Scottish first names, 1980–1989
Random names from the 1980s
First names on this page come from National Records of Scotland statistics on births registered in Scotland in the 1980s. That period holds 303,190 girls across 1,209 distinct names and 328,728 boys across 667 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Laura, Claire, Nicola; for boys: David, Christopher, Andrew. Names are picked in proportion to how often they were given, and last names come from the National Records of Scotland surname list for 2024, so the mix looks like real Scottish full names.
More options — middle names, no repeats, realism, seed
1 gives real frequencies. 0 makes every name equally likely.
What the data says
- About 1 in 4 girls born in the 1980s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 23.4% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 210 equally common names out of 1,209 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 6.0 letters.
- About 1 in 3 boys born in the 1980s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 33.1% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 96 equally common names out of 667 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 5.6 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Gemma, from 126 births in 1970 to 1979 to 3,228 in 1980 to 1989.
- Biggest fall for girls: Shirley, from 471 births in 1970 to 1979 to 202 in 1980 to 1989.
- Fastest riser for boys: Jordan, from 34 births in 1970 to 1979 to 704 in 1980 to 1989.
- Biggest fall for boys: Derek, from 2,751 births in 1970 to 1979 to 2,138 in 1980 to 1989.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laura | 11,197 | 3.69% |
| 2 | Claire | 8,743 | 2.88% |
| 3 | Nicola | 7,540 | 2.49% |
| 4 | Jennifer | 7,069 | 2.33% |
| 5 | Emma | 6,602 | 2.18% |
| 6 | Sarah | 6,565 | 2.17% |
| 7 | Lisa | 6,491 | 2.14% |
| 8 | Louise | 5,866 | 1.93% |
| 9 | Kirsty | 5,480 | 1.81% |
| 10 | Michelle | 5,344 | 1.76% |
| 11 | Fiona | 4,529 | 1.49% |
| 12 | Gillian | 4,092 | 1.35% |
| 13 | Karen | 4,054 | 1.34% |
| 14 | Stephanie | 3,366 | 1.11% |
| 15 | Amanda | 3,351 | 1.11% |
| 16 | Kelly | 3,245 | 1.07% |
| 17 | Gemma | 3,228 | 1.06% |
| 18 | Donna | 2,985 | 0.98% |
| 19 | Ashley | 2,931 | 0.97% |
| 20 | Natalie | 2,876 | 0.95% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David | 17,339 | 5.27% |
| 2 | Christopher | 12,686 | 3.86% |
| 3 | Andrew | 11,968 | 3.64% |
| 4 | John | 11,690 | 3.56% |
| 5 | James | 10,935 | 3.33% |
| 6 | Craig | 9,125 | 2.78% |
| 7 | Paul | 8,864 | 2.70% |
| 8 | Steven | 8,855 | 2.69% |
| 9 | Scott | 8,849 | 2.69% |
| 10 | Michael | 8,490 | 2.58% |
| 11 | Mark | 7,892 | 2.40% |
| 12 | Robert | 6,879 | 2.09% |
| 13 | Stuart | 6,399 | 1.95% |
| 14 | Kevin | 6,169 | 1.88% |
| 15 | Stephen | 5,888 | 1.79% |
| 16 | Ross | 5,860 | 1.78% |
| 17 | William | 5,682 | 1.73% |
| 18 | Gary | 5,555 | 1.69% |
| 19 | Alan | 4,798 | 1.46% |
| 20 | Martin | 4,444 | 1.35% |
Girls: 1970 to 1979 → 1980 to 1989
Rising fastest
- Gemma 126 → 3,228
- Ashleigh 42 → 983
- Danielle 92 → 1,722
- Nikki 34 → 548
- Lauren 182 → 2,770
Falling fastest
- Shirley 471 → 202
- Wendy 1,104 → 511
- Maureen 386 → 193
- Audrey 418 → 223
- Lee 882 → 493
Boys: 1970 to 1979 → 1980 to 1989
Rising fastest
- Jordan 34 → 704
- Kyle 53 → 935
- Kristopher 53 → 389
- Kieran 78 → 516
- Ben 60 → 391
Falling fastest
- Derek 2,751 → 2,138
- Ronald 514 → 447
- Malcolm 664 → 611
- Simon 1,452 → 1,341
- Robin 394 → 369
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1980s?
Laura. 11,197 girls received it, 3.69% of all recorded girls born in the 1980s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1980s?
David. 17,339 boys received it, 5.27% of all recorded boys born in the 1980s.
How concentrated are names in the 1980s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 23.4% of births; among boys 33.1%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1970 to 1979?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1980 to 1989, the biggest gains were for girls, Gemma (126 births in 1970 to 1979, 3,228 in 1980 to 1989); for boys, Jordan (34 births in 1970 to 1979, 704 in 1980 to 1989).
How long is the average first name in the 1980s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 6.0 letters for girls, 5.6 letters for boys.