What about your name?

I hate my name tbh. It’s an old woman’s name and not in a good way. There weren’t any at school, and I only know one other at the moment (a friend of mine). I quite like the diminutive but I’ve never been called it really- it doesn’t suit me at all!

I was one of five in my year! I don't mind. It's a pretty name regardless of decade.

I have a very, very common name. Was number one for the year I was born and there was 5 in my class and there's 4 of us at work.

Fucking hate it.

I have a very unusual name and have always loved it! It's unusual but easy to say and pronounce and people tell me it's beautiful.

I like my name but I was one of several in my school, it's a typical 80s name. It's had a surge of popularity recently so I hear it often in classrooms. I'm known by a diminutive of it which is more unusual. I think my name suits me, I wouldn't change it, but it did make me extremely aware of how popular names were when I chose them for my DC. They're classic, timeless names, not at all unusual but not popular. They're the only ones in their school with the names, which I much prefer, although in our wider circle I know of two other DC1-name of a similar age.

I had a very unusual maiden name and my married name is just as unusual, so my kids never stood a chance of blending in with the crowd.

I have an unusual name that suggests something about my background. Lets say it is Cordelia (it isn't) - suggests a cultural and educational background.
I got teased about it at school. People made assumptions about my background when I was older or got it wrong, again and again.
I like my name and it seems more popular now, but at school, I think I would have prefered a more regular name.

To be fair, it wasn't the name's fault, but I didn't know how to stop the teasing.

My name is perfectly normal although perhaps a little dated for my age (early 30s). My parents chose an alternative spelling for it which, although I agree is prettier, is just annoying, especially as my surname was the same in being normal but with a slightly different spelling.

Was quite pleased to take my husband’s extremely common but very easy to spell surname when we married as it’s one less name to spell.

I totally agree with @Bigearringsbigsmile

I like my name. Quite common where I grew up but not common elsewhere. I get a lot of compliments on it and I do like that my parents put thought into making sure that my names roll off the tongue well. I have sort of ruined that by hypenating my surname after marriage but it was nice for the first 25 years of my life

I have a super common 80s name. My mum told me once that I was almost a Roberta . I'm grateful for my actual name!

I do like that I have a quite an unusual middle name though.

@vampirethriller - gotcha! That is very random considering your siblings all have biblical names. Glad you could use your middle. I think these days people would find that pretty here in the US but I can see how in the UK and also during that time it was tough. Thank you for sharing!

@Rachelhaydenberk1 think along the lines of lady, princess etc!

Mine was unusual at the time so I only ever met a couple of others growing up although it's more common now. I love it and have never had any issues with it. Am glad I wasn't one of multiple girls with the same name tbh.

Similar to you, OP. My name was slightly old for my generation. Was one of only 2 in a secondary of 1200 kids.

Have mixed feelings about my name. It's always felt a little frumpy and not very feminine. (It gets absolutely murdered and sounds hideous if spoken in a Yorkshire/Humberside accent.)

On the other hand, there were 4 Lindsey's, 5 Claire's, 3 Joanne's, 3 Louises and 4 Sarah's in my year at school and I'm really glad I didn't have a really popular name because I would have hated to be confused with other kids constantly.

My name is quite old fashioned for my generation. I was born in the early 80s and have quite a 60s name. I didn't used to be a fan, but later discovered that my birth mother had chosen it, so I treasure it now.

The diminutive form is the name always given to dolls or poodle dogs, which isn't so great, but hey!

I'm torn between an unusual name for my DC if it's a girl, or a more commonly heard one. Still can't make up my mind.

Oh just thought.

I worked in a care home (until signed off sick). I had lots and lots of compliments from the elderly residents about how lovely my name was. And how lucky I was to have such a classic, pretty name
(That and the fuss they made about my natural curls made me feel like I was really special )

My name is unusual in the UK, it’s never been top 100. I think I’ve met 2 others in my life.

It’s fine as a name though it is very distinctive!

I chose names that I liked for my dc. For dd that means that she has a name that I’d liked since childhood but it is now out of the top 100. Ds’s name was top 20 when is was born.

I often think that for some posters there is a determination to choose an unusual name over choosing a name that they really like. Why say “nothing in the top 100”, do you really not like any of them?

Should have said any of the shortenings

My name has been top 10 or 20 for years, but I weirdly don't know that many irl. One in primary in a different class, one my class at high school, and a good friend from uni. Never met one at work. However its a good solid name that's perfectly nice outty of options for diminutives.

The DS x 3 all have unusual names and I suspect they'll go through a phase of hating them but I hope they'll largely love them

I grew up in London the 80s and 90s with a very Irish name associated with Irish Republicans. Nobody could spell it or pronounce it in London, which was a bit of a pain. I used to wish as a kid I had a nice English name like Emma or Gemma.

But I grew to love it! Firstly, because I started liking having an unusual name. It was still unusual when I was in my 20s and early 30s (in the UK).

Then it became more well known (Suggested on MN baby name boards, even!) and the connotations and history became a bit better understood, so it was seen by Brits as ‘an Irish name’ rather than a weird collection of letters .

I’m glad I’m not Emma Gemma now. Although I unknowingly tapped in to the zeitgeist and gave my DD a babe which wasn’t common when she was born 12 years ago but is now top 20 in the UK. So...

I really don’t like my name. It’s old fashioned for when I had it, it’s doesn’t sound at all pretty, I don’t like any of the meanings and the meaning is really not me, so I can’t even cling to that for a connection. The name I really wish I had was the one my parents were going to use right up until the last minute! On the upside, there aren’t many of us about in my generation, so from a practical perspective, that’s good.

I don’t like the fact that my name doesn’t shorten. And there are three in my friendship group which does cause confusion. I can’t even find a good nickname to help. It’s not a major burden but it does bug me a bit. My kids all have normal but rare names.

I have an incredibly popular name for my generation. It mildly bothered me during my teens when i wanted to be cool not commen.

As a young child i liked having the same name as others - including my best friend.

As an adult, i mix with people from 20 - 65 at work so the fact my name had a good 10 - 15 years of being super popular doesnt matter as much as we have olivias to susans represented. Although i have always worked with at least one other.

The only thing i would say is mine is classic rather than trendy and crossess social divides. Its a name that goes in and out of fashion for hundreds of years. I think i'd be less keen on a really popular name that was specifically associated with one decade and one social group.

I love my name .only met two others through all my education.
Rarely come across another now.
Gets shortened by my family only, to my initial, which is in itself a name.
Occasionally gets lengthened by someone adding a -y- or -ie- to it.
Doesn’t really ‘go’ with my siblings name.

I have a common surname and common first name for the time I was born. I hate it to this day and go by a less common nickname.

I was always the only one in my class but I didn’t like the fact it was common regardless of how many others I knew!

I do like that my middle name flows well but I also like that my name has an even number of letters so I’m a bit odd 😂