to be upset that my dc names are SO common?

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We named our children almost 10 years ago and over 7 years ago.

The names we chose are now no.1 and no.2 on this years "Most common names list" or whatever they call it.

I hate being so ... so ... there's no other word for it ... COMMON!!

Two out of three if my DCs have names that exploded into popularity in the few years after I used them.

But they are classic names that are popular without being common. And either we've been lucky, or they're evenly spread, as there have only been two or three other thus-named children (in school year of c.90) - something that, by the sod's law of clusters, is also true of several less frequently used names.

I find this odd. I take it you like the name, right? Any other area, we'd be glad to be normal! Come on ... do you really want to call your child 'Igor' just so he's different from everyone else?

I teach in London and I only know one Archie your DS's age - in fact I think there's only one or two at our whole school.

Besides, the definition of 'popular' has changed. The number of children named the most popular names is really only a fraction of the children born overall, because the name pool has widened so much over the last decade or so.

He probably won't come across many other Archies in his daily life.

FWIW my name (Emma) became incredibly popular for years after I was born, not just in the UK but in Europe. I love that because my name sounds young and won't date as quickly. I've been watching its position in the charts slip over the last few years with a heavy heart :P

I never knew anyone except my mum with my name I shortened it so now its quite commomn but with DD2 we inadvertantly named her after countless relatives on both sides of mine and DH's family

No YANBU..I would be gutted. I am looking for a name for my baby boy and I have gone through the top names lists for the last ten years to ensure the one I like has NEVER featured.

The year I was born I got the most populs boys name (girls version) and the most popular girls name is my middle name. We didn't find this out until I was about 10 and get the 'year I was born book'.

DS have the Spanish/Welsh spelling of his name as 1/2 family Spanish. when got the school tea towel last year and there are 3 boys in school with it spelt that way. DS and another are now in the same class Its only a 6 class infant school.

ps DS' hamster was called Archie

If it makes you feel any better, last years number 1 boys name still only had 8000 of them named in 2009. If your ds was given the name a while ago, there will likely be even fewer in his age group. Most popular girls name in 2009, only had about 5000 given the name. As long as you like them it's great!

Didn't know anyone with their names when we named both DC - both now top 10 - we obviously have good taste.

DS' middle names - one of them is also top 10 and the other is another MN sin (my maiden name)

DDs middle names - both in the top ten as well

I have never met anyone who has the same name as DS in all the 13 years since we've named him (apart from one grown man!)
I find this very strange because it is not a made up name, neither is it foreign and most of all whenever I tell people what it is they invariably say how lovely they think it is. So why haven't more people used it?!

I think it depends where you live.

Jack and Chloe have been the top two names for years and years.

Where we live they are not the most frequently encountered names.

All my DS1's best friends (four of them) have the same name, but it isn't the top one.

Someone mentioned recently that Evie is over-used. I don't know a single one, and I know children of all ages.

sonflower they may have if its a nice name..check the national office of statistics if you are really interested. :-)

my dds in in the top 5 :)

ooh ooh where is the list?

Apparently Mohammad would be no. 1 but there are about 12 different ways of spelling it.

So Jack and Oliver are slightly less common than the headlines make it appear.

I have just checked the National Statistics website(thanks for the suggestion Catholicatheist) and it's not in the top 100 for either 2009 or 1999 the latter was 2 years' after ds was born.

The statistics only seem to list the top 100 of any particular year.

My name v common in girls up to about 10 now, not common in S London 40 years ago. I don't mind, I am not a 10 year old girl.

DS name 13 I think in lists, but I have never met another one his age around here, so what does it matter? Even if there were loads, I wouldn't mind. It's a nice names with family connections.

DD who is 8 wasnt very popular when she was born but she is in the top 10 i think (Emily). DD2 who has just been born isnt in the top 10 but probably will be in the next few yrs as that always seems to happen (Phoebe). I dont mind though as i like both names and they suit them.

www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15282

this may give you more. The lists I have looked at have thousands of names on.

go to here , then If you click on 2009 Baby Names Statistics Girls/Boys and go to table 6 you can get the entire list.

Secretly pleased that my girls are no. 311 and 638! Though I agree it doesn't mean a thing, I don't know any Olivias but know of 2 girls with DD1's name!

Do you mean common like Jack and Ella, or common like Sky and Troy?

Yes, I've found his name on the list for 2009, and he is not the only one after all!
I wonder if any of them know each other

Thanks Catholicatheist & PutThe kettle on.

I've never met a young Jack or Chloe. DS has a top 10 name but there are only a couple of others in his entire school (v Multi-cultural area though). OTOH we went to the Science Museum today and spent the whole time disentangling which parent was responding to which of the umpteen Xs there.

2 of my boys names have been in the top 5 for years. ds3's is probably in the top 20. There is a reason-they are fabnames:)