Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Uncommon but 'normal' names

58 replies

RiceorChips · 09/08/2013 16:17

Sorry, I couldn't think of a better title (not sure uncommon or normal are the right words?!).

Anyway, linked to another thread about unusual names not being that unusual as we all have the same ideas - got me thinking of names that are unusual in that they are not that common /popular at the moment but are names that are 'normal', not faddy, not frilly, not made up, etc.

For example:
Erica
Nicole
Natalie

Justin
Gareth
Neil

To me these are all relatively nice names but I can't ever remember seeing them mentioned on MN (whether in a positive or negative vein) nor know of hardly any in RL.

Just wondered if you can think of other names that might fall into this category?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
ShoeWhore · 12/08/2013 05:15

I know loads of Justins - all late 30s/early 40s.

cafecito · 12/08/2013 05:14

Stephanie

Natalie

devonsmummy · 12/08/2013 05:06

Neil
Garth
Tim
David
Jason
Lee
Mark
Russell

Angela
Kara
Deanne
Jenny
Helen
Marie
Laura
Stephanie
Karla

Castlelough · 12/08/2013 04:51

Mary, Maria, Caroline and Anne.

David and Gerard.

km2606uk · 12/08/2013 04:22

i love millie-rose and ruben-rose or even just on their own,
iris and beau either pronounced (bo) or (byoo) - meaning beautiful
i also love navea and ava!

KittenofDoom · 12/08/2013 01:40

Oh, I know of lots of Nicoles. They are all younger than me, probably inspired by Nicole Kidman or the Renault Clio advert. When I was at school Nicola was quite common, but Nicole seems taken its place.

Justin, no, I don't think I've ever met one. I wouldn't be able to guess the age of a Justin.

mydoorisalwaysopen · 11/08/2013 22:32

We nearly named our DS2 Paul - a very common 1960s name but you never meet a child called Paul.

Original poster
RiceorChips · 11/08/2013 22:27

I disagree with Dondraper - I have only ever come across one Nicole and one Justin in RL though see them as decent names, definitely not regal / traditional / faddy etc. Not of a particular generation either (the Nicole I knew will be about 18 now; the Justin 35).

The same applies to names like Simon, Natasha and Dominic. I can't see what generation they would fall into - not mine or my parents. I know for example a Simon aged 35, one aged 55 and one aged 8 though it's not heard very often at all.

I didn't suggest regal names would fit this criteria / in this thread - to me names like William and James are common, popular and timeless.

OP posts:
megsmouse · 11/08/2013 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

froubylou · 11/08/2013 21:35

I have a Francesca. She is 9. I think it is pretty timeless and classic without being too common.

I also love Emmeline as a name. Had it picked out if this baby was a girl but its a he.

We're going with Sebastian. Which I think os the same sort of name as francesca. Not common but not wacky or weird or fashionable in a certain time.

WrongendoftheSTIX · 11/08/2013 21:24

Francesca
Jane (do not know any young children with this name!)
Danielle
April
Lilian
Vivian
Briony
Meryl
Tracy

I could go on and on! So many girls names I never hear used for young children!

KittenofDoom · 11/08/2013 21:18

Roderick
Ambrose
Gerald
Julian

RiaOverTheRainbow · 11/08/2013 20:23

Stephanie

VodIsGod · 11/08/2013 20:19

All three of my sons names have been mentioned on this thread. We chose them because we liked them but they aren't popular. We also had a rule that they wouldn't have Thomas the Tank Engine names...

Beer0cl0ck · 11/08/2013 20:16

Melanie, Jillian, Lindsay, Susan
Richard, Peter, Gregory,David

Saffyz · 11/08/2013 20:14

Thomas
Alistair
John

Susan
Louise
Melissa

DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper · 11/08/2013 20:10

Way too many names on this thread are just names from our generation or our parents, and so are a bit dated and just aren't being used any more.

I would include a couple of names from the OP - Nicole and Justin. They are quite faddy because they were very popular when our parents were naming us, and then went out of fashion.

I am guessing you are looking for more timeless names, where you couldn't automatically pinpoint the age of the person down to the decade, more or less. Which are harder to come by!

I think it's much easier to find date-less girls' names than boys - there are hardly any boys names which fall into this category. Even the true classic royalist boy's names are cyclical and go in and out of favour. George was out for quite a while, but has started becoming more popular in recent years. William is pretty solid, but still has periods of more and less popularity. Charles is out if favour now, while everyone opts for the more boyish, nickname-y Charlie.

And anyway, most royal names hardly fit the 'uncommon' requirement in the OP.

RueDeWakening · 11/08/2013 20:07

I have a baby Michael, he's 12 weeks old Grin

The names of my other kids have been mentioned on this thread, too.

TallulahBetty · 11/08/2013 20:04

Lois.

TotallyPaninied · 11/08/2013 20:02

Gemma, Rebecca, Hayley, Anna.

tethersend · 11/08/2013 20:01

I have an Angie and a Shirley Smile

AnnaKissed · 11/08/2013 19:54

Jason

Yika · 11/08/2013 19:53

Amanda
Lisa
Deborah
Michael
Craig

AnnaKissed · 11/08/2013 19:53

Love these kind of names! Also: Hugh, Jeremy, Raymond, Simon, Paul, Ian.

I have taught teenagers with these names, like from one generation back, and I think it's cool. Harder for a baby to pull off though.

Original poster
RiceorChips · 11/08/2013 19:43

Yes Simon and Nicholas are definitely the sort of names I was thinking of.

Also thought of:
Shaun
Stuart
Scott

Helen
Carrie
Danielle

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread