Maybe a controversial question!

I think you're right to say that a fair number of posters expressing views on the baby names threads are of an age as likely to be grandmothers as mothers and that this probably influences MN's notoriously "classic" approach to baby naming. Speaking here as someone who could perfectly easily be either grandmother or new mother.

However, if you look at the UK top 100 you'll see that MN is not exactly out of line with the general public, and the top ten boys names in particular are really really conservative.

My DC are in their late teens & early 20s so I won't be naming any more babies.

I just happen to be fascinated by names and that's why I'm often on the Baby Names board.

I'm 48 & I think names like Kyla & Jayden are fine.
But I'm also a dirty rotten furriner, so...

I am in my 30s and am not keen on names that are too different. I like classic, timeless names and disagree totally that they are "boring".

In fact, your child is more likely to be the only "John" in their class in amongst all the hundreds of Alfies and Lilys.

Names that are fashionable can seem very dated later. When I was at school there were masses of Lindas and Christines - nowadays these almost inevitably give away your era. There's nothing wrong with them, but whoever chooses these for a baby now? I can think of quite a few that are currently very popular - excluding the classics - that will be the same 30 or 40 years on. A bit like goat's cheese and red onion tart - seen everywhere now, but it will be the prawn cocktail of the future. ;-)

I keep wondering when John will become popular again. For hundreds of years it was the most popular boy's name, yet anyone calling their son John now would very likely find he's the only one in the whole school. But at the same time it would not date him as another name might.

I'm in my 20's and would use James as my no.1 boys name were it not my awful bil's name.

I'm 32
My children are Padraig, Jacinta, Lenny and Romilly.
My best friend of the same age has an Eden, Sylvie, Reuben and Delilah.

There aren't many Thomas' and Catherine's amongst the peer group of our progeny so I think you may have a point.

Im a Marielle and my friend is a Jennifer, both born in 1983.
Husband/DP both Chris/Kris

I don't know why you think the names you listed are incompatible with people in their 20s and 30s outs self the four names you give are the names of my sons and two of my nephews - DSis and I named them when we were in our 20s and 30s - and still in our 30s now!

I am beyond my 30s, I won't be having any more DC sadly, but I like the baby names threads. My DC are both top 100 names, and I 'knew' their names before they were born. So I never did the short-listing thing

It depends where you've been though op.

Some top 10 names are the same level of popularity throughout Europe though And I look for names that make sense across Europe because it's important to me.

We have Welsh, Austrian French and English heritage between us and live in another European country. Sophie and different versions of it are very popular in all those countries for example. And it was on our shortlist for dd. It's also traditional and classic. I didn't want anything too foreign though because they sound ridiculous with a very common English surname so that needs to be taken into consideration too.

Last year 3 of my friends the same age named their dds the same name that was very popular at the time and my 22 year old niece also went for something similar. They all sound dated already and all of them thought they were being original. They wish they'd gone for something classic.

I think it's usually wrong to make assumptions about posters.

And ageist to make assumptions about people liking or disliking things because of their date of birth. For example, older parents might have the style and confidence to choose the really weird names for their children, and suggest them here (can I take it you have yet to be on a Ptolemy thread?)

'Traditional' names have become traditional because they are well liked. Top ten names are in those positions because lots of people like them enough to use them. Some names have been in the top 50 for decades.

Age isn't going to be a big deciding factor on whether you like traditional names. They're traditional because they've succeeded at appealing to lots of people for generations.

I'm 29. My children have very 2010's names - surname first name/trendy names (names I just love and suit my children). I cant imagine that there will be a lot of Sarah's and James' in a few years but then they will roll back round into fashion... I Got an absolute pasting for my ds name on here when I dared to asked what kind of reaction it would get and my dd's name got ripped apart on the same thread (and I did find it quite hurt for my DD) but at the same time I cant expect everyone to like the same names as I do.

I also want to add that I like names that have a lot of different possibilities for nicknames. There are a few for dds name but one very obvious one which I hate and nobody uses it.

So for example Alexander is my top choice for a boy but he'll be Sasha or Sandy and not Alex.

I didn't have very positive reactions to dds name but it didn't bother me in the slightest. But I agree about made up names.

Lawrence is on my list too incidentally.

I think posters know that sometimes, you get your different name by going for something that isn't too fashionable. That's not linked to age that realisation, is it? i'm in my 40s, nto having more children but I am interested in what names come in to fashion. My children's names already sound tied to a previous decade. iT'S what happens.

People do always complain that MN has a bias towards classic names. I think it's a fair reflection of the general consensus. Look at the top 100. The William, James, Joshua, Sophie, Olivia names are massively popular. There are then faddy names, modern and slightly inventive names, nature names etc. All liberally represented.

It's just the norm ime. The names you've seen extreme reactions to are probably notable exceptions. I think Lawrence and similar are well received here in general. Hippy or nature names are well received too.

Made up names, surnames as first names and very modern naming trends are most often derided on here and that's usually a socio-economic prejudice.

SweetSuz and Betty, why in the world would other people choosing traditional names make you sad?! It's a matter of taste, it doesn't determine the child's personality. I don't think of myself as particularly conformist, but the name I've earmarked for a future DS is definitely a traditional one. They're good names, that's why they become classics.

I just checked my daughter's name and it's not in the top 50 which surprised me because it's a sensible classic name. I'm in my 30s. I find the comments about being disappointed with friends for their name choices strange, it seems odd that you would think less of someone because of a baby name.

I do think some people try a bit too hard with names. If my child is going to be quirky or unique she will be whatever her name is. She can use whatever nickname she wants, but if she chooses to be quiet and not want to stand out her name allows for that too.

Derek is definitely your Dad's name !

I think it's much more to do with class than age tbh.

I think people are generally more conservative with boys names which is really sad and boring. I've been so surprised by friends who I always saw as quite alternative/ open minded picking 'normal' boys names and encouraging their sons to be naice 'normal' boys.

I don't think it's an age thing

well, I am 48, so no, not in your peer group.

But I had my kids when I was 35, 37 and 40, so wouldn't have been in you peer group then either.

For what its worth, I don't think age is the determining factor, I think where you live and class/social group is much more significant.

My eldest brother and I have pretty similar name tastes, classics, (not actually the ones you mention which are a bit boring to me) real names, but we tried to find less common ones. I love Silas for example.
But brother no.2 is a much less conventional person. His kids have non standard names, names which a generation ago were not names. I really dislike that naming style.

Also, from your examples Xavier is considered to be very posh, and cre8tive spellings are considered to be very chavvy by many.

I'm 30, my son has a biblical but unusual name. We were going for 'uncommon but not weird' and I think we hit it pretty well! I've had lots of compliments for it, although people do sometimes mispronounce or misspell it. It's the risk you run I guess.

I'm 38. I have a 15 month old dd who has a very retro first name which I absolutely love but I've never met one her age and it was more popular in the 70's. I just love the meaning of dds name which is why I used it. The meaning of a name is the most important thing for me.

Her middle name is also classic but in the current top 10.

Ds is due in a few weeks and my top two names on the shortlist are husband names but one of them is still top ten. Whilst I don't like things that are too popular I believe that some classic names are classic for a reason and others deserve a revival like dds does.

In my shortlist I do have some slightly more daring choices but they'll probably end up as a middle name.

I don't think it's anything to do with age, just personality/preference. My mum gave us all very odd names and she had us quite old. I'm in my twenties and chose a 'boring' name. Sorry to disappoint .