Popular baby names you're bored off...

I wasn't digging at you Kerala. Obviously you didn't say anything.

And I admit I was almost tempted to mention something when somebody told me they had just named their baby Isabella and how unusual a name it was.

Twofalls you obviously have it in for me! Is your daughter named Eve?!

I obviously don't say anything and politely say oh what a wonderful name.

But actually I nearly named my DD Olivia without realising it was the most popular name of that year. Luckily I did realise a week before she was born and named her something else at the last minute and so glad I did. I would have appreciated someone telling me it was so popular as its something I wasn't aware of it being my first baby and not knowing many others with babies at that stage, and it would have bothered me having a super popular name myself.

I am, Space, I am indeed, I was waiting for that one, I feel relieved I can continue to call her it and not have to use the full name

I think a flamboyant person can carry off any name, but a quiet mouse can't

Good point. DP has a boys name he really wants to use which I really don't want to use (kind of like Raymond, say) because I can't help but worry that only a popular, sporty sort of boy (for example) could carry that particular name off.

Thurlow I deem all my over-popular boy's names to be OK on a girl!

Bet you're glad I approve :o

In a previous post somebody mentioned how some people who have named their children 'older' names feel the need to say the child was named after a grandparent etc

I think this is definitely true. I named one of my children after a dear relative but hands on heart if that relative had been named Gertrude or a name I disliked, it undoubtedly would have ended up being my child's middle name rather than first name.

Therefore, I don't think that there is anything wrong with mentioning the name is after someone. It gives the name meaning. If I came across anybody who had the same name as one of my dear dead relatives and we were discussing names, I don't see anything wrong with saying that was the name of my GM etc. It's something I would do whether my own child was called that name or not, so I struggle to see why its something that shouldn't be said?

Aussies also go in for entertaining spellings - so Jackson is also often spelt Jaxon, and I know of a Summah, which just sounds very gormless when I say it.

I do think very out-there names can be quite a thing to carry off. I once worked with an Aslan who was a nice enough, but pretty unremarkable, bloke. And I do wonder how great the DC think these names are - I actually quite like Aslan as a name, but children can view these things very differently and I can imagine he may have had a whole lot more negative comment at school (though probably more positive comment when older) than the Marks and Toms and Andys who would have been his peers.

I think a flamboyant person can carry off any name, but a quiet mouse can't.

Reminds me. When I went to visit my friend in maternity hospital just a few years ago there were three baby girls named Lexie.

Out of curiosity I went to look what the Australian popular names were.

The girls names are almost exactly the same: Charlotte, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Mia, Amelia, Ruby, Sophia, Chloe, Sophie.

The boys names are slightly different - Oliver, William, Jack, Noah, Jackson, James, Thomas, Ethan, Lucas and Cooper.

It's interesting that the Australian boys names seem to be less of a type than the girls names, which seems to me the opposite of what's happening in the UK at the moment?

(And Kerala, no, you don't say anything to anyone about their baby's name!)

No, I wouldn't say anything either. They might not care about popularity

Kerala no you don't say anything

None of your bloody business.

Yes, it is the name of the Norse god. Perhaps it's not as unusual as I thought then. Easy to fall into that trap
Like I said, it impacts negatively on his confidence and he's very embarrassed to tell people his name.

What on earth is wrong with Odin? It's a lovely name and the name of a great Norse god!

Odin is quite awesome

DD's name has finally appeared on the list! Hurrah. I've not had her name appear before Though it was an earlier poster saying they'd heard it too many times on boys recently. Wonder if that will make a difference? nudges Space to pass an opinion

I think Lola got really popular after the Eastenders character came in. There's also that cartoon Charlie & Lola.

Eastenders might also be to blame for the huge amounts of Tommys there are. I know of 5 born in the last year just within my group of friends. They all think it's unusual.

It seems with the granny names people realise it's popular/unoriginal/current trend but then feel the need to say it was their grandmothers name. That comes up a lot when either Rose or May/Mae/Mai is the middle name. It's like they have to justify it for, why can't they just say 'I liked it and don't care that's it's super popular'

Some first and middle names together get repeated a lot. I've lost count of all the Amelia Roses and Lily Mays I've heard of.

Oooh Miranda, I know an Odin, wonder if its' the same one?

Needless to say I loved it and thought it was a great baby name, but then you should hear what my kids are called.

To the other extreme. I know somebody who named their son Odin. The only thing 'individual' thing about him appears to be the name. They're a pleasant normal, as normal comes, working class family (if not very sensible). I feel sorry that he's lumbered with this name and it's sniggered about. I think it impacts negatively on his confidence too.

