbers within the Top Fifties included:

• Theo (up eighteen places to joint 27th);
• Muhammad (up eleven places to 36th);
• Jude (up twelve places to joint 37th);
• Poppy (up thirteen places to 30th).

Particularly fast-rising entrants to the Top Fifties included:

• Freddie (up 26 places to 46th);
• Sienna (up 36 places to joint 32nd);
• Willow (up seventeen places to 35th);
• Mila (up twenty places to 50th).

NRS registered the births of 25,384 boys and 23,935 girls in the period covered by these figures. Parents chose 3,314 different first forenames for boys and 4,221 different first forenames for girls. In total, 2,063 boys and 2,767 girls were given first forenames that were unique. The numbers of different names, and of unique names, were well above the levels of 10, 20 or 40 years ago. For example, the number of boys with unique first forenames was greater this year (2,063 in the period covered by these figures) than in the whole of 2007 (1,797), 1997 (1,126) or 1977 (761).

Background

Among the top first forenames for boys, James was down from second to third. Lewis remained in fourth place. Noah and Logan remained fifth and sixth (respectively), Harris rose six places to seventh, Alexander and Leo remained eighth and ninth (respectively) and Harry fell three places to tenth. Alfie rose four places to eleventh, and Aaron moved up four places to fifteenth.

As for the most popular names for girls, Isla rose one place to third, and Sophie fell one place to fourth (it had been the top name from 2005 to 2013). Jessica rose two places to fifth, Amelia remained sixth, Ava fell two places to seventh, Ella remained eighth, Charlotte rose one place to ninth, and Aria was up two places at tenth. No name climbed more than two places within the girls’ Top Twenty.

The Top Fifty boys’ first names accounted for 39% of all those registered and the Top Fifty girls’ first names accounted for 38% of registrations. Jack was the first name of only 1.8% of boys, and Olivia was the first name of just 2.0% ofgirls.

‘Babies’ First Names 2017’ is accompanied by lists of the Top Hundred first forenames for each sex for Scotland as a whole, and the Top Ten for each sex for each council area.

The full publication Babies' Names 2017 is available on this website.

An Infographic is also available for this publication on this website.