It is fascinating to see how the names people choose for their babies can reflect changes in our society. In Scotland, parents have the freedom to get creative when choosing the name of their new baby. Unlike some countries, there is no formalised list of names to choose from. Some names, however, are discouraged. This includes names which refer to a title or status (such as sir or lord), and names which some may find objectionable, or otherwise offensive.
But how does National Records of Scotland (NRS) compile and publish statistics on baby names? It begins with the registrars of Scotland registering the details of over 50,000 births annually. These are transmitted to a central NRS database where regional codes for health board, council, and other types of area of residence are linked to the birth data. This allows the statisticians to produce analysis such as trends over time and regional differences, which are then published on the NRS website.