A total of 16 names have made it into the top 100 most popular names in Scotland every single year since records began in the 1970s.
The analysis by name label manufacturer, mynametags.com, also demonstrates a growing trend for shortened names as given names, with Jamie and John both making the list.
In fact, the name ‘John’ has consistently ranked higher in the charts than its more formal derivative ‘Jonathan’ since the 1970s.
A total of 15 boys’ names made the list, compared to just one girl’s name, suggesting that parents are more daring in their choices for baby girls.
In fact, 338 different girls’ names appeared in the top 100 of each year between 1974 and 2021, compared to just 244 boys’ names, with the list of top girls’ names changing considerably each decade – for example, Nicola, Karen, and Claire dominated the charts in the 1970s, before being replaced by the likes of Laura, Rebecca, and Amy in the early ‘90s.
Here, in alphabetical order, are the names that have never gone out of fashion.
9. John
The name John originally comes from the Hebrew 'Yochanan', which means 'God is gracious', which itself comes from the Greek name 'Ioannes' and the Latin name 'Iohannes'. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
10. Joseph
Continuing Scotland's love of biblical names, Joseph was the carpenter husband of the Virgin Mary. The name comes from the Hebrew 'Yosef' meaning 'God will give'. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
11. Matthew
Yet another biblical name with a Hebrew past, Matthew is an English form of the Latin name 'Matthaeus' and the Hebrew name 'Mattiyahu', meaning 'gift of God'. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
12. Michael
The name Michael is another of Hebrew origin and means 'who is like God?' or 'gift from God'. Photo: Canva/Getty Images