Freya Tops Girls' Names; Noah Leads Boys in Scotland
Freya has overtaken Olivia as the most popular name for baby girls in Scotland, according to recent data released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS).
In 2025, 268 newborn girls were named Freya, marking its first time at the top of the national list after consistently ranking within the top three for the past three years.
Noah continues to hold the number one position for boys, maintaining this rank for the second time after five years of consistently appearing in the top three.
While there was an increase in the variety of names given to girls born in Scotland last year, the number of unique names—those assigned to only one baby—has also risen. However, these unique names have not been disclosed due to a recent policy that only includes names shared by three or more babies in the published data.
A total of 318 baby boys were named Noah in 2025, making it the most popular boys' name overall and the top choice in seven council areas.
Girls Names in 2025
Boys Names in 2025
The name Muhammad dropped from second place to fourth, with 291 boys given this name in 2025.
Among girls, the most significant rises within the top 100 were Lilly and Matilda, each climbing 55 places to 83rd and 93rd respectively. Darcy advanced by 52 places to 100th, and Margot rose by 45 places to 79th.
The data also revealed that names beginning with the letter A were the most popular for both boys and girls, with 14.0% of girls and 11.7% of boys born in 2025 receiving first names starting with A.
The letter A has been the most common initial for girls' names since 2004 and for boys since 2017.
Names ending with the suffix "-ie" have grown in popularity for both genders over the past fifty years. In 2025, 13.4% of baby girls and 8.0% of baby boys had names ending in "-ie," compared to 4.5% of girls and 0.5% of boys born in 1974.
After a decline from its peak as the most popular boys' name in 2024, Luca—popularized by the 2021 Disney Pixar film of the same name—rose four places to second in 2025.
NRS statistician Anouska Pandya said it was "always exciting" to see a name reach the number one spot for the first time.
"Freya has taken a long time to reach the top," she said. "The name ranked 578th in the 1970s and rose in popularity each decade until arriving at number one in 2025."
The NRS noted that the data does not provide explanations for why certain names increase or decrease in popularity, but sometimes shifts coincide with their appearances in popular culture.
Freya is one spelling of the name of a goddess in Norse mythology. It is also the name of an actress in the television series The Witcher and a character in The Originals, although parents may also simply appreciate the sound of the name.
Although numbers remain small, names of characters from the Bridgerton books and TV series—such as Daphne, Eloise, and Penelope—are gaining popularity.
The name Aurora has been rising in usage alongside increased visibility of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. Spectacular displays in 2024 and 2025 have coincided with record numbers of parents choosing the name, with 74 girls named Aurora in 2024 and 89 in 2025.
Statistics for 2025 are based on birth registrations of 21,974 girls and 23,082 boys.
There were 4,603 different first names given to girls and 3,957 different first names given to boys.
Freya accounted for 1.2% of baby girls' names in 2025, while 14.0% of girls received unique names not shared by any other baby girl that year.
The proportion of babies given the most popular name has generally declined over time; for example, in 1983 the most popular girls' name, Laura, was given to 3.9% of Scottish baby girls.
More than 11% of boys in 2025 had unique names not shared by any other baby boy, representing a new record high.
Both the Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands reported no boys' names given to three or more babies, reflecting the small population sizes in these areas.
