How important in popularity when choosing names?

Imo there are much more benefits in having a popular name than negative ones (fitting in with your peers, most people knowing how to spell and pronounce your name, most people liking the sound of it, even being able to easily get junk with your name on which is fun for kids etc) and the reduction in use of the most popular names compared to even 30 years ago is huge - now even with the most popular names you’d be unlucky to have 2 in a class (for example there are no Oliver’s or Olivia’s at all my sons nursery, actually there’s no repeated names at all at the moment).

BUT some popular names may feel very dated in future which your DC might really not appreciate when older (so always worth checking the Darkergreener site to see if a name has suddenly risen in popularity, rather than being the timelessly popular sort like Thomas, Elizabeth etc - or at minimum that it’s stayed popular now for a few decades at least if you want to try to avoid this).

And it’s also worth considering whether the names sounds make it seem more popular than it is - for example there’s an Archie, Albie and Alfie at nursery as well as a Theo, Leo, Milo and Arlo and and Elsie, Esme, Ella and Ellis; so many names seem to blend together even though there’s technically no repeats.

So bear in mind that your Ella may have similar or an Isabella may have an Arabella or Isabelle in class, Sophia may have a Sophie or Sofia. Only you can decide if that would bug you - in my experience the children often don’t really care, in fact many seem to like it and end up close friends with the kid with the similar name!

I had an uncommon name and was often teased or people didn't know how to pronounce it. I have grown to love it but life would have been simpler with a different name. I called my children uncommon but recognisable names, as I am a teacher and didn't want them to be one of 3 with the same name in a class. I wanted them to have a name that didn't bring too many preconceptions, whatever they wanted to do in life. They both like their names and being the only child or two in their year with that name

I never actually thought about looking to see how popular our list of names was. We just chose names we liked. As it turned out, both were in the top ten for the year they were born. However, they were both the only ones in their two-form entry primary and I think maybe one other in their year groups at secondary.

I have quite an unusual name I'm in my 50s and I have never met another.
I liked this as a child abd due to this I wanted similar for my children.

Dd1 got a name that was just inside the top 100 year before she was born. Friends hit and her name exploded and went up to mid 20s. We have met many of them over the years.

We picked much further out for the other 3

Dd2 has a name in the 2000's. Never met one with her specific name though some with the e ending not her a ending

Ds around 1250. We have met one other a dad in the primary he went to. Who said our Conrad was the first he ever met at age 36.

Dd3. 350 when she was born. Now just inside 200. Irish name. Met 1 other at an IKEA play area.

For us the less popular was important

It's also fashionable to try and be different, especially these days. Popular names aren't used now as often as Tracy and Michelle were used in the 60's.

Some names have also been popular for years and will likely never fall out of fashion.

The popular names tend to be popular for a reason though, obviously a lot of people like them. Fashion.

Names usually follow trends, and the names people pick for their babies are usually within the current trends.

Yes, popular names are popular because lots of people like the same ones at the same time. Just like Tracy and Michelle were popular in the 1960s or like Evie or Olivia in the 2000s. Like anything fashionable, they often fall out of fashion again.

It does a little I do prefer unused names. Especially as my name is very rare and with my surname I am the only one on the world with both. BUT both our DC have popular names 😂 we put the names we liked into a hat and thats how they got their names.

The popular names tend to be popular for a reason though, obviously a lot of people like them.

People are ultimately going to go with what they love and for some people that is going to be names such as Oliver and Amelia.

It matters to me so I chose one outside of the top 100.

30 years later it’s top ten.

basically you can’t tell. Just call them whatever you like.

One thing this thread does show is how many people apparently thought they were giving their child a unique name only for it suddenly and inexplicably to become very popular!

We purposefully avoided popular names. We have 6 children and all of their names are very much nearer the 1000 end of the list, uncommon but not laughable, and chosen for their meanings more than anything. I've never met any other children with the same name as ours and I like that. For us, it's not about them standing out at school or anything like that, they're all home ed anyway, but we prefer this way of naming our children than choosing something generic.

There is thread upon thread about the need for a name to be unique!

Those of you who don’t like ‘unique’ or ‘difficult to spell’ names seem to forget that there are loads of beautiful easy to spell names outside the top 100!!

In other words, the alternative to a popular overused name like Harry or Eva is not Moonboot or Flagulala!

I chose a name for one DD that was about to be in the top ten (unbeknownst to me) for about the next fifteen years. My next DD got a name that was way down in the 800s, again unknown to me (in the days before Google and online searching).

They each had one other girl with their name in primary school.

I love both names and would have chosen them regardless of place on the lists.

I chose a name for one DD that was about to be in the top ten (unbeknownst to me) for about the next fifteen years. My next DD got a name that was way down in the 800s, again unknown to me (in the days before Google and online searching).

They each had one other girl with their name in primary school.

I love both names and would have chosen them regardless of place on the lists.

I’m Emma, as is almost everyone else. I used to work in a small office where there were 3 Emmas, and moved to a slightly bigger office where there were 4 Emmas. It doesn’t bother me at all, in fact I love being part of the Emma gang. I think it’s a great name.

My daughter’s name was outside the top 100 for decades but moved into the top 100 the year she was born and has now been in the top 10 for years. It’s still a lovely name. Just pick a name you like.

As someone with a very popular name it was important to me. I didn’t want unusual but not top 20

It’s interesting as I have the opposite experience. I dislike being unique, everyone makes a fuss about it, no one can spell it and they often pronounce it incorrectly!

Both mine are top 100, but low down. DS’s name was 60 something and DDs was in the 80s although I suspect hers will decrease in popularity as unfortunately it’s now associated with a crime.

Nobody wants or is suggesting a ‘unique’ name

What many of us are saying is that having a very popular name can be a pain (always having to add surname, never sure if you’re actually meant etc) and the name can date badly.

There are so many fantastic names to choose from, names that are so much more memorable than the many overused top 10. I certainly wish my parents had tried a little harder.

I have never understood the obsession with 'unique' names on the baby names topic. Why does it matter? Do people think it makes their baby less special if they have the same name as someone else?
I have a fairly common name, can't say I ever thought twice about it.

Exactly! There may only be one other in your class or year, but a super popular name will used by so many others of similar age. It can be a real pain to always be known as Ellie B or Harry S….

I think we sometime forget that names are actually meant to identify us!!

I think this is a very good point - it’s not just about school - if a name has been popular for many years then there are more likely to be lots in the workplace etc when they’re older. E.g. names like Olivia and Oliver will be very common in future workplaces as they’ve been in the top 10 for over 20 years! That’s quite different to a name that is in the top 10 for just a year or two.

Even if a name isn’t popular in your school or around you, if it’s popular generally when they grow up they’ll be working with or have friends with loads of people with the same name.

I have a popular 80s name and I’ve worked with so many others with the same name. And my school mum friends also share my name.

I think it very much depends where you live. My nephew has a top 5 name and I've never encountered one other, nor has my sister or gran who takes him to various playgroups etc. On the other hand, my son has a name where about only 50 were registered in the country in the year before he was born (well outside the top 100) and I've encountered multiple of them.

Pregnant again and we've shortlisted a name that's constantly being said on here is "too popular" but in Scotland, only 60 were registered last year so statistically not many at all. It won't change our mind either way because we love it but I'm interested to see how many we encounter in the next few years.

We don't want a top name if we can avoid it but most important to us is/was finding one that we loved and will grow well with the babies as they age.