Personal identification: Names and surnames

Most Common Names and Surnames

• The most popular surnames are:
  • Smith in England.
  • Jones in Wales.
  • Campbell and Robertson in Scotland.
  • Doherty in North Ireland.
• The most popular boy names are:
  • Oliver, George, Harry in England.
  • Oliver, Noah, Jacob in Wales.
  • Jack, Olivier, James for Scotland.
  • Jack, James, Olivier in Northern Ireland.
• The most popular girl names are:
  • Olivia, Amelia, Ava for England.
  • Olivia, Ava, Amelia for Wales.
  • Olivia, Emily, Isla for Scotland.
  • Emily, Ella, Grace in North Ireland.

Social Conventions and Behaviour

• Names:
  • Parents pick the name of their kid. Sometimes the child is named the same as their parents or their grandparents.
  • It is common to give children a middle name. It is usually to honour relatives.
  • Nicknames are commonly used. For example, Alex can be used instead of Alexander or Becky instead of Rebecca.
• Surnames:
  • Surnames can be:
    • Paternal when it comes from the father site.
    • Maternal if it comes from the mother site.
  • After marriage, the wife usually takes the husband’s surname. She can also choose to keep her surname or to take her husband’s surname and use her maiden name as a middle one.