The only thing I dislike is the trend for calling babies 'cutesie' names - yes it's all very well when they're one but do they want to walk into an important meeting or announce themselves as the surgeon to someone with a name like that seriously? Also a name is fine standing on it's own - it really doesn't need a hyphenated ending.

There is one name in particular that really gets my goat because I hardly know any kids and yet four of the ones I do know born in the last few years have the same name and have had to be identified by their surname at school.

We re all entitled to our opinions but I fail to see how anyone can rejoice in their kids having the same name as five other children in the class and yes I do think it shows a lack of imagination.

I am having my first DS in two weeks and expect some funny looks at his name but it isn't weird at all just not the norm.

Wow. I have a Harry. I also have a dd with a name that was in the top10 (apparently) when we named her but she is the only one in her whole school.

Because I have a Harry I apparently have zero imagination. If only you knew me! I've have friends exclaim that my 'normal' choice of names is surprising to them.

I chose Harry after a beloved grandad. We very nearly didn't choose it because of judgements of people who think an 'out there' name makes an individual child. My best friend is 50 and he's a Mark. He's an author and the most individual man I know. He told me he was one of 20 Marks in his school and it never bothered him or made him 'boring'.

I'm glad we stuck to our guns.

Yes people do tend think their popular choice is original. One woman I know was put out to find Matilda was very popular, along with Tilly.

I get mixed up with the too similar names. I met a group of girls recently who were something like Milly, Tilly, Molly, Emily (x2), Ellie, Chloe, Eva. No chance of remembering who was who!

I'm bored of the old lady and man names. They're growing exceptionally popular here. Not mega popular like Amelia, Megan, Emily, Oliver, Jacob but on their way to replacing those I think.

The parents usually, but not always, seem to think they've picked an out there, left-field name with the old lady and man trend. Names like Albert, Elsie, Sylvie, Alfred, Edith. Though I'm bored of the whole trend.

Alex. I mean, we know a lovely Alex (it's hard not to know several) but he's 10 and there are 3 of them in his class. So why am I still meeting countless baby boys called Alex - purlease, think of something else, soooo bored of it!

Also Adam, Tom, Jack, Archie, Alfie blah blah blah. For girls, yes Eve, Evie, Isla, Mia or Maia, oh and Orla. People announce that their baby is called Orla as if it's really original so I don't like to tell them I already know several!

I actually remember 20 years ago as a young singleton thinking I would love to call a daughter Eve, as no one did at the time and it is a lovely name. Totally ruined for me now!

I actually like really unusual names and my DC have unusual names (LOVING Aardvark! :o) so obviously this is going to be my take on it. But I know some people really prefer a "normal" and popular name. It's their choice but I do sometimes find myself going "Oh what a nice name!" while inside thinking "BOOOOORING SNOOOORING!" Sorry.

Maybe there should be quotas so people are told that the name Amelia or eve is officially full and they might want to pick another .

I am coming into contact with lots of pregnant first time mothers and they are still pretty much all choosing eve I kid you not. I don't know whether to say anything. There were 3 eves born last week and as I said up thread most girls in dds class are named this already.

I think, like with clothes, anything that becomes so fashionable that it's everywhere eventually starts to become a little dull/dated. In the case of names, it also loses its ability to properly identify someone.

Whilst on the one hand we complain how overused so many popular names have become, we also discourage parents from using less common names - on the grounds of them being too 'old fashioned', 'too pretentious', 'too much associated with some old tv personality' etc. etc. Shame really, because that itself makes these popular names even more popular and overused!

Well, there are lots and lots of little Alfies, Charlies, Harrys Jacks and Ellies, Livvies, Evies and Sophies around here. These names do lose some of their appeal when you hear them ALL the time! It can also get confusing and annoying by often having to add an initial, and even that sometimes isn't enough. I actually know two Harry Jones and several Steve Smiths (the latter adults) - I think in that case the names don't really do their job well (at identifying someone).

Perhaps there should be a law that you can never use last years' top 100 names?!

It's the law around here to name your baby girl something beginning with L.

Lara
Lina
Lena
Laura
Lucy
Lotte
Liv
Lisa

And if you cannot do that, it has to be Sophia.

I'm not bored of them at all, it's just quite remarkable how an entire country (not uk) has descended upon a single letter of the alphabet like this. In the little singing group I used to take dd1 to, there was Lara, Lara, Laura, Lucy, Lina, Lena and Lisa. And Jannick. Poor Jannick