If you gave your DD a very unusual name

rabbit I really want to know the names!

When DD1 was born, I gave her a name which was not unusual when I was a child, at least, not for Irish catholics. Or French people. She was born in 1998, that year there were 49 other baby girls given her name, in 2013 there were 8. So it's quite rare. We have never met another one, she was the only one at her primary school and she has been the only one at her secondary school, people don't say 'what a weird name never heard that before' though, because it's a standard name. Just unfashionable.

She hates it.

I think it's lovely.

When DD2 was born, we wanted a french name to match her sister's, we also wanted one that meant something to us. The name we chose had 44 other baby girls being given it the year she was born (2003) and last year there were 47. I do see it mentioned on MN threads sometimes though. We do get people saying 'I've never heard that name before' and again, we've never met anyone with her name (although it's also the name of a significant place to me). There's a website devoted to her name, too. Only one in her school.

She loves her name.

My name is vile, it was briefly fashionable in the 20s and again between 1966-1968. Last year, there were 6 poor girls given that name. But again - it's not a name you would ever say 'never heard that before' not least because there's a famous actress with it. And it's a chalet school name too. If you meet someone with my name, they WILL have been born in 1996-1968.

My sister's name is unique. Which makes me quite sad because my parents went to the effort of making up a fab sounding name for her and lumbered me with the flavour of the moment (there were 6 in my year at school) which was vile.

Coconutty, I knew a Jason - nice normal name for a 70s born lad; his brother was called Tarquin . . . (parents fond of the classics, and obviously not worried about incongruous baby naming!)

I love the name Jude, but had never thought of it as unusual? Lots of Judy/Judiths that I know use Jude day to day.

Actually, I suppose there could be more than one I think the stats for each year show all the names that have been used at least 3 times. My niece's name isn't on there for her year of birth anyway.

Theas18 I know a Thea who's in her 30s. I've never met another though, it's a lovely name.

My sister gave my niece a very unusual name, as in she was the only one in the year she was born. I can't share it though otherwise I will be instantly outed .

Well, my daughter is called, you guessed it, Isadora. My UK family were really not keen and spent ages before she born suggesting anything else... my dp's French family loved it. It gets really positive reactions in both countries and she seems happy with it for now... So, if I was doing it again, I wouldn't tell anyone in advance. We'd never heard of Wizadora and to be honest it wouldn't have made any difference.

DD is a Skye... we got a few "oh that's nice" at first. The reaction to her brothers popular name got was "he's called WHAT!!!???" from people who assumed that we would give him an unusual name.

My eldests name was almost unknown when she was born 21 years ago - it is not now- see username !

I am older than most on here, and my mother was talked out of using her favourite name for me because it was weird and old fashioned and little old ladyish and I'd be teased for it. The name? Emily! 35 years later, people said the same about my dd's name. Grace.

I wish all the lovers of the name Mary had been here when I was pregnant with dd1 as I really wanted to use it however someone posted a thread asking opinions on it and it was flooded with posters saying it was a nickname for your lady bits.
Put me right off in case she got teased.

It always makes me smile when people talk about unusual names. I have a Urhobo (Nigerian) name and even for a Urhobo name it's unusual people can be very very rude about names I have often heard "what type of name is that" said after I have been introduced or people try to anglasise my name. But I love my name I'm the only person in the world with my name if you google my name it's only comes up with me and googling my surname brings up family.
Be proud whatever you call your child!

My daughter's name is very rare but the Italian version is much more common in the UK ( she has the Anglicised version, which appears to almost unused. Apparently one born in 2009 and one in 2013). Although both the English and Italian versions are family names and she is the seventh generation, so it seems quite normal to us.

We didn't deliberately go for an unusual name but we decided to use the English version as it worked better with her (long, French) Middle name. After a while it just becomes a name, nothing remarkable about it. I think that nowadays we meet so many people from different cultures with names we've not encountered before that it's not really a big deal.

Oohhh LOVE Afton and Jude, the poster who has these has great taste!

I'm due my dd shortly and she will be called Aphra! (With some pretty "out there" middle names) can't wait!

Oh, there are plenty of unusual girls names that end -a or -ah!
But I can see where you're coming from, as LOTS of girls names end -a or -y (Emma, Sarah, Emily, Abby....)

supersop completely know where you're coming from. Names like Joanna or Juliet or Emmeline can be easily muddled within their name families.

Often people go for an unusual name and it gets confused with a common name. Elin for Erin, Evely for Beverly, Isadora for Isobel.

For unusual I would pick a name that doesn't end in a or ie or start with a vowel.

Meredith is usual as it doesn't sound like a handful of other names.

Doris is another!

Changed name for this! I can't believe my name is on here, Fionnuala!

My DD is Carmie, it's just perfect for her and my mother was dying when I had her and her name was Carmel which apparently means big orchard and Carmie means little garden so I thought it was lovely. Gets a bit exhausting having to repeat it as people assume it's Carly etc but I wouldn't change it!

My younger daughter is Mirabelle which I'd categorize as unusual. We just announced it, but it was more to do with going into the birth with a list of over a dozen names than any type of planning .

Loving all of the unusual names here!
I was given a rare name (other choices my mum considered were Tuesday and Autumn!) and I get mixed reactions.
Funny how people can be a bit rude about it sometimes, mostly though, people like my name.
Once my child/children arrive they will certainly have unusual names. I always find it strange when people decide on a popular name for their offspring. But h guess that's just because I have a weird one!
Never met another with my name until I was about 24, and gave f net another since.
It's nice feeling unique!
It's also character building

When DD2 was born, there were 16 babies born in UK with her name. Last year there were 57. I think it is destined to become the next Ruby or Florence. We were going to call her Abigail, but it was in the top 50, and we thought there would be loads around, but have only ever met two, and one of them is her cousin! DD1's name is unusual-ish. Both frequently appear on the MN Baby Names pages.

I love Mary too. There's one in our local sixth form.

Dd1 is Dulcie, not mega-unusual but she's the only one we've met so far.

She gets Darcy/Dolci more often than people get her name right though but it's OK we know what her correct name is

Talisker is a golden retriever's name.