Really popular names

No

My name was the most popular in the year I was born, it doesn't bother me a bit!

I do think the point about it being used 5, 50 and 500 years ago is good. My second child has a popular name that will date probably to a decade which i regret a little. My other child has a more timeless popular name. Neither have been in a class with another though.

It wouldn't put me off. I just choose names that I like. I have 5 kids and they've never been to school with kids that have the same name.

I called my DS2 Oliver (10 months) because I love the name. Haven't met another girl be yet but met plenty of the less popular names at various baby groups.

If you love a name then its popularity wouldn't put me off.

My teenager has a name which is now consistently top 5 and has never met another one.
On the other hand, I was in a group the other week where there were 3 violets and 2 willows under 3.

12 years ago at the same school 28 of us got pregnant in the space of 18 months-one boy rest where girls and apart from mine and my mates daughters they where all called ruby!i think the kaiser chiefs have a lot to answer for!

DS is almost two and when we named him we didn’t know anyone with his first or middle name (Elijah Jude), now I seem to hear both names everywhere I go. However, I know a little girl with the name Olivia and she’s the only one in her class. It’s just luck of the draw.

It would put me off But I have a semi unusual name and there was another girl a few months younger than me with the same first and middle name as me.
I've always checked my dc names haven't been popular in the last year or so before they are born.
Saying that my dd shared her name and birthday with another girl in her class. You just never know.

I would be put off, but probably because I love looking at naming trends and pages like this and I get bored of the same names popping up....currently bored of sienna, Olivia, Amelia, Elodie, Theo, Jasper, seren, Mya, Mia ...names are perfectly lovely, just me having heard them a lot.

It's all just luck of the draw.

But the chances are massively reduced if you choose a name that was used 10 times vs a name that was used 5000 times per year!

My DC's name was around 2000th most popular that year, and later found out that a friend of a friend in our small town had also used it. It's all just luck of the draw.

If I really loved it then it wouldn't put me off.

My DD's name was 180th. There was still another in her class.

Yes- we discounted Harry and Oliver because of it. But I suspect that was because we didn’t like either ‘enough’ if that makes sense.

DH likes Lily for a girl, but we went to a wedding where, out of 6 little girls, 3 were called Lily. He then stopped campaigning for it quite so vociferously 😂

It depends, it would have to be a name we really loved. OP, I just named my daughter Amelie, which is v popular here in the UK but we loved it too much and we don't regret it at all! just go with whatever name you like best! x

Yes, I also hate having a popular name. It's not just at school but at work and among friends that there are often more of us with the same (1970s) name.

I wish my parents had tried a little harder to find a more interesting name.

Yes. I have a very common first name. There was always other people with my name in school and then work. And then the inevitable chat about who would upset their name or a nn or their surname. I purposefully used an unusual name.

I’m afraid it would put me off.

I know so many children called George and Isabella they may as well be called
Boy and Girl. They’re perfectly nice, classic names (that’s why they’re popular!) but once they reach a certain level of popularity they become kind of basic.

It wouldn't bother me at all. I have a name that was very popular when I was born and it didn't cause any issues, other than anything with my name on it always being sold out.

Ask yourself how you would feel about having a very popular name yourself? Many people called Steve or Sarah might feel that they'd rather have less popular name?

Agree that names are meant to identify us. (Ideally without adding a surname initial)

I would be put off, like a name to be a bit unusual and not heard of lots.

It doesn't bother me at all - all 3 of my kids have very popular names including the ubiquitous O name. Honestly we picked the names we liked best when I was pregnant then went with the name . I didnt even look to see if their initials spelt out anything . 2 of my 3 are still in primary and one post primary and they've never been in a class with a child of the same name. I do however remember when the O child started primary and we were there for the induction - it turned out that there were two kids with the same name and it was an unusual name, I hadn't heard it in years - Christ their parents were raging , it was dirty looks all round.

We're expecting our first and I've just eliminated one of my favourite names from the list (it was a main contender) as its skyrocketing in popularity (Matilda - it went from 21 in Australia last year to 13 this year, and I keep hearing it everywhere).

It's such a shame. My partner doesn't care as much and would want to keep it in contention if he wasn't already settled on the other name we like, which is out of the top of 100. In saying that, I wish popularity didn't bother me as it does rule out some fantastic names.

Each to their own I suppose. I think it's just a matter of listening to your gut. I kept trying to justify why I should keep Matilda as a main contender (and the justification is valid in a lot of ways; it's a beautiful name I've always loved and I perceive it as timeless rather than trendy) but I knew deep down I couldn't get past its popularity and that I'd be annoyed if I used it and my daughter had multiple in her circle/year group. In saying that, as people have said you just never know what names will he popular in your area; maybe I'll meet lots of little girls with the name we've picked!

In our Scouts troop we have 4 Harrys, two of which have a very similar surname! Can be very confusing at times!

We sometimes forget that a name's main purpose is to identify someone.

There is absolutely no way to predict how many people with the same name your DC will encounter. I agree with a PP that the variety of names is much wider now than in the past, so even the No.1 name will only be used about 1% of the time. Its not like in the 50s when there were Marys and Johns everywhere.