Why do the mumsnet community hate popular names?

We are not the Borg

I just think the new parents coming through now seem to have an obsession with creating bonkers names, or using "normal" names and mis-spelling them.

To the point that the traditional names like Charlotte, Thomas, Daniel, Jessica, Peter, Elizabeth are the more "rare" names in a class of 30.

When DD started school, her classmates parents were all half horrified and half amused at all the duplicate names. In 3 form entry each class had multiple Millies, Ameilias and Jasmine's and Olivers.
I'm not sure what caused it, but it's a thing. I went to school with a million Rebecca's and Nicolas. And there were 4 Michael's in my brothers class. Fashion wins out.

I’ve always found that the majority like popular names? Charlotte, Oliver, Anna, James, etc. A lot of the time people come across a bit xenophobic, “don’t call them that, they will be constantly having to spell/pronounce it”, when it’s a common non-UK name (or even if it’s uncommon, other people’s inability to want to try and pronounce your name properly says more about them than the parent who named them. Our office has a wide range of names and nobody has difficulty pronouncing them.

I agree that there's nothing wrong with popular names, but two of your examples are really bad.

Margot and Luca are the epitome of trendy names. Margot is ranked #44 and only entered the charts 14 years ago. It's had an astronomical rise. There are over 20 times as many margots now as there were 10 years ago. Luca is less extreme, and was always slightly popular, but has had a pretty steep rise - there are over 10 times as many born now as 20 years ago.

Names that rise fast tend to also fall reasonably fast. In 50 years, if you get a job application from a Luca or a Margot, you'll be able to age them pretty accurately.

Also there is a lot more name variety now, so even even you pick one in the top 10, there are unlikely to be several in one class, like there would have been in the 90's.
I keep readng this on here, but I don't think it is true.
The sort of environment you are in will make the name more numerous in your area. For example, Muhammad is the most popular name, but some areas won't have any, but they might have 3 Arlos or 2 Milos in a class.

There is more variety now but if you had a class where the names were ones like Isla, Lila, Lily, Layla, Lara, Lyra, Luna, Lola, Sophia, Sofia, Bella, Ella, Ellie, Evie, Eva, Ava, Ivy the variety isn't obvious.

Is it really that different from a class with multiples of Jack, Oliver,Harry Josh, Ben or Emily, Molly etc?

As you say, there’s a difference between popular (which includes timeless names) and trendy (where you might veer into yoonique spellings and non-names, but also lovely names that for whatever reason have become popular all of a sudden).

I’m pretty glad I wasn’t on MN when we were choosing a name for DD, hers is regularly derided on here.

(It’s etc not e.x.t. 😀)

I think a popular name is often because it is a well liked name - which I don’t see as negative.

How can it be good if a name becomes super fashionable? Firstly it loses its ability to identify and secondly it inevitably falls out of fashion and becomes dated.

So yes, many see it as a negative

I think there are two things going on.

There are the nice names that are popular now, which you might warn someone off because (a) who wants to be one of five in the class, and (b) if it's a recently popular name it may lose its popularity for babies in a few years and in 30 years time your age will be instantly dateable. But still nice names.

And, perhaps more subjectively, there are the awful (to you) names that would be awful if they were unique and are still awful when there are five in the class, and it's depressing to think of lots of people liking them so you may be extra hostile because of that.

We hate ALL the names @YourAmberFawn.👹

My DD (young adult) has a name that was unusual when she was born but was just in the top 100 and is now popular (top 10/20 most years). My DS's name is a classic name that was always in top 10, but now has dropped drown.
Ultimately a name that 'feels' right is still the best choice, who knows how popularity goes. Today's never-in-the-top-hundred can become tomorrow's highest riser!
Having said that I'm not keen on 'unique' names, e.g. that sound like the name of a brand or a drink.

It’s not a choice of Eve or Moon Unit. There are lots of perfectly nice normal names that are underused as so many pick the same few names.

Off top of head Mary / Susannah / Miranda / Hester would make a change from Eve and Isabel.

It's stupid. People trying too hard to be different, which is why there are so many silly names around nowadays. It's your personality that makes you unique, not being named like you're the protagonist in a young adult novel.

Also there is a lot more name variety now, so even even you pick one in the top 10, there are unlikely to be several in one class, like there would have been in the 90's.

I know what you mean OP. It’s a bit like people boasting I like this band you’ve never heard of, as a teenager. As soon as other people like the band they decide they don’t like the bands music any more

I just went for a name that Granny would like. Simple!

I think a popular name is often because it is a well liked name - which I don’t see as negative.
Tracey, Darren, Kevin and Julie were well-liked at the time.

Have older teens and just really bored of some of the names I hear over and over again (variants of Eve and Isabel / Grace /Lily). Just bored of them I guess

I forgot to add for me I prefer the names in/ near the thousands. Dd2 2587 last I checked - not coming up on google) and ds (788) has names like that

Dd3 is now just inside 200. And dd1 just outside top 20.

I still love all their names would use their names again if starting over.

I’m not always keen on v popular names because I myself have a very generic first and middle name for an 80s/90s baby. There was always at least 1 other in the class and I still find my name really dull! I feel names like Isla Mae or Amelia Rose are very much the modern-day equivalent of my name- very popular first name and popular filler middle name combination shared by thousands.

It might, but I've seen a lot of trends come and go.
I've heard 'We didn't know it was so popular' a lot, often by parents with 'John and Jane Smith' names who picked Noah and Sophia for their children because they wanted unusual names.

I went to a school where there were several children who were Sarah Louise Smith (Upton), Sarah Louise Smith (Newton) type names, because the full name was duplicated.

I dont actually agree with your view here. I get why you feel so as its spoken in many posts.

However look at the name games. The names that consistently gets picked are top 20 names. The names that regularly are suggested when people ask for suggestions are also popular names. Charlotte for example is regularly suggested and commented on as a lovely name.

However I do agree many posts (my own included) do not seem to care for the top 30 names. I just dont think it is the majority more a vocal lot that dislikes.

For myself my own children have not got top 20 names (bar one my oldest her name has grown in popularity since she was born. I still love her name) I prefer more unusual names. Dh more classic so we went for uncommon classic names.

@Zeldasie , those names are nice enough, but they label someone as being born at a certain time.

Sarah, Victoria, David and Mark were popular at the same time, but don't have the same '55-65 y o' feel.

A lot of the time a name is popular because it is a good name!!

No, it's popular because it is fashionable at that point in time.

Tracey, Sharon, Karen and Darren were all very popular. Are they therefore 'good names'?