Dozens of atypical infant names recored over past year

IN THE eyes of doting parents, they are Awesome and Marvelous names, fit for Scotland’s newborns, although some may see things differently.

Registrars across the country have recorded dozens of atypical infant names over the past year, according to new data. Ranging from single consonants through to characters from a galaxy far, far away, the list from the Registrar General for Scotland reveals parents are increasingly bucking convention to give their child a memorable name.

While old favourites Jack and Sophie topped the lists for boys and girls for a fourth consecutive year, around 4,500 names given to youngsters were unique.

The most eclectic range of monikers went to boys, with names such as Jesuslovesme, Boo-Tiger, Awesome, Tapas, Maverick, Preacher, and Delight.

Three boys were named by a solitary letter – A, T, and J – while one was named Anakin, possibly in homage to Star Wars character, Darth Vader, whose birthname is Anakin Skywalker. Elsewhere, boys’ names included Destiny, Favour, Cosmos, and last but not least, Willieboy.

Girls were given mostly feminine names, though one called Man is understood to have Somali origins. Other standout names included Rogue, Dur-E-Mcknoon, and the ethereal Wynter-Willow, alongside a flurry of nature-inspired names such as Lake, Star, Storm and River. A show of patriotism even saw two girls named Caledonia (although another was named London).

Perhaps buoyed by the royal wedding, two boys were named Prince while one girl was called Princess. Several babies were named after the offspring of celebrities. The children of David and Victoria Beckham proved most influential, with 11 boys named Cruz, eight called Brooklyn, eight named Romeo, and five girls called Harper.

In all, over 50,000 babies were born in the period up until late November. George MacKenzie, Registrar General for Scotland, said parents were eager to ensure their child stood out in 2011.

“The list of favourite baby names provides a fascinating insight into Scotland’s people,” he said. “We registered the births of nearly 28,000 boys and over 26,000 girls. Parents chose more than 7,000 different names and over 4,000 were unique.”