Fun Facts About the Name Scott
- An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 775,012 boys named Scott from 1880 through 2025.
- An established favorite: Scott held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 47 consecutive years, from 1949 through 1995.
- More than 777 thousand babies named Scott: U.S. records list 777,620 babies given the name Scott from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,608 girls received the name Scott - about 1 girl for every 297 boys.
What Does the Name Scott Mean?
Scott is an ethnic name meaning "a Scot" or "a person from Scotland." It comes from Old English Scottas, a plural form borrowed from Latin Scotti. In late antique and early medieval Latin, Scotti first referred to Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland; the same term was later applied to the Gaelic kingdom in northern Britain that became Scotland. The given name is a transferred surname: the surname identified a man from Scotland or, in older English usage, an Irishman. The literal sense is geographic and ethnic, not a description of a personal quality. The ultimate origin of Latin Scotti is uncertain; it was an outside name used by Latin writers, and its pre-Latin Celtic source is not securely known.
Scott Name History & Origins
The ethnic term entered Old English as Scottas, the Anglo-Saxons' plural name for Gaelic-speaking peoples. In early medieval Latin, Scotti meant the Gaels of Ireland; over the medieval period the same root was increasingly used for the Gaelic kingdom in northern Britain, and from that usage comes the name Scotland. The surname Scott developed from this ethnic byname. In medieval England and Scotland it could denote a man from Scotland or an Irishman, and it became one of the most common surnames in Britain, especially in Scotland and northern England.
As a first name, Scott belongs to the English practice of turning surnames into given names. That use is later than the ethnic and surname stages and is not an ancient Gaelic personal name. The surname is also associated with the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832); that literary association is separate from the origin of the given name.
How Popular is the Name Scott?
Scott remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1949 to 1995. Its highest annual birth count was in 1971, and people born that year turn 55 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | #14,990 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,352 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #10,620 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #10,355 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #15,291 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #15,280 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #4,354 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1992 | #7,945 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #5,144 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #4,203 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1989 | #3,238 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1988 | #2,027 | 59 | 0.0033% |
| 1987 | #1,695 | 72 | 0.0041% |
| 1986 | #1,973 | 56 | 0.0033% |
| 1985 | #1,801 | 63 | 0.0037% |
| 1984 | #1,600 | 70 | 0.0042% |
| 1983 | #1,835 | 58 | 0.0035% |
| 1982 | #1,751 | 64 | 0.0038% |
