unusual names, but we all have the same ideas!

[Monkeyandanimal]

Hello all. I'm finding this name finding thing really frustrating, don't know about you guys. As soon as i think i've found a nice, traditional, old-fashioned, slightly unusual but not ridiculous name, i then see it in all your lists! And I don't want there so to be more than one of these in my child's class! How can we avoid all having the same great ideas? Short of ridiculously strange names......all the good ones are being used up! Sorry, this message doesn't merit reply; just needed a rant. I have seen my best names suggested by several people today, and there was i feeling smug and thinking noone else would have thought of them! Serves me right.....

[Saralyn]

If you choose a name from your parents' generation, there probably wont be many children with that name.

problem is, you probably aren't interested in those names, as we tend to choose names from our grandparent's generation instead.

[MortifiedAdams]

But there are hundreds of thousands of babies born each year and not all.of their parents are on here.

Apparently Jack is beyond common yet I know one.

[scaevola]

I think it can be worse if you have put a great deal of effort into finding a name that won't be duplicated and then it is, than if you just choose the name/s you and DH like best.

[scaevola]

Very unfashionable might be the way to go: Nigel, Neil, Godfrey, Dirk or Tracey, Sharon, Gertrude, Berengaria?

[getmeoutofthismadhouse]

My son is Jack and there is literally only a handful in his school. Yet you could choose a name that is not very popular at all but once at school there could be 3 in the same class. It's just pot luck with names unless you use a made up one or a silly name. Choose a name you like rather than one you ain't so keen on because who knows what names are gonna be in a class once they get to school .

[Monkeyandanimal]

I know, you are all completely right! Although the fact that there is only a sample of the population on here posting is not reassuring; that means for every name suggested on here there are likely to be many more people thinking the same thing in the general population! I'm sure the best policy is just to choose a name you like though. Its annoying when you hear your lovely unusual name bawled out in soft play! I'm also very lucky in having a nice sounding name and never having met another one!

[Monkeyandanimal]

Berengaria is wicked by the way!

[NaturalBlondeYeahRight]

My two DC have names that are in top 20 and I know very few in real life. The names that I see regularly on MN I VERY rarely hear in public (and work in schools)

Just pick a name that you like.

[Monkeyandanimal]

And Gertrude WAS on my list but I'm sure i've seen it suggested here on more than one post!

[littlepeas]

I have a fairly unusual name for my generation, but I always seem to find others with my name. You should just choose what you like and not get hung up on popularity. My favourite girl's name is insanely popular, yet I have only heard it out and about once or twice.

[Mrsindecision]

Definitely think you should go with a name you love rather than getting bogged down with whether it's popular or not. I recently checked the stats for the year of my dd's birth, and rather interestingly, when she started school there were 3 duplicate names in her class (2 of each name). The first duplicate name was ranked around number 200 for that year, the second duplicate name was ranked around number 250, and the last duplicate name (my dd's) was ranked outside the top 500! There were no other name duplicates in the class. Rather surprisingly, I have since also discovered three other local girls with the so called 'unusual' name that I chose. If you choose a name just to be different, you may be very disappointed to discover that your DC is not the only one about!

FWIW, my DS has a very popular name (has been in the top 10 for decades) and we know very few others, plus there are no others with the same name in his class at school!

[Mumblyboo]

I think we need remember that mumsnet is not real life. I think there are mumsnetty names and then real life names.... Iykwim?

Pick your favourite

[HRHMargeSimpsonOfCornwall]

I chose a name for my son that was more popular in the age group about ten years older than me. so he is the only one I know under 43. But yet, it doesn't have that Derek/Brian vibe about it. Well, not in my opinion. So that could be an option for you.

What about Jillian or Melanie? two very pretty names imo but any baby who gets either of those two names would be on its own really! just a suggestion. Because otherwise, everybody comes up with the same name at the same time. eg, dulcie, suddenly everybody is suggesting Dulcie!

[AmandaPandtheTantrumofDoom]

A lot of names get suggested on here a lot but rarely used. I've seen DD2's name loads of times, and the name of a friend's son. However, when you actually look at the stats, very, very few children were given those names.

There are very definite naming trends around at the moment. If a name fits those trends, it could well become popular.

I would agree with what others have said - names of your parents or indeed names you went to school with are likely to be your best bet if you want an unusual but solid British name. Anything from your grandparent's generation is probably now popular or on the way up.

[squeak2392]

Don't worry about what you read on here - I've been convinced before that certain names were really popular because I'd seen them on a lot of lists online but then it's turned out that none of those people have actually used it and there's only been like a hundred born in the last year.

Best thing to do is to write a shortish list of names you love (not just ones you think are unusual!) and then around the time you give birth, look at your local announcements for the last month or two and use whichever doesn't appear/appears least.

I'm a Holly (quite popular for my age) and I've only ever met 3 or 4, so just because a name is popular it doesn't necessarily mean you'll met a lot.

I think generally if you just avoid the top 100 you should be able to rest relatively secure in that the name isn't likely to be repeated in your kid's class, if not the whole year.

[thisisyesterday]

you can never ever guarantee that there won't be another one in your child's class.

a friend of mine came very close to naming her son Ezra (she didn't in the end).. his friend at school? yep, Ezra.
if ever there was a name that you were certain you'd never get 2 of in a class that would be it :-D

[Mrsindecision]

But squeak2392, as mentioned in my previous post, my dd's name ranked outside the top 500 the year she was born (so, nationwide, there would have been less than 70 girls born with the same name in her school year group) , yet there is still another in her class at school!

As also mentioned above, the other 2 duplicate names in her class were outside the top 200, so your theory of choosing outside the top 100 really doesn't guarantee anything! FWIW, there are only a few "top 20" names in her class, and none of them are duplicated.

I definitely advocate going for a name you love rather than worrying about its popularity!

[Nibledbyducks]

There are some classic names that barely get used anymore, but used to be really popular, whatever happened to Nicholas, David, and Paul? and why no Natalies?

[AmandaPandtheTantrumofDoom]

My name is very unusual and there was another in my class. You really can't bank on there being no one, just make it less likely that they will be one of four or whatever. Ruby is a lovely name, but one infant class I was in recently had three pegs marked Ruby out of roughly 15 girls.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

I love Berengaria, but I'm a ship geek and she was a ship as well as a queen :)

[CormoranStrike]

Okay, how about family names one generation back?

For example, my family tree would throw up:

Helen
Allan
Josephine (Jo)
May
Mary
Jean
John
William
Samuel
Patrick

[Mrsindecision]

CormoranStrike, bar the names Allan and Jean, I know of at least one of each from your list, all of whom are 11 or younger.

[Monkeyandanimal]

All good suggestions, i think the main prob is that we all like the old fashioned names of our grandparents generation, partly because we prob didn't know many our age with those names when we were growing up. And you know what its like when you've known someone with that name, you can never picture anyone else! and the prob with names a bit closer to home is that they may seem commonly used to us because we had lots of stephens and abigails and sarahs and daves either in our class or among our parents generation; so they seem a bit ordinary IYKWIM. But taking that on board, i may veer away from what i consider to be unusual granny chic and name baby after relatives in the immediate previous generation, with solid, timeless names!

[Scruffey]

There are no Jacks, Olivers, Graces or Olivias in my dd's class. There are 2 of a name outside the top 100 though (don't want to out myself by saying!). You can never guarantee anything, just use a name you like and that is practical and usable for your child.

[ZolaBuddleia]

Also, you can never guess what will shoot up the lists, I know someone who is one of 6 Isobel/Isabelle/Isabels in her class, yet it was unusual when her parents chose it.