Scottish first names, 1990–1999
Random names from the 1990s
First names on this page come from National Records of Scotland statistics on births registered in Scotland in the 1990s. That period holds 275,675 girls across 1,542 distinct names and 300,664 boys across 892 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Emma, Lauren, Rebecca; for boys: Ryan, Andrew, David. 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 5 girls born in the 1990s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 20.7% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 252 equally common names out of 1,542 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 5.9 letters.
- About 1 in 4 boys born in the 1990s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 24.2% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 142 equally common names out of 892 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 5.5 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Shannon, from 89 births in 1980 to 1989 to 3,497 in 1990 to 1999.
- Biggest fall for girls: Tracy, from 1,382 births in 1980 to 1989 to 115 in 1990 to 1999.
- Fastest riser for boys: Connor, from 65 births in 1980 to 1989 to 4,343 in 1990 to 1999.
- Biggest fall for boys: Barry, from 2,777 births in 1980 to 1989 to 524 in 1990 to 1999.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma | 7,653 | 2.78% |
| 2 | Lauren | 6,780 | 2.46% |
| 3 | Rebecca | 6,669 | 2.42% |
| 4 | Amy | 5,943 | 2.16% |
| 5 | Sarah | 5,496 | 1.99% |
| 6 | Laura | 5,339 | 1.94% |
| 7 | Rachel | 5,150 | 1.87% |
| 8 | Megan | 4,798 | 1.74% |
| 9 | Chloe | 4,794 | 1.74% |
| 10 | Nicole | 4,502 | 1.63% |
| 11 | Kirsty | 4,164 | 1.51% |
| 12 | Hannah | 4,020 | 1.46% |
| 13 | Stephanie | 3,980 | 1.44% |
| 14 | Jennifer | 3,689 | 1.34% |
| 15 | Caitlin | 3,529 | 1.28% |
| 16 | Shannon | 3,497 | 1.27% |
| 17 | Danielle | 3,468 | 1.26% |
| 18 | Claire | 3,256 | 1.18% |
| 19 | Samantha | 3,113 | 1.13% |
| 20 | Louise | 3,001 | 1.09% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan | 8,513 | 2.83% |
| 2 | Andrew | 8,474 | 2.82% |
| 3 | David | 7,757 | 2.58% |
| 4 | Scott | 7,605 | 2.53% |
| 5 | James | 7,396 | 2.46% |
| 6 | Ross | 6,855 | 2.28% |
| 7 | Michael | 6,749 | 2.24% |
| 8 | Christopher | 6,667 | 2.22% |
| 9 | Daniel | 6,458 | 2.15% |
| 10 | Craig | 6,385 | 2.12% |
| 11 | Jordan | 5,270 | 1.75% |
| 12 | Jamie | 5,183 | 1.72% |
| 13 | John | 5,124 | 1.70% |
| 14 | Jack | 4,989 | 1.66% |
| 15 | Liam | 4,947 | 1.65% |
| 16 | Sean | 4,689 | 1.56% |
| 17 | Lewis | 4,658 | 1.55% |
| 18 | Mark | 4,379 | 1.46% |
| 19 | Connor | 4,343 | 1.44% |
| 20 | Matthew | 4,329 | 1.44% |
Girls: 1980 to 1989 → 1990 to 1999
Rising fastest
- Shannon 89 → 3,497
- Caitlin 108 → 3,529
- Courtney 46 → 1,353
- Bethany 37 → 894
- Chelsea 67 → 1,435
Falling fastest
- Tracy 1,382 → 115
- Pauline 921 → 77
- Sharon 1,766 → 157
- Tracey 927 → 102
- Lynne 1,623 → 188
Boys: 1980 to 1989 → 1990 to 1999
Rising fastest
- Connor 65 → 4,343
- Declan 32 → 1,649
- Dylan 76 → 2,263
- Conor 50 → 1,483
- Josh 44 → 943
Falling fastest
- Barry 2,777 → 524
- Wayne 427 → 91
- Derek 2,138 → 494
- Brian 3,214 → 872
- Keith 1,227 → 336
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1990s?
Emma. 7,653 girls received it, 2.78% of all recorded girls born in the 1990s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1990s?
Ryan. 8,513 boys received it, 2.83% of all recorded boys born in the 1990s.
How concentrated are names in the 1990s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 20.7% of births; among boys 24.2%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1980 to 1989?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1990 to 1999, the biggest gains were for girls, Shannon (89 births in 1980 to 1989, 3,497 in 1990 to 1999); for boys, Connor (65 births in 1980 to 1989, 4,343 in 1990 to 1999).
How long is the average first name in the 1990s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 5.9 letters for girls, 5.5 letters for boys.