How many of you worry the name you pick is too popular?

Not really, tbh. DS's name is pretty permanently in the top 20 of boys' names but it suits him and we both like it. Our surname is pretty unusual in the way it's spelled, so it's unlikely there will be another of him around.

Girls' names though - yes, I think it would bother me slightly more to have a very popular name. But it's not looking like I'm going to need to worry about that.

ds has a very very unusual name, which he absolutely loves btw! We didn't pick it because it was unusual but because we loved it and if it hadn't suited him he would've had a more usual name.

For soon to arrive ds2 we thought maybe we should go for an uncommon name so he wouldn't feel too different to his brother, but the fact is we couldn't agree on an unusual one we loved as much and went with a very traditional name that is currently in the top 20 boys names.

Though ds1 has a very conventional name as a middle name in case he grew up hating his first name. And there were 6 children last year who had expected ds2's middle name as a first name, so not too common if he feels shortchanged!

So I'd say while we do have a liking for unusual names it's not the primary motivating factor as there are lots of lovely names out there in frequent use.

I wanted names not used that often-but still known iyswim.

As it was, it was a nightmare finding something that we both liked, never mind ftrying to fit it to any other criteria!

Agree with the poster who says names outside the top 100 can still be conventional, just not that popular. We named 15 yr old DS Adam and we very very rarely come across another one - there has never been one in either primary or secondary and both are huge schools.

Our ds is Joseph which has been a constant top 20 for decades. I love the name and he's 4 now and have never regretted it. He's the only Joseph in his year at school although there is one in the year above him. Jacob however is usually lower than Joseph on the list but there are 3 in his class so you can never tell how popular a name will be just by looking on a list. They are more popular in different areas etc. I wouldn't let it put me off. I am currently pg with dc2 and decided on name Thomas if it's a boy which is always in top 10, usually top 5 I think but it really doesn't bother me at all. There's a reason it's popular!

We chose the names we wanted. We think they're gorgeous names.

It never occurred to me to consider what others might be choosing.

CheerfulYank My DS is Sam too!

I do like unusual names...but DS is a Sam down to the ground and I'm glad that's what I chose. :)

I never even considered whether the names I picked were popular or not. It didn't even enter my head. I picked them because I we liked them.

Like you OP I wanted to give my children uncommon names. My name is very unusual (it's a 'real' name, some medieval queens had it and it's in a Byron poem and a nineteenth-century novel but it's so far outside the top 100 it's not even on the list!). I really like my name and was in a class with four Claires, three Katies, two Catherines and two Laurens at school, so I didn't want that for my children.

I now have a five-week-old Isobel. Go figure :)

For me it was about juggling factors. I was one of two with the same name in my secondary form and that wasn't ideal but my mother has always struggled with an unspellable name and encouraged me to pick an easy to spell name. I also have different feelings about boys' names and girls' names as I think it is easier for a girl to have a slightly unusual name than a boy.

ragwort

Its possible to be well outside the top 100 names and still have an entirely conventional name.

I either like a name or I don't-it doesn't bother me.
I would far rather my DCs had a popular name that have to go through life with having to spell it, or having an outlandish name, just because I wanted to be original.

My son has one of the top 5 boys' names however we have rarely come across any others with the same name - so not sure where they all are - I wouldn't worry about it, if you like the name. My DH has an incredibly common name (for his age) - it is the same as my DB's but it really hasn't caused any problems.

I think you get far more problems calling a child an 'unusual' name - which will get sniggered at, however original you might think you are .

I prefer slightly unusual names, as I think its a shame for children to be Emily B, Sophie R, etc. As has already been said it is really easy to order personalised things, so that isnt an issue.

It isnt as simple as names being at the top of the rankings purely because they are beautiful, there is fashion in naming, for example the rise of the name Sienna, and I expect that Harper will be a lot more popular this year than it was last year.

I have a very common name, and although i wouldn't want to have a 'weird' name i would like to be a bit more unique! I chose a name for my dd which was not in the top 50, but was not so unusual that people would ask her how to spell it, I think we are all happy with it.

Me too casperella - we have a dreadful surname so nice simple 'normal' names easy to say and spell for our 3 DC. One difficult name is enough.

Personally, DH and I wanted our kids to have names that were readily known and easy to spell. Mainly because I have a hellish name which most people can't pronounce properly never mind spell, which coupled with an unusual surname (both pre-and post-marriage, how I long to be Jones or Smith!) means at every stage of my life (school, Uni, various jobs) I've had to repeat and spell my name to people, over and over (at least that's what it feels like!). So we didn't want that for our 2 - both names are in the Top 10 and have been for years.

But of course it's a personal choice, some people like unusual names, and others don't - we all have our reasons.

Surely the fact you only found out of popular it is when you looked it up suggests it may not be that popular in your area? (if that makes sense!)

I never worried about it at all. I also tbh never thought for a minute whether other people might or might not like it.

I picked a name that was and is very popular. In fact now number one and other years top three. I had no clue as I chose a name I liked rather than looking at popularity polls. Despite it being a very popular name ds was the only one at his nursery and is the only one in his year at school. We don't know anyone else with his name despite its popularity. I would choose a name you like as you will be using it several times a day at differing volumes.

@ NIghtstar - I think your name is GORGEOUS!!

i've jsut named my third dc Jack... did agonise over whether it was too popular but all the other names i considered didn't really work for me.. when i originally found out i was pregnant i thought 'jack for a boy and lucy for a girl' and although i went round the houses with names for approx. 36 weeks it had to come down to the name i liked best which i also felt would suit his surname....
still look at him at 6 weeks and think ' oh lordy have i done the right thing??!' Time will tell :)