| 1981 | #1,842 | 60 | 0.0036% |
| 1980 | #1,732 | 65 | 0.0039% |
| 1979 | #1,348 | 92 | 0.0057% |
| 1978 | #1,629 | 66 | 0.0043% |
| 1977 | #1,754 | 59 | 0.0038% |
| 1976 | #1,599 | 63 | 0.0043% |
| 1975 | #1,248 | 91 | 0.0062% |
| 1974 | #1,310 | 82 | 0.0056% |
| 1973 | #1,299 | 79 | 0.0054% |
| 1972 | #1,153 | 95 | 0.0062% |
| 1971 | #965 | 133 | 0.0080% |
| 1970 | #1,010 | 124 | 0.0071% |
| 1969 | #983 | 121 | 0.0072% |
| 1968 | #1,072 | 98 | 0.0060% |
| 1967 | #1,266 | 73 | 0.0044% |
| 1966 | #1,272 | 73 | 0.0043% |
| 1965 | #1,198 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 1964 | #1,381 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 1963 | #1,232 | 80 | 0.0042% |
| 1962 | #1,312 | 72 | 0.0037% |
| 1961 | #1,739 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1960 | #2,007 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1959 | #1,786 | 39 | 0.0019% |
| 1958 | #1,978 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1957 | #1,950 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1956 | #2,518 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1955 | #3,542 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1954 | #2,505 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1953 | #2,503 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1952 | #2,568 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1951 | #2,793 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1950 | #4,254 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #3,843 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #4,575 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #5,993 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #5,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #5,266 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1929 | #5,184 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1914 | #4,109 | 5 | 0.0007% |
| 1913 | #3,630 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #534 | 561 | 0.0328% |
| 2024 | #565 | 517 | 0.0301% |
| 2023 | #601 | 473 | 0.0277% |
| 2022 | #589 | 486 | 0.0279% |
| 2021 | #609 | 457 | 0.0261% |
| 2020 | #566 | 495 | 0.0287% |
| 2019 | #524 | 544 | 0.0303% |
| 2018 | #519 | 548 | 0.0302% |
| 2017 | #483 | 606 | 0.0328% |
| 2016 | #464 | 658 | 0.0347% |
| 2015 | #454 | 667 | 0.0348% |
| 2014 | #423 | 727 | 0.0379% |
| 2013 | #428 | 685 | 0.0362% |
| 2012 | #382 | 778 | 0.0410% |
| 2011 | #371 | 804 | 0.0423% |
| 2010 | #352 | 872 | 0.0455% |
| 2009 | #343 | 920 | 0.0464% |
| 2008 | #321 | 1,034 | 0.0507% |
| 2007 | #274 | 1,252 | 0.0603% |
| 2006 | #253 | 1,365 | 0.0664% |
| 2005 | #233 | 1,474 | 0.0738% |
| 2004 | #214 | 1,640 | 0.0826% |
| 2003 | #206 | 1,771 | 0.0897% |
| 2002 | #185 | 2,028 | 0.1045% |
| 2001 | #167 | 2,296 | 0.1182% |
| 2000 | #158 | 2,457 | 0.1251% |
| 1999 | #140 | 2,720 | 0.1417% |
| 1998 | #123 | 3,062 | 0.1602% |
| 1997 | #113 | 3,344 | 0.1774% |
| 1996 | #108 | 3,672 | 0.1939% |
| 1995 | #92 | 4,083 | 0.2145% |
| 1994 | #80 | 4,914 | 0.2544% |
| 1993 | #69 | 5,577 | 0.2844% |
| 1992 | #61 | 6,448 | 0.3228% |
| 1991 | #57 | 7,113 | 0.3521% |
| 1990 | #53 | 8,086 | 0.3937% |
| 1989 | #51 | 8,850 | 0.4423% |
| 1988 | #47 | 9,354 | 0.4887% |
| 1987 | #43 | 10,193 | 0.5460% |
| 1986 | #44 | 9,966 | 0.5412% |
| 1985 | #44 | 10,146 | 0.5489% |
| 1984 | #39 | 10,575 | 0.5859% |
| 1983 | #38 | 10,847 | 0.6051% |
