To think that parents who give their children unusual names are egotistical...

[Crouchendmumoftwo]

I live in an area where there are lots of children with unusual first names, one might say contemporary or ever preposterous. Names such a Lux, Brutus, Fire, Ace, Rudy. Most of these children are mild mannered and don't stand out in any particular way. I wonder if the name giving is more to show other parents the: "we are creative and middleclass and bit different". I feel that the parents havent given their children much consideration in later life. A man in his 50s called Brutus doesn't have the same appeal as a small boy. I guess that is why David Bowie's son changed his name from Zowie back to Duncan.

[breatheslowly]

I think many of them were pissed off with being one of 3 Claires in their class at school and being known as Claire B throughout their childhood. Not that my DD has a name like that, but I think she is more likely to be one of 3 in her school with her name rather than one of 3 in her class.

[noseynoonoo]

YANBU

[FredFredGeorge]

If the individuals don't like their names they can change them. You're projecting a lot on what a current 50 year old may feel when in 50 years time it's likely to be completely different.

Why do you think it's "middle class" to give someone an unsual name.

[IWipeArses]

I find this weird need to all have common, dull names a real shame. I was looking through the list of Presidents and Vice Presidents of the US on wiki the other day, as you do, and there were some amazing names, really unusual, yet distinguished.

There was a Saxon at college, doing music the other year, and he was a lovely boy, quiet, but a good one, talented and worked hard. Wasn't a burden to him. Much better than being Thomas 1, 2 or 3 imo.

[InNeedOfBrandyButter]

I think it's really really nice not to have the same name as everybody else. My dc have slightly unusual names but nothing to make you raise an eyebrow, I do like that they are the only ones in the school not called Hugh, Charlie or Felix.

[Crouchendmumoftwo]

Yes FredFredGeorge, maybe it's not that middleclass, thinking about it's mainly the middle class kids with the traditional names and the ones who aren't with the stand out names...in the local school.

True IWipeArses, Barrack for example. I guess they are marmite names so you either love or hate them.

[VelvetSpoon]

I have a very ordinary name, but with a very unusual spelling. My mum deliberately chose the spelling to make me stand out in life

My parents were not middle class at all.

[LoopsInHoops]

I have a very unusual name, and I love it. Didn't so much as a child, but it has served me well. People remember me, and it suits my extroverted personality. My parents were not middle class btw.

My own kids have names that are familiar - people have heard of them, so not outlandish, but I'd hate to have the same name as other children in my class.

Ps. many of your examples don't seem unusual to me. Rudy is a lovely name.

[maddening]

[maddening]

Sorry misread

[IShallWearMidnight]

Duncan Jones (David Bowie's son) only ever had Zowie as a middle name, and actually used another middle name when he was younger (a "normal" one). Bowie was never his surname.

FWIW my DDs all have unusual names (not because we're middle class ) but because we like those names. All of them work as they grow up as they are proper names, albeit unusual. Dh was one of 4 of his name in his class at primary school, and quickly adopted a nickname so that he wasn't just eg John B.

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

I think that some names are egotistical: Maverick, anyone?

But the names you mention are mainly just failry uncommon - how uncommon depends where you live. For instance, i'm told Jack is a common name, but not here in my bit of inner London

I think the urge for your child to have an uncommon name is quite natural. Otoh, i have a very unusual name, not wacky or anything, and it does get a bit tiresome spelling it, explaining where it comes from and what it means.

My own particular bugbear is very childish or cute names that suit a baby or small child but imo, not an adult.

This is all very subjective and I would not wish to offend anyone by listing them.

[Theicingontop]

Let's all call our children Jennifer and James so we don't come across as trying to be different. That would be awful.

[Meglet]

YABU.

I was one of 4 'meglets' in my class. I hated it as teachers never knew who was who .

I refused to use any names in the top 100 for my dc's.

Wacky is better than common IME.

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

Rudy is great

[YouCanBe]

Rudy is a bit different to Fire!

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

Yy Fire and Ace are a bit silly, imo

[nkf]

Rudy is great. Lux is a soap.

And there are stand out middle class names and stand out not so middle class names.

This is probably the least useful post I've ever made on MN. I think I shall go and eat cake.

[badguider]

I am not a big fan of names that are in the dictionary as nouns or verbs. But I also think it's just practical to try to have a firstname that is unique within a social circle such as school class or extended family. Otherwise you end up living your life with your surname initial tacked onto your first name all the time

My name was really common where I am from when I was young, but thankfully isn't all that common in the rest of the UK so now i'm older and people of my age have moved and mixed more around the UK i only know a couple of others now.

[nkf]

Highly amused to hear that Zowie became Duncan.

[gordyslovesheep]

he was ALWAYS Duncan

[nkf]

Ok. I thought the poster meant he'd been given two names and he chose the duller one.

[LadyBeagleBaublesandBells]

My late single parent council flat friend and neighbour had a son called Rudy.
He must be about 25 now.

[Shybairns]

I think there is a certain type of parent who strives to give their child the most unusual name they can think of, because they really want their child to stand out from the crowd and that is egotistical.

I am not one of those parents. I chose classic well used names. My children will have to work hard to stand out from the crowd. If indeed they want to. Life is hard enough without being cursed with a silly name.

However we can't generalise. I can think of examples from a number of different social backgrounds where children have been given unusual names.

And I am sure that these names that seem very new today won't be so unusual 50 years from now.