Why do people pick popular names?

We gave DS1 the most popular boys name that year. Why? Because both DH and I liked it. I'd liked it since I was a child and we did discuss whether it would be a problem that it was poular (we have a common surname too) but we went for it because there wasn't one we liked more and we both needed to agree. No regrets - it's still a name I love.

DD has a name that, according to MN is very popular in her age group, but there wasn't another one at her primary school or secondary school or in her hobby group that brought together kids from all over the region. You can't really predict how many people you're going to meet with the same name.

I have an unusual name that I always have to explain how to pronounce. All through school I was always chosen first and had to explain my name and even today it happened on a course. I absolutely knew I didn't want my children to have that so they have classic names. Easy to spell and pronounce.

Hmm, I had never considered the googlability of a name. Now slightly concerned as ds has a very unique name. It's not wacky, just not used much any more combined with an unusual surname.
I made sure we didn't give our kids very popular names though, I really liked that I was the only kid in my whole school with my name. When someone said my name I knew they meant me. There were about 20 Clares and Helens so they always needed to clarify. It just seemed annoying.

@KittyWithStripes I know loads of people with unusual names they don't seem affected by their names. My cousin had a baby two weeks ago she named him Johnny. Midwives commented how it was nice to hear something different for a change 😂

Because they hated having a more individual name themselves growing up. How I wanted to be a Julie/Tracy/Debbie. My FS has a very popular name .

My DS had a top 5 name when he was born (think it's slipped a little now) ... it honours a relative, is a classic name used by Royalty - and he actually never met anyone at school or locally (except a neighbours dog ) with the same name until he went to Uni and shares the name with his best mate. It was genuinely never an 'issue'. My DH has an extremely common name for his generation, same as my brother's, interestingly you rarely hear it these days ... but it's not really a problem. I think people overthink the importance of names.

@Notsuredontknow my eldest 3 children have very unusual names, not unique because they are just normal names but you never really hear of them. They loved being the only kids in school with those names. They've even thanked me for not giving them popular names.

Well it doesn't take much to understand very popular names that disappear can become symbolic of the age they became over used. Sharon, Tracy, Wayne and Gary. David - David Brent/Dave TV , Karen etc etc .
All the Tylers I know are 20 -25 . I should imagine they'll be the Nigels and Barrys in 20 years time. Just very dated

Also to have a unique name it has to be something that isn’t a name. Believe it or not some people do pick random words, throw them together and ta dah- use that as a name for their child. See Elon Musk and Grimes as prime examples of this.

We hit the sweet spot with my first daughter; she has a classic but underused name. My second daughter has another classic name but it’s in the top 30. It’s a lot more popular than I would have ideally liked (which does irk me on some days) but it was the only one my husband and I agreed on so we had to go with it. It wasn’t for lack of trying on my part as I came up with lots of lovely, uncommon suggestions that were vetoed.

I imagine it’s because they like the name or it’s all they could agree on. I avoided the top 20 names but I have the ability to understand that other people like different things to me.

My daughter has an unusual, though not weird, name. It was quite important to us that she have a unique name but I’m not sure why! This thread is making me think about it and I’m going to see what DH thinks tomorrow! I have what was a rare name but is actually quite popular for babies now (I know of 2 recently within my friendship circle). I rather liked being the only person with my name throughout my school life, but again I don’t know why! I remember as a 5yo meeting a waitress with my name in a Wimpy restaurant and it was the most exciting thing ever!

DD is 4. When we were naming her we just shortlisted names we liked. Popularity didn't really feature in our consideration. I did look later out of curiosity and our top 5 names ranger in popularity from in the top 20 to not in the top 100.

As it happens we picked a name where I only knew of one person with the name (a colleagues 15 year old daughter). DD's name was in the top 80 that year, albeit the most common abbreviation was higher. Her name has now dropped out of the top 100 although the abbreviation is even more popular than it was then. Since she was born I know of 4 new babies with her name (e.g. friends new niece, Grandparents friends new granddaughter etc.).

It's hard to predict name trends and a lot of people just don't care and want something they like!

Hmmm do you ask people why they choose to bleach their hair, grow it long and curl it at the ends like the majority of young women do? Or why they have false eyelashes and have their nails done. Do you ask why they don’t do something far more unique. Or why the majority of men wear crappy sportswear and shave the back of their head? Why not be more individual.
Why don’t more people colour their hair red or purple? Or make their own unique clothes. Why are the majority boring and the same?

People don’t pick popular names. Some names have to have the most amount of people called them (just like green cars have the most accidents…because one colour car has to have the most). But when you look at the % of babies called Oliver/George/Amelia, they’re not that popular. They’ve got nothing on the Stevens and Emmas of the past.

In my DC school of around 300, there are zero named Charlie or Sophie (to use the example above). There is one Olivia, one Amelia (actually I think she’s just left so zero Amelias). There’s one Lily. There’s one Jack. I’m just using examples from the top five name lists from ONS.

there are multiple more unusual names (five Ezras, three Arlos, two Rockys, three Bonnies, three Olives, two Phoenixs, five Adas to name a couple off the top of my head).

It is hard to predict what will be popular in the year after you name your child and in your local area. I have no idea if the parents of the latter kids tried to go unusual or just picked names they liked but I think it demonstrates the problem that you just don’t know what everyone else is going to choose that year.

Because they like the sound of them. I knew of one other of DD1’s name at the time. It’s a classic name but then became more popular . Hear it less now but I still love it.

Because we liked it best. DD has a top 20 name (maybe top 10) and we hesitated about giving it to her because of the popularity. But we didn't like other names as much.

I gave my eldest a name that was something like 150th the year he was born, and is now top 10

I deliberately picked names NOT in the top 100.

For both, there are same names everywhere we go. DS has had two other kids in his class & DD's name has a close variant that I hear everyday (and she gets called that, even though her name is simple and sounds as it is spelt.

I never hear the popular names anywhere!

So damned if you do, damned if you don't!

I chose the number 1 name for my son the year he was born. He was the only one in his school year of 240 kids.

Children don't need names to make them unique. That's what their personality is for.

@bonbon2023 I see your point, but I don’t think you’re taking into account growing up with an extremely unusual surname or first name… or both… the scars!!!!

I have a rare name, I have to spell it out a lot and correct when said wrong.

With my first I had no real idea of how many people had the same name. Her name is a classic name we liked and she was the only one in her class. But it is a fairly common name (& still is) but not seemingly in the area we lived.

Same with my second daughter chose a name we liked - her best friend at school has the same name! Unlike my first the name does seem more common in where we live.

I chose their names because we liked them. I did avoid names like mine - having to spell my own name a lot is annoying!!

@Flibbertigibbettytoes omg is this a Twilight thing 😁

I wonder this. My name is so common. I always get muddled up with colleagues of the same name, it's been the same since school. It's annoying tbh never just being 'Meglet' and always having to be 'Meglet X'.
My kids have far less common, but not weird, names.