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Baby names

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

Original poster

Would you rather...

85 replies

Gremlinothefirst · 25/06/2017 20:48

... have a really unusual name (ie not in the top 1000 names in the U.K. but is not a made up name) that might (or might not) put you at risk of teasing at school, or have a common, traditional name that is having a surge in popularity right now such that you'd probably know lots of others your age?

This is the choice we are trying to make for our son, born last week, no name! I don't want to say what the names are but it would be the equivalent of Ignatius versus George.

Lack of sleep is making it very hard to think straight. Help!

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Original poster
Gremlinothefirst · 01/07/2017 12:54

Thanks everyone, we are 98% sure we're going with the unusual one Smile

OP posts:
nooka · 30/06/2017 01:16

I have a very unusual name (I suspect well outside of the top 1000) which I love. I do have to spell or pronounce it all the time, but I've never met another (they do exist though). dh has a very common name and while he didn't know many at school there were lots at university and so they all got nicknames, some of which weren't very nice (I remember big, tall, fat, little, thrash, Scouse and a couple that were just totally renamed, not at their request).

I think that with a much wider range of names being used the likelihood of an unusual name being commented on is much less than 20 or 30 years ago, but also the likelihood of five in a class even with a super popular name. We accidentally called ds a very popular name (boomed the year after he was born and has stayed top ten ever since) but I think have only met one other.

TyrionLannisterforKing · 30/06/2017 00:50

Go with the unusual name. Whenever someone says Tyrion half a dozen heads turn, and as a consequence I end up being called "Tyrion Lannister". Lannister, btw, having to be spelled every single time, which I always took in stride. If your kid doesn't like it, he can ask to be called by his middle name.

Veterinari · 30/06/2017 00:40

I find Edward dull and a bit wet.

Nowadays he'll be lost on a sea of Teddy's and Theodores- what's your unusual name?

GraceGrape · 28/06/2017 23:02

I really like Edward. In 15 years of teaching, I have never come across one.

Haint · 28/06/2017 22:58

My name was very unusual when I was young. Never met another, no pencils available with it printed on them. Piss taken fairly regularly. It has since become very very very popular.

grufallosfriend · 28/06/2017 22:43

Edward is ok, I find it a little dull.

I agree - give your son a name to make his own!

Original poster
Gremlinothefirst · 28/06/2017 20:43

Argh I'm still so confused! You all make good points. I'm hoping it will all become clear to me in the next few days. We are trying out the different names to see what fits

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 27/06/2017 16:02

Edward's a fine choice for a middle name. Go on, be brave! Give him the other name to make his own.

bridgetreilly · 27/06/2017 16:01

Edward's a fine choice for a middle name. Go on, be brave! Give him the other name to make his own.

RoseVase2010 · 26/06/2017 19:45

DS has an unusual name, but not unheard of, it suits him but wouldn't inspire any teasing because of it. It was a fucking nightmare to come up with!

Augustbabyyeah · 26/06/2017 19:37

I love the name Edward.

Ikeameatballs · 26/06/2017 19:35

I love Edward. It's DS's middle name and I often wish it was his first name with the nn Ted.

What's the unusual choice?

And remember that Edward hasn't always been popular....it's had a resurgence lately but there's nothing to guarantee that your more unusual choice won't shoot up the charts.

Do the names sound better in either order when said with your surname? That would swing it for me.

TheSeaTheSkyTheSeaTheSkyyyyyy · 26/06/2017 19:29

MontanaSkies good idea. I did the same for boys names and wasn't so impressed. I found Roy and Lionel, but apart from them and a few other really old dull names, the names outside the top 1000 seem to almost entirely be:

a) foreign names presumably used by immigrants living in the UK (Vincenzo, Krzysztof, Hakeem, etc.)
b) double barrelled first names (Joshua-James, Harvey-Lee, etc)
or c) stupid spellings of normal names (Dillan, Jaxen, etc.)

ErrolTheDragon · 26/06/2017 19:29

The other thing I like about a name like Edward is that it's classless, anyone can have it from a Grundy to a prince. Whereas some unusual names must be quite hard to live with, if they're just not 'you'.

MollyHuaCha · 26/06/2017 19:27

Whichever you choose, be assured that at some time in his terrible teens he will complain bitterly that you didn't choose the other option.

ScarletSienna · 26/06/2017 19:24

But Gremlin, what I really want to know...is what is the unusual name?!

ErrolTheDragon · 26/06/2017 19:24

Edward is a pleasant name and allows for being Ted, Teddy, Ed, Eddie - its a good name.

ScarletSienna · 26/06/2017 19:23

Although I see Ted and Teddy a lot on here and a few irl, Edward is less used day to day I think. So it may be higher on the popularity list, it may not be actually used that much. I know none under 8!

Original poster
Gremlinothefirst · 26/06/2017 19:17

Ok I concede. The common name is Edward (seems to be loads of teddys right now)...

OP posts:
Decaffstilltastesweird · 26/06/2017 19:10

I had a popular name and actually quite liked it when I met girls with the same name. But, I really love unusual (not wacky) names! So I'm totally on the fence .

miniss · 26/06/2017 19:02

I get not saying the uncommon one, but what's the common name?

MontanaSkies · 26/06/2017 18:43

I've just had a quick look at the latest ONS list (2015) - just outside the top 1000 are Ingrid, Ferne, Sally, Marissa, Anita.

All really nice names (imo), nothing "out-there", just underused at the moment. OK those are girls' names but I'm sure there are similar underused gems on the boys' list.

BiggerThanTheSunAndMoon · 26/06/2017 12:24

I would rather have a compromise in between, to be honest! Like, top 100-500 rather than outside the top 1000 or inside the top 10!

But I guess if I HAD to choose one or the other, I'd go with top 10.

Argeles · 26/06/2017 12:23

Definitely use the unusual one.

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