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

I didn't go for an original name, for either ds,or dd... but the names we eventually chose, after so much bloody agonising are unusual, but old-ish names, linked to our culture and with good meanings and good names in mythology.....

I have an unusual name, never met anyone with my name, as do my brothers, my parents had hippy leanings, our names are not odd and suit us, but we are definitely not mc... pretentious or otherwise...

I don't feel particularly judgey about names... odd or "unique, or "common".

Custardo, choosing a unique name for a child does not imly choosing a "daft" or "gauche" name.

There are thousands of names to choose from. Assuming I love a name, it goes well with our surname and, in our case, works in several languages/cultures (in our case 3), I would rather choose a name outside of the top 50 than one in the top 10.

Simple as that. Nothing "try hard", "chav" or "nouveau riche" about that!

I always wanted a dd called Emily. All my DC's have 'normal' names, although I do wish I'd stuck to my guns and called DD2 Tamzin as I still like it but Dh does not.

rubbish, nookie.

i have THE most stereotypical 70's girls name

i have never been mistaken for a criminal on the loose - and as it happens, although i hear the name around and about - nay ...nay - my best friend has the name name as me - it has rarely led to confusion.

about the same confusion as "how do you say that girls name over there" from a mum who thought that she was chosing a unique name.

i think 'unique' names are in the main - daft. usually show a certain class of people who desperately want to be better than their peers - but have no other way of doing it other than to be terribly gauche about it. its all very try hard, chav, nouveau riche.

its the 'look at me' statement thats just not done - its akin to the shiny porche or the gold chains

its another vulgar facet - in general.

I don't care if a name is 'taditional' or 'original' or whatever. But I do want to ensure that my child has a name that is as unique as possible to him/her. In my opinion, that is the point of 'NAMING' someone/something. That is because:

I hated being one of several Clares at school, especially as we had a common surname. And, as an earlier poster stated, you're likely to share a name with many people, including criminals and that can lead to confusion. A less popular name will be remembered more easily and help identify a particular person better.

I also think that very popular names get associated with certain periods. So, the Jacks and Emilys of the 2000s may be like the Sharon and Stephen's of the 1970s.

People give their children original names because they think it is a gateway to sophistication and a life of glamour. It is the same reason people used to name their children after Hollywood stars.
People that go for traditional names want stability and sense of family and tradition.

The result is often horrendous and the very opposite ofthe intended effect.You really don't help a child when they have to explain the most basic thing about them everywhere they go in life. A few adults will embrace and be enhanced by it. Many more would rather not have that challenge I think

But it is ALWAYS aspirational and that is the way people are. And that is not a bad thing - we all want better for our children.

My children all have common names that can't be shortened or picked on, quite deliberately. I hate my name because people assume I want it shortened (which I don't) and we have a surname that they will always have to spell!
It's great when you have to give their names in somewhere and people just write them down without having to ask spelling

If you usse anything that can be identified as 'a name' than it will by definition not be original. If you want anything truly original it must be either 'a word that is not a name' or 'a made-up name', up until the point at which you use it.

I was one of 4 with the same name at school, & meet people with the same name as me everywhere I go. I did at times dislike always being refered to by my initial as well as my first name. Hence both dd's have names outside the top 50, dd2's is way more popular than dd1 though...

I wouldn't be upset at other people naming their children the same as my dd's I'd just think they had great taste ;)

My dd's have related new agey have meanings to their names but not new age names iyswim

I chose 'original' names as i come from such a large family and didn't wants ds or dd to be forever known as 'little xxx' or 'young xxx'.

Ds is Brennan, and dd is Brogan, and although they are unusual, i don't think they are too outlandish or stupid. Although many others may disagree

I like it too Spice, but only if it's not that popular that there are 7 in his class!

In fact ds1 has a VERY popular name but it's not popular in little boys iyswim, just hairy old blokes

Hmmm ... I quite like it when I hear of other children with the same name as DS (but it makes me cross when it's spelled wrong ) but I wouldn't like it if one of my group of friends gave their child the same name.

I have a very common first name and I've always hated the fact that it is so common and that people always have to use my surname or at least the initial. It makes me feel like my parents didn't put very much effort into naming me (which I'm sure isn't true really) but that's really at the root of why I wanted a name for DS which wasn't in the top 50 (but not made up either - I think that's slightly absurd).

This has been bothering me for ages. I think it's a fear of your child not belonging to you properly - sounds bonkers but the reason I'd hate to give my child the same name as next door's baby is that it would seem impersonal and a product of his generation rather than a gift from his mother.

It almost implies giving our children up too soon, as custodians of them and not their owners I think a little self delusion is sometimes necessary to forstall the inevitable grief.

I'm probably talking bollocks.

I think that people who want to call their children a "unique" name, particularly a "unique" name with a completely off the wall spelling should change their own name to it, and not saddle their children with a source of, at the least, inconvenience ans irritation for the rest of their lives.

Unique (yoonique, uneek, etc etc) is ironically becoming a popular name in teh US, if you believe the very interesting chapter in Freakonomics on baby names

ah madamant you really are fabulous and wonderful

I'm sure there has been women called Uniqua on ricki lake/maury povich.
That's not good.

I know a little girl called Thierry

I was a bit taken aback at first but she is adorable and it suits her.

I wanted unusual names. Not outlandish but different - I always thought it was miserable that we had 4 Claires and 5 Emmas in the same class.

My name was very popular in the 70s. Lots in my class at school and at uni and I meet lots at babygroups I go to now. (yes the mums not the babies) It has never bothered me in the least.
My brother had a very unusual name in the 70s and now it has rocketed up the popularity charts.
Neither of us have been bothered.
I really don't think it matters if it is too popular or not. If you like the name then use it.

OP, why wouldn't someone chose a name that is less common and more 'original' than a very common name?

Wouldn't you rather your child be identified uniquely rather than be Jack A, Jack B or Jack C. In my opinion, thats the whole point of 'naming' someone!

At the same time, no parent wants to choose a name that implies teasing for their child. But unless you name your child Je'taime or Poohead, I don't think whether a name was made up recently or 1000s of years ago matters.

Nope my children are named after beloved relatives and I'm proud that they bear their names and history to develop further

I was always names + first intital of surname eg laura M.

It never bothered me in the slightest, can't imagine why it would bother someone.

nevergoogle - oooh that's what my DS2 due in Sept will be called for short [fabulous and wonderful]

DS2 is called S o l.
It's a bit new age but not all that unusual.
I don't get upset when people use it, in fact i presume them to be fabulous and wonderful people . Not at fault in any way.