Why is it so important for our chosen names to be 'original'?

I agree with fizzpops.

I think the main points in choosing a name are:

1. whether I/dh like it
2. whether it goes with our surname
3. whether it is pronouncable in my families' languages (in my case, German and French) 4)whether the name is 'unique' enough to not result the child be one of 4 Jacks in his class.

So, there is neither a need to make up silly spellings, nor is there a need to pick a top 10/50 name, given that there are 1000s of lovely names to choose from!

Yes 'unique' and 'original' names usually are awful.

I think that it is possible to give your child a unique name.
Just so long as you make it up and it's not nice enough for anyone to want to copy it.

So unique isn't necessarily what people actually aspire to generally.

Those that do use unique names, really don't care what anyone else thinks anyway, so there's not much point worrying about it.

I wouldn't particularly name a child to be unique or even different but I think that fashion has a bearing on what names I like as it does on what clothes/ furniture/ films I like from time to time. There are names that are unusual that are also popular iykwim.

No-one of a parents' generation knows anyone with these names and they become more popular at the same time as everyone is saying 'How unusual!'.

It is true that to be truly unique you would call your child a name from another (now unpopular era say 1980s) but the problem is I just don't like those names and so fashions change...

Unfashionable = unusual but not necessarily nice

Fashionable = appearance of being unusual (for the most part till you reach the Grace/ Rose/ May saturation point)

For me the trick is to find a name that is:

Not made up
Traditional and classic
A little bit different
Pretty (for a girl)
Goes with my surname
Doesn't rhyme with anything rude
Isn't the name of a popular TV/ film character or a song

'Tis a tricky business....

sorry too many todays

oh and today I saw a spelling I had never come across today when I was addressing an ebay parcel
Cylena - now that is special unusual

I know lots of adult Clare/Claire's but no little ones.
I know Mary's of all ages inc 10yo and 1yo.
I know no Uniques thankfully!

but is Clare a common name? I know 1 adult, and no children at all.

I have a really common name - Clare - and it's not really bothered me, although lots of people spell it the wrong way...

A friend of mine is a speech therapist, she had one class she went into that had three little girls called Unique. I hope they have nice middle names they can use when they are older...

Well I haven't come across any tiny Marys and have met alot of babies over the last few years. Its a gorgeous name. Surely the holy grail is classic and universal but not widely used ie...Mary!

This may sound a bit crap but is everyone not unique regardless of their name?

I wonder whether this 'trend' has something to do with the fact that 'celebrities' call their children unusual names (and IMO ridiculous names).

As someone has already said I am sure most kids will dislike their names as they get older. Is this not part of growing up and developing your own identity.

When people describe you to someone that does not know you and they say your name, they then describe your physical traits or attributes do they not? Eg you know Mary, oh you know the tall lady who has red hair.

seeker and kerala we think on the same wavelength. guess what my DD is called too!

I choose names I like regardless of popularity. When DS1 was born there were a lot of raised eyebrows about his name but then a couple of years later it topped the popularity charts! DS2's name has always lurked in the top 50 but I have always loved it. DD's name again was one I loved, didn't realise it was popular but apparently it is, the woman in the bed opposite in hospital called her's the same and I have heard of a fair few since!

I won't use a name a good friend or family has used for their DC as it feels to me that name belongs to that child IYSWIM? Am totally unfussed if someone wants to use one of my children's names for theirs though.

Popularity also does not necessarily mean they will be 'john x' in class, my name topped the list the year I was born but I was the only one in my year at school, there were about 7 Kellys though!

Having an unusual name myself, I made sure that my two DSs' had easy, straight forward, solid names. That said, there is a certain racing car toddler programme now, which means that everyone spells DS2's name wrong. Grrrr. DS1 is a Jack, and is known as Jack C. Didn't think that one through....

come and join me on my The mathematics of names for the hard of thinking thread. It's very interesting.

Aha - Kerala - guess what my dd is called!!!!!

Sorry Nooki, that was a typo. I meant Dweezel MoonUnit, and I think David Bowie did!

Classic does not have to equal popular though. I adore the name Mary, very classic and plain but hardly any under 10s with this name. I have not come across one. Sounds much more original than say Olivia or Grace of which there seem to be hundreds.

But who would seriously consider calling their child Dweezwel ??? Or anything else equally ridiculous or made up??

I understood 'unique' meaning less common (certainly outside current top 50) but not ridiculous!

My children have very ordinary classic names. My ds is 8, and has not yet met another one in this country (Ireland is a different matter!) in school, football club, anywhere. My dd is now 13, and in her school of 1440 girls there are only 4. You don't have to call your child Dweezwel MoonUnit to be pretty sure they'll be the only one in their class!

Agree custardo. Too unique easiily lapses into cringeworthy.

My personal preference is names that have fallen out of the top 10 but are still "proper" names. A friend recently called her baby Doug which I thought was great - a good proper solid name that wasn't Jack, Tom or Ben (all nice names just every other boy round here called one of these).

I am very relieved that I have a very ordinary name and my parents didn't feel the need to be individual. I agree with seeker-if they feel the need they should choose something for themselves-not saddle their poor DC! Unfortunately they don't know at the baby stage whether they have produced a strong enough character to cope with it.
A lot of DCs with strange names have actually changed them when older.(Pop stars DCs etc).

theres a stark diference between calling someone a common name and calling someone a daft name becuase you want to be 'unique'

there are plenty of names out there.

Who wants to have the same name as 5 other children in their class? IMO (it does sound mean I know) when I hear a baby given a very popular name I think it shows rather a lack of imagination. On the other hand utterly bizarre and made up names probably not a good idea either.

My father sits on an appeal panel for local schools and there was recently an upsetting and stressful case for both sets of parents regarding school allocation because both girls had exactly the same name.