| 1982 | #34 | 12,199 | 0.6723% |
| 1981 | #34 | 12,721 | 0.7101% |
| 1980 | #33 | 13,298 | 0.7454% |
| 1979 | #29 | 14,441 | 0.8388% |
| 1978 | #30 | 13,540 | 0.8246% |
| 1977 | #27 | 14,207 | 0.8645% |
| 1976 | #24 | 15,719 | 1.0017% |
| 1975 | #17 | 17,310 | 1.1086% |
| 1974 | #18 | 18,031 | 1.1467% |
| 1973 | #18 | 18,981 | 1.2178% |
| 1972 | #11 | 22,840 | 1.4083% |
| 1971 | #10 | 30,902 | 1.7473% |
| 1970 | #12 | 28,572 | 1.5375% |
| 1969 | #12 | 28,655 | 1.6024% |
| 1968 | #14 | 26,024 | 1.4973% |
| 1967 | #16 | 25,534 | 1.4642% |
| 1966 | #16 | 26,036 | 1.4598% |
| 1965 | #15 | 25,436 | 1.3673% |
| 1964 | #14 | 28,504 | 1.4304% |
| 1963 | #12 | 30,401 | 1.4970% |
| 1962 | #11 | 30,699 | 1.4839% |
| 1961 | #19 | 23,941 | 1.1272% |
| 1960 | #23 | 21,593 | 1.0128% |
| 1959 | #24 | 19,765 | 0.9260% |
| 1958 | #25 | 19,178 | 0.9036% |
| 1957 | #32 | 15,749 | 0.7300% |
| 1956 | #34 | 13,214 | 0.6247% |
| 1955 | #38 | 10,782 | 0.5234% |
| 1954 | #40 | 9,457 | 0.4639% |
| 1953 | #46 | 7,489 | 0.3797% |
| 1952 | #54 | 6,538 | 0.3364% |
| 1951 | #68 | 5,381 | 0.2858% |
| 1950 | #82 | 4,268 | 0.2384% |
| 1949 | #99 | 3,055 | 0.1722% |
| 1948 | #122 | 2,299 | 0.1310% |
| 1947 | #139 | 2,029 | 0.1109% |
| 1946 | #155 | 1,522 | 0.0937% |
| 1945 | #182 | 848 | 0.0630% |
| 1944 | #226 | 610 | 0.0448% |
| 1943 | #262 | 540 | 0.0378% |
| 1942 | #259 | 519 | 0.0376% |
| 1941 | #289 | 402 | 0.0327% |
| 1940 | #304 | 338 | 0.0292% |
| 1939 | #336 | 276 | 0.0249% |
| 1938 | #347 | 259 | 0.0234% |
| 1937 | #373 | 218 | 0.0204% |
| 1936 | #369 | 218 | 0.0210% |
| 1935 | #378 | 209 | 0.0201% |
| 1934 | #429 | 171 | 0.0166% |
| 1933 | #424 | 168 | 0.0169% |
| 1932 | #425 | 173 | 0.0166% |
| 1931 | #485 | 139 | 0.0134% |
| 1930 | #496 | 145 | 0.0132% |
| 1929 | #460 | 164 | 0.0152% |
| 1928 | #436 | 188 | 0.0170% |
| 1927 | #463 | 176 | 0.0156% |
| 1926 | #448 | 185 | 0.0167% |
| 1925 | #443 | 184 | 0.0165% |
| 1924 | #426 | 206 | 0.0182% |
| 1923 | #414 | 210 | 0.0192% |
| 1922 | #427 | 199 | 0.0183% |
| 1921 | #425 | 204 | 0.0185% |
| 1920 | #436 | 192 | 0.0180% |
| 1919 | #428 | 189 | 0.0193% |
| 1918 | #468 | 161 | 0.0159% |
| 1917 | #437 | 170 | 0.0184% |
| 1916 | #474 | 147 | 0.0165% |
| 1915 | #434 | 157 | 0.0185% |
| 1914 | #406 | 138 | 0.0211% |
| 1913 | #399 | 116 | 0.0226% |
| 1912 | #392 | 96 | 0.0223% |
| 1911 | #354 | 61 | 0.0270% |
| 1910 | #369 | 49 | 0.0252% |
| 1909 | #396 | 39 | 0.0238% |
| 1908 | #359 | 41 | 0.0266% |
| 1907 | #349 | 40 | 0.0272% |
| 1906 | #341 | 38 | 0.0285% |
| 1905 | #408 | 28 | 0.0212% |
| 1904 | #343 | 35 | 0.0273% |
| 1903 | #408 | 24 | 0.0201% |
| 1902 | #330 | 36 | 0.0293% |
| 1901 | #351 | 28 | 0.0263% |
| 1900 | #353 | 39 | 0.0259% |
| 1899 | #374 | 25 | 0.0235% |
| 1898 | #359 | 30 | 0.0245% |
| 1897 | #269 | 44 | 0.0390% |
| 1896 | #351 | 31 | 0.0259% |
| 1895 | #270 | 43 | 0.0366% |
| 1894 | #255 | 47 | 0.0406% |
| 1893 | #290 | 36 | 0.0321% |
| 1892 | #256 | 49 | 0.0402% |
| 1891 | #276 | 35 | 0.0346% |
| 1890 | #274 | 40 | 0.0360% |
| 1889 | #241 | 46 | 0.0416% |
| 1888 | #272 | 44 | 0.0364% |
| 1887 | #267 | 38 | 0.0375% |
| 1886 | #263 | 42 | 0.0379% |
| 1885 | #229 | 52 | 0.0482% |
| 1884 | #226 | 56 | 0.0489% |
| 1883 | #231 | 47 | 0.0449% |
| 1882 | #244 | 48 | 0.0422% |
| 1881 | #217 | 51 | 0.0506% |
| 1880 | #206 | 60 | 0.0543% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
