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We are expecting DC1 and have started to think about names. Quite a few of the names we like are fairly popular and high up the popularity rankings. Basically what I am wondering is in real life terms how popular are the popular names? This applies to boys names rather than girls as most of the girls names we like are more unusual.

I'm not looking for a name that has to be different or unusual but I would like to avoid DS being one of several in a class. Although I know that there is a chance this could happen even if you choose a very unusual name, I was wondering where in the rankings should you be looking (if it matters at all) to try and avoid this? Are there any particular names where this will always be the case?

Also, I suppose the other half of the question is even if DS does have a fairly popular name does this really matter? I know this is a pretty controversial subject but I don't want to reject a name we like on the grounds of popularity and regret it or vice versa.

Any thoughts or opinions would be very much appreciated.

So ime, Harry, Joshua and Jack are very popular in my dcs years at school.

I know a lot of Jacks and Harrys (and a fair few Ethans).

Incidentally I have a very popular name (3 in my class at school), I've really never been bothered by it. Names are usually popular for a reason, they're good names!

We went ahead with a very very popular boy's name for DC2 because it is a family name and DH had his heart set on it. And it suits DC2 down to the ground. He really could not have been called anything else.

For the number one most popular name at the moment, he does have another one in his nursery class, and we do hear it out and about, but I really don't care. It's his name, we have excellent reasons for choosing the name, the whole family agreed, it suits him.

I do, for reasons I can't quite fathom, think it matters more for girls. Being known as "Richard A" or "Richard B" was no great shakes when I was at school. But "Emma A" or "Emma B" was a whole different kettle of fish. I was somewhat glad of having an unusual name!

DS1's name was top 10 when we named him. In a class of 35 boys he is the only one. William and Samuel are v common though, 3 of each in the class!

You never know who your child will be in a class with I guess.

Depends where you live to which names are popular. One of our sons is called jack. There are 3 in the school. Whereas Finley/Finlay there are 10 in the school with 3 being in my sons class.

Depends on area. I only know one Jack, but tons and tons of Stanley, Theo and Finlay/Finley/Finn/Flynn's

I would assume there will be someone in his class with his name, then you won't be disappointed. If not in primary, then secondary, or college, or his workplace.

Thank you for all of your replies! Very helpful.

PoppyWearer: I think your right. I'm glad it's not just me that was thinking about it being different for boys.

HelpOneAnother: I agree completed, you are right and it would probably simplify things if we could do this but DP is Scottish, I'm English, currently in Wales and between now and baby starting school we could move to pretty much anywhere because of DP's job. We have been having this issue with names that are very popular only in Scotland.

There are 3 boys called Noah in DD's nursery class. I am not sure if it is really popular or if there is just an element of luck which results of clusters of semi-popular names.

My son has a reasonably uncommon name - we moved and for a particular geographical reason it is actually a lot more common here, albeit that his is a more unusual gaelic spelling - there is even a roundabout with the same name and another with my eldests name too

Eldest has a much more common name but we have only come across one other and that was in a Judo class so not very important.

In your circumstance, I'd just go with a name you love.

There are days when it seems as if fully 25% of the boys round here are called Max. Getting a fair bit of competition from Oliver, Jake and a whole lot of Henry going on.

I would try and avoid the top 10 at least, preferably the top 20 unless it was a name that I absolutely loved. I like loads of boys names so it wouldn't be a problem for me, I could have a problem with girls though (Isobel is one of my favourites, but crossed off due to popularity).

I think it would bother me if they ended up being one of 3/4/5/ children with the same name at school. I think it's a bit like when you turn up at a party in the same dress as someone else, just takes the shine off it a bit. Plus a name is used to identify someone, which it won't if half the class have the same name.

As soon as I pick a name, boys or girls it seems to go top ten, my eldest's name is a variation on a name that was extremely popular 13 years ago so she gets called that [grrr]
My second child had never met another of her name before in 11 years until we moved to Oz and now they are 10 a penny.
You've got to choose a name you love and that suits the surname and baby and then don't ever think about it again IMO.

To put it in perspective, Harry, 2011's most popular name, had only 7,500 called it; William, number 10, had 4,632.

For girls, the range was 5,034 to 3,464. There is a wider range of girls' names, I think.

"Also, I suppose the other half of the question is even if DS does have a fairly popular name does this really matter?"

As long as he doesn't mind being known as little x, big x, and sharing his name with others as well as possibly having a hard time differentiating his name for business purposes. Imagine you are Harry Jones or Jack Smith and how on earth people will know WHICH Harry of Jack someone means. Also, consider things like email, website etc - all easier when you don't share a name with thousands others.

You know, I think we sometimes forget WHY we name a person or thing!

I have a really common name. Never knew I was meant to care. So I guess it depends on the person. My son has a top ten name, even top 5 I think, and I've not met another with his name yet.

Some names are traditional and classic, there will always be some around yet tend not to date, eg, William, Luke, Elizabeth, etc.

Some names however are definitely "of the moment", think Millie, Molly, Alfie, Etc and reflect a particular era. Just like schoolchildren of the 70's all seemed to be Helen's, Jackies, Stephens and Davids.

IMO strong, traditional (often biblical) names carry children well into adulthood. They may not be particularly unique which can maybe smack of trying too hard,
Yet nor are they one of many many more of the same

In my DD's class (reception) boys names include:

2 Jacks
Charlie
Oliver
Ben
James

There are plenty of other boys in the class who's names arent as popular but dont want to out myself these are the ones I think of as popular. Both my DCs have names that are fairly high up the list in popular names.

DS1 is in P1 and has a top 10 name. He says that there are no duplicate boys names in his class of 25. Altogether there are 75 children in the 3 P1 classes and I can't think of many children called the same thing.
I knew his name was common when we named him but he's named after my late grandfather.