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Sarah-Jane

Girl name · 471 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Sarah-Jane: 471 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 29 births in 1980.

A hyphenated double-barrelled name that blends two timeless classics, Sarah-Jane combines the Hebrew Sarah, meaning "princess," with Jane, the English feminine form of John, derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, "God is gracious." The pairing rose to particular prominence in Scottish households from the 1970s onward, partly thanks to the beloved character Sarah Jane Smith, the plucky journalist and companion in Doctor Who, whose full name was often used. In real life, the name also belongs to Sarah-Jane Brown, wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. While no major places are directly named after a Sarah-Jane, the individual roots appear widely in place names such as Sarah, Mississippi, and the many St John locations worldwide. The compound style reflects a Scottish fondness for hyphenated names that honour family or combine meaningful origins.

Girl 34 of 52 years

Peak year
198029 babies
Latest (2012)
#8153 babies
Total births
471since 1974
5-year trend
≈ stablevs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 · 29
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).