Is Ava too popular?

Ava and Lily work together well imo - both short, pretty sounding names which have had a popularity surge over the last 20 or so years. So neither are timeless and may date slightly, but that didn't worry you for Lily so I'm not sure it would matter for Ava? Amelia has also had a similar popularity surge so it would be the same situation.

Equally both are very popular - if you add together both spellings of Lily (Lily and Lilly) it actually beats Ava. But again, does this matter? Most of the more popular names are used by fewer parents each year so there's a very good chance there wont be more than one of a name in a class, unlike in our own schooldays or especially in our parents/grandparents day (although obviously they will likely meet other Lily's and Ava's in larger schools/at groups).

Agree about the May/Mai/Mae thing ,it's so generic as a middle name, where as your previous choice of Kate is a bit more uncommon - although May as a first name would be much more unusual and a lovely sibset with Lily (as both Lily and May are flower names, just May is a bit more obscure).

There's more diversity in names so it's more unlikely there will be multiples in the same class. It also depends on area. If you really love it then it's up to you whether having a name in the top 10 bothers you.

I love Ava but really dislike May / Mai

I don't think names become old fashioned

Sharon, Barbara, Ethel, Maureen are not old fashioned?!

I don't think names become old fashioned, they just put an age on the person when they get older.
Don't get the obsession with unique, unusual names, the need for it is maybe time specific and aging too, as I doubt my parents where that bothered about my name being unique, they just picked a nice name that they liked. Just go for what you like.

Ava May is the Emma Louise of this decade.

We’re drowning in Ava’s around here. So dull and overused it’s no longer pretty just meh

Nice enough name but its popularity means it's lost that aura of old school Hollywood glamour that it used to have.

Lily and Ava are both popular so if you like it you should use it.

I guess Lily has always been popular whereas Ava is having a moment so it stands out more as a trending/overused name.

I know two baby Ava’s and two baby Lily’s. Both named in the past few years.

Ava and Lily are both in UK top 10 baby names and Ava is in the US top 10 as well.

I think it depends on what region you’re from with how many babies you will actually meet with the same name. You could check UK name statistics by region.

But if you like the name then go for it :)

I know a few Ava mays. It’s really popular. Eva is nicer and less popular I think

Ava Mai is going to date really fast like Sharon and Tracey, way too popular in society.

Choose names that are classic and not too maimstream:
Iona
Anna
Clara
Erica
Violet
Heather
Cassia
Camelia
Rosa/Rosalind/ Rosanna
Delphine
Dahlia
Jasmine
Azalea
Zinnia
Veronica
All of these names apart from the first 3 are floral names so they're known, quite classic but not massively common like Ava.

Popular names are popular because people like them.

People love them at a point in time. They become fashionable and all parents suddenly 'love' them.

However, like anything fashionable, they eventually fall out of fashion and become 'old fashioned' or dated!

@TakeYourFinalPosition , it has been in the top 10 for a decade, so there will be lots of them, and it also is similar to Evie, Eva and Ivy.

Names are popular because they fit in with what is currently popular, and names that seem to be loved by many do fall out of fashion. I can remember when Rebecca was hugely popular, but it's fallen out of the top 200 now.

Everyone convinced me Ava was far too popular. Baby is now 10 months old and I haven’t met a single one across a whole load of prenatal classes, baby classes, mum meets, etc. Not one 🤷‍♀️

I think choose the name you love regardless of popularity. Popular names are popular because people like them. If you choose a less popular name there's no guarantee there won't be more than one in a class. It's not much more popular than Lily. Even the top names aren't given to a high percentage of babies.

Mai is a valid name and pronounced differently to May and Mae. It's pronounced like My.

I'd suggest Maya pronounced My-a and a completely different middle name

It's pretty but really very popular.
It goes much better with Lily than Amelia (which I personally dislike as a name as it sounds meeeely !)

Is Mai being pronounced as May? Or my ?

There are 3 in my granddaughter’s reception class.

Ava is a good name but it will get lumped with Eva/Eve/Evie etc

If you are worried about other girls called Ava then think of an unusual middle name. The top 3 middle names for girls are Mai/Mae/May, Grace and Rose ime so if there's another Ava then there's a super high chance that she will have the same middle name too.

Ava has lost its appeal through overuse. There are just too many Avas around!

Very popular here too. Saying that, she’s your baby, if you like it then use it.

Too popular. I don't like it at all. Mai is ok if you are Welsh but if you are saying it as May, little Ava Mai will be yet another Ava May.

Yes, it’s incredibly popular and has been for years now. Same as the middle name May/Mae. (I assume ‘May’ is how you plan to pronounce ‘Mai’? But I’d suggest using a different spelling as ‘Mai’ is pronounced like ‘my’).

Ava and May are not only two very popular names, but ‘Ava May’ as a full name is also very very popular.