Giving a baby a name that will define them for their whole life is a huge responsibility, and can be the source of many disagreements for prospective parents.
It can be hard choosing a name both parents like, and one that doesn’t remind you of someone you didn’t like from school.
And you’ll find when it comes to naming a baby that everyone has an opinion they’re more than willing to share – whether you want them to or not.
A list of the predicted popular names for 2022 has been put together by BabyCentre, which looks at the most popular baby names searches across its site to identify which trends are going to take off.
At the top of the list for little girls is Emma, replacing Olivia as the former number one.
Noah is set to be the most popular choice for boys.
But if you’re struggling to think of a name and the latest top 10 doesn’t take your fancy, perhaps the top baby names of decades gone by, according to the National Records of Scotland, will inspire you instead.
The top 10 baby names of 1981 in Scotland
1981 was the year that Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, and Ronald Reagan became President of the United States.
In the UK, ‘Don’t You Want Me’ by the Human League was the best-selling single and Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’ was the top-grossing movie.
But did these cultural events prompt a new generation of children called Charles, Diana or James?
Top boys’ names of 1981 and the number of babies given that name
- David (1,965)
- John (1,422)
- Andrew (1,289)
- Christopher (1,143)
- James (1,105)
- Paul (1,039)
- Steven (920)
- Craig (887)
- Michael (853)
- Scott (843)
Top girls’ names of 1981 and the number of babies given that name
- Laura (1,181)
- Claire (917)
- Lisa (844)
- Nicola (786)
- Emma (690)
- Louise (682)
- Jennifer (675)
- Michelle (666)
- Sarah (628)
- Fiona (591)
The top 10 baby names of 1991 in Scotland
It was the year that started with the Gulf War and Britain slid into recession.
In 1991, John Major was Prime Minister and on Saturday nights you might have found yourself watching Noel’s House Party.
The most popular number one single of 1991 was Bryan Adams’ ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ which remained at the top of the charts for a record-breaking 16 weeks.
It was the lead single for the soundtrack of the UK’s highest grossing film that year, ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’.
But what were parents 30 years ago naming their new bundles of joy?
Top boys’ names of 1991 and the number of babies given that name
- David (1,148)
- Christopher (1,105)
- Andrew (988)
- Craig (969)
- Scott (963)
- Michael (955)
- James (925)
- Daniel (872)
- Ryan (790)
- Steven (728)
Top girls’ names of 1991 and the number of babies given that name
- Emma (1,033)
- Laura (780)
- Stephanie (735)
- Sarah (678)
- Lauren (600)
- Rebecca (591)
- Kirsty (586)
- Rachel (542)
- Claire (525)
- Nicole (522)
The top 10 baby names of 2001 in Scotland
2001 is the year probably best remembered for the tragic 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.
It was also the year that saw Pop Idol launch on Saturday night TV and Shaggy had the best-selling UK single that year with ‘It Wasn’t Me’.
Meanwhile the first in the Harry Potter franchise to hit cinemas – ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ – was the highest-grossing film of 2001.
But when it came to baby names, the new millennium brought a host of new monikers to the fore, with previous number one names David and Laura completely falling out of the top 10.
Top boys’ names of 2001 and the number of babies given that name
- Jack (833)
- Lewis (770)
- Cameron (609)
- Ryan (577)
- James (510)
- Callum (486)
- Andrew (474)
- Dylan (451)
- Ross (431)
- Jamie (418)
Top girls’ names of 2001 and the number of babies given that name
- Chloe (711)
- Amy (536)
- Lauren (536)
- Emma (503)
- Megan (496)
- Erin (490)
- Hannah (447)
- Rebecca (446)
- Sophie (429)
- Caitlin (396)
The top 10 baby names of 2011 in Scotland
In 2011, there were riots in London, and the Iraq War was formally declared over as US troops withdrew from the country.
Hit fantasy TV series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO, and Adele had the best-selling UK single of the year with ‘Someone Like You’.
Harry the boy wizard was back on the big screen with ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ the highest-grossing film of 2011.
And perhaps it was JK Rowling’s popular series of books that brought Harry into the top 10 in 2011.
Top boys’ names of 2011 and the number of babies given that name
- Jack (650)
- Lewis (498)
- James (480)
- Daniel (391)
- Ethan (391)
- Logan (386)
- Alexander (346)
- Harry (345)
- Ryan (343)
- Oliver (341)
Top girls’ names of 2011 and the number of babies given that name
- Sophie (659)
- Lily (491)
- Ava (486)
- Olivia (475)
- Lucy (457)
- Emily (456)
- Isla (366)
- Jessica (349)
- Ellie (324)
- Chloe (323)
If you enjoyed this, you might like:
Oh baby: The changes in maternity services in Tayside and Fife through the decades
Harry Potter reunion: How the Highlands shaped iconic moments in the Potter movies