If you grew up in Scotland during the 1970s, chances are you shared your first name with several other people in your school or even classroom. Every generation has its own collection of names that define the era. While some disappear over time, others become timeless and are still common today. Looking back at Scotland's most popular boys' names from the start of the 70s shows certain trends and influences that shaped the decade when it came to naming children.
Top Names of 1970
According to the National Records of Scotland, David was the country's most popular baby boy name in 1970, followed by John, James, Andrew, and Paul. Many of the names at the top of the list belonged to some of the biggest stars at the time. Music icon David Bowie was redefining pop culture with his flamboyant performances and alter ego Ziggy Stardust, while former Beatle Paul McCartney was enjoying success with his band Wings.
John was another popular name, taking the second spot on the top 100 list. Although a biblical name, many parents may have taken inspiration from John Lennon, who was one of the world's most influential musicians throughout the decade. Meanwhile, Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin were selling millions of records around the world, helping to keep Robert firmly in the spotlight.
Celebrity Influences
Away from music, actor Mark Lester was still one of Britain's most known young stars after finding fame in Oliver!, possibly influencing parents across Scotland. While soul legend James Brown dominated the charts with hits like I Got You (I Feel Good) that earned him the title of the Godfather of Soul.
However, not all of Scotland's most popular boys' names from 1970 were influenced by celebrities. Traditional Scottish names including Ian, Alistair, Alasdair, Calum, Angus, Fraser, and Gregor featured heavily throughout the top 100 list. Throughout the 70s many of these names stayed the same on the top 100 list, with the biblical names such as John, Paul, David, and James rotating from the top positions each year. Additionally, these names are still used today and remained consistently popular throughout the years.
Full List of Top 100 Boys' Names in Scotland, 1970
Below are the 100 most popular boys' names registered in Scotland in 1970, according to the National Records of Scotland:
David, John, James, Andrew, Paul, Mark, Robert, Stephen, William, Michael, Scott, Steven, Alan, Colin, Gary, Craig, Brian, Thomas, Kevin, Stuart, Ian, Alexander, Derek, Richard, Christopher, Peter, Gordon, Martin, Neil, George, Kenneth, Iain, Graham, Allan, Graeme, Douglas, Anthony, Joseph, Edward, Jason, Keith, Donald, Garry, Charles, Alistair, Gavin, Sean, Barry, Stewart, Grant, Raymond, Patrick, Ronald, Hugh, Simon, Philip, Daniel, Ross, Matthew, Francis, Duncan, Malcolm, Jonathan, Fraser, Nicholas, Darren, Alastair, Gerard, Lee, Alasdair, Calum, Angus, Bruce, Norman, Gerald, Shaun, Robin, Russell, Ewan, Roderick, Bryan, Adrian, Cameron, Adam, Euan, Eric, Samuel, Gregor, Henry, Murray, Roy, Frank, Terence, Jeffrey, Callum, Leslie, Timothy, Campbell, Dean, Gareth, Vincent.
