Anyone actually managed to pick an unusual name?

With our Elana we wanted something Hebrew to pacify the mil but didn't want to use Esther or Rachel which were top of her lists. It's just so happened to also be in a novel we had both read recently albeit with a different spelling Ehlana. I've never met another in RL but have seen a couple on t'internet.

I've only ever picked a name because I like it but tend to like names outside of what is popular. I couldn't tell you if the fact that they're not popular is why I like them.

tummytickler, I had Amos and Elijah on my list for ds (and Aphra if it was a girl) but as I said went for Raphael (dd's favourite Ninja Turtle and she wouldn't countenance any other choice). Brill names. All fairly underused but looking at my choices, I think they are also quite 'themey'. Clearly I like old names, possibly biblical if I can get away with it. I tried to get dh to agree to Abraham too (Bram for short) but he wouldn't have that.

I think most of us who prefer a less commonly used name are looking to avoid names that will be used by lots of their peers. Because we're looking to identify a child by its name, a job that is made much harder if it is already used by three others in the same class.

I think some people want to avoid peers with the same name so as to avoid 'Olivia P' or 'Little Harry' or unwanted nicknames at school.

Others want names which have never been particularly popular.

Issah is African afaik.

But it may be totally different from Issa - I dont know that name. Nice though.

Can I ask, if you want your child to have an unusual name, do you just consider whether their peers will have the same name, or do you look at the names in society as a whole?

Several people have mentioned John and Jane type names, which are unusual now, and a baby John is unlikely to have another John in his class. However, there's the fact that something like 1 in 10 60-70 year old men are called John, so to me that still makes it a common name - it's irrelevant if the majority of Johns were born in the 1940s or 2010s.

"I think you have to pick a name you know you truly love - in that case chances are others will too"

Agree that you have to pick a name you love. But why should we expect others to share OUR taste? Thankfully there are thousands of different names to choose from - it is great that we all have different tastes imo .

X post Psammead!

I know an Issa (guy in his 20s) but I think it would be fabulous for both sexes. I think it might be Greek or Turkish in origin?

My name is pretty unusual, so much so I spent years telling people how to pronounce it. Since then it's featured as the girl's name in a certain series of children's books about a boy wizard ... Does anyone know if it's increased in popularity because of that?

I love Rowan and Lorcan but if Bump is a boy DH will only accept very middle of the road names. oooh could Rowan be a girls name?

Btw, Rowan is Lucia's middle name. I think it's lovely for boys and girls.

I have a Lucia, which isn't hugely unusual, but just enough that I don't personally know any others.

I quite like Amity.

Oh, Aphra better than Jane, I think. Although I do like Jane, I could never really love it.

DD was the only one in her year of birth with her name and I think the only one in the last few years with it. It's not made up, everyone recognised it and I've never been asked to spell it. We do shorten it but the shortening is very rare too (13 in year of birth). It's a family name. DS was one of 12 with his name I think and I've only heard of two others - one was a famous actor and one is the grown-up son of a friend who says mine is the only other one she's encountered. Again, never have to spell it and everyone recognises it. I love them both. They both have normal middle names to choose from though when they inevitably hate their names at some point.

I think you have to pick a name you know you truly love (in that case chances are others will too) and stick your guns in the face of any criticism (on MN or otherwise). My dds are Violet and Daphne. Although Violet is now becoming more popular according to the stats, there are none in her school (most having more conventional or multicultural names) and we've only recently come across another baby Violet in the park. Having said that, I adore the name as it's always been my favourite flower, colour and scent, so don't really mind its rise in popularity.

I doubt we will come across another Daphne, I just love it but I know that there are plenty who don't, YET!

I would never choose a name purely because noone else has it .The meaning, sound and how it looks on paper (I think Daphne and Violet look as well as sound beautiful) are very important to me and I have a particular penchant for vintage nature names, being a romantic at heart.

I love your kid's names too, tummytickler, Pearl in particular, (dd vetoed that for dd2, otherwise I might have gone for it) and think you have done a great job so far so keep up the good work!!

My ds3 is called Derri. I see it occasionally but it seems to have remained unusual,he is 21.My 8 month old is Delilah,i love it,tis not unique but unlikely to be several in her class at school,i think.

My (adult) brother's name is so unusual, he is known for miles and miles just by his first name. It is an old family name, which has not been in mainstream use for a few generations, but is also a name that everyone has come across, just don't seem to use. Which is a shame, because it's great.

And we have Aphra and Jane on our next list if dc5 is dd - not sure which way to jump yet!

In 2010 there were 38 boys given ds' name. In the year that he was born it was much, much less, so I cont it as pretty unusual (Amos). His brother is Elijah and I picked this because i loved it, it is a classic name, and has not really leapt up or down the charts too much. We know a couple of others online, and none in real life. I don't mind it being a little popular, really, as its still not everywhere, and is more classic than something like Alfie/Archie imo, so wont date horribly.
I love Ichabod, but not brave enough to use it in fact I don't think I am even brave enough to aask about it on mn
My girls are Iris and Pearl. I know adults with these names, but no children. They are 10 and 6, and Iris was very unusual when she was born. I see it higher in the charts, but still not seen any under 40 in rl! I think they are classic, not too popular but everybody knows them!

I sat next to an Autumn in school, also had a Marie-Astrid in the class. Went out with an Asa too (his entire wardrobe consisted of work uniform and Man City tops of varying ages). Also have a friend called Felix.

As the owner of a name spelt unusually though (not a made up spelling, just an uncommon variant) - the spelling thing is a fucking pain in the arse and the reason anything I pick for a child will be easy enough to get spelt correctly as it annoys the tits outta me that mine's always spelt wrong.

Glynis, Diane, Kevin, Wayne, Ann, Jacqueline, Karen, Julie, Trevor, Deborah, Sally, Paula, Wendy, Keith, Barbara, Annette, Ruth.
(I've just named all my neighbours, lol). But THOSE are truly unusual names for babies born today. There must be fairly Irish equivalents.