To think that parents who give their children unusual names are egotistical...

[Crouchendmumoftwo]

I live in an area where there are lots of children with unusual first names, one might say contemporary or ever preposterous. Names such a Lux, Brutus, Fire, Ace, Rudy. Most of these children are mild mannered and don't stand out in any particular way. I wonder if the name giving is more to show other parents the: "we are creative and middleclass and bit different". I feel that the parents havent given their children much consideration in later life. A man in his 50s called Brutus doesn't have the same appeal as a small boy. I guess that is why David Bowie's son changed his name from Zowie back to Duncan.

I live in a place like the OP (just near Hoxton, in fact ) where you can't walk through the playground without treading on a Hercules; yet I still managed to make people do that fixed grin horror thing when I tell them DD2's name .

It's Shirley.

I love names like Aubrey and Marmaduke, and other "brave" names.

I wanted to call DS1 Amadeus, but DH was having none of it.

There was an Amadeus two years below DS1 in Junior school - So I wouldn't have looked so original then, would I!

I also loved, loved Milo, but DH said no. There was a Milo in his reception class, and there are three in his year at high school.

He has a top ten, "classic" name, on DH's insistence. We rarely meet other boys with the same name. I guess it depends on the circles you mix in and the schools you choose.

An unusual name that is actually a name is absolutely fine and doesn't say anything negative to me. Calling your child a word that isn't a name (unless you are from a cultural background where this is the norm) is when it's all about the parents trying to make a statement and not really thinking about the child growing through all the phases of their future lives bearing the name IMO. I always think children given a noun or adjective for a name will grow up to be the direct opposite of the name :)

I know a 17 year old Adonis - and we live in a part of rural Germany where unusual or non German names are very unusual - poor lad is skinny and has very bad acne, but he has lovely manners and is liked by both his peers and other adults - he seems to get away with his name despite not really living up to it!

There are some great names in my DCs class. I don't think its so much of a class thing than the multicultural world we now live in.

Lynette - Aubrey is in my family for about 5 generations (thats how far i managed to get the tree back not sure before then!). My dad has it in his name and I really thought about calling one of my dds aubrianna (i actually love the name) to carry it on - but didnt.

I hated being Greek when I was growing up in a village. I used to tell my parents I wanted to be adopted by Eileen across the road, live with her and her family in their council house and change my name to Sarah. I hated my name but I am just in the process of changing it back after using my husband's name for 15 years. It does define you in some way, I'm not sure how important it is but I think it does have an effect.

Aubrianna is lovely btw

Tethers, I am glad you clarified as I remember when she was born and I couldn't work out if you had really called her that or were being silly!

It's a very sweet name and all due respect for using something so unusual.

I too got uncomfortable silences when I told people ds2's name. I was so embarrassed...I didn't realise people would dislike it so much.

I don't care with ds3, I absolutely love it, whatever anyone thinks.

(hope that didn't sound all wrong...I don't mean it's a silly name. It's lovely )

Oh, and here I stumble upon one if my pet peeves. I think I'm less irritated by the unusual names than I am about the weird spellings. I remember being berated for spelling a child's name Derek when it was actually "Derryck". WTF love. You live in Dublin, working class family in a working class traditional area and you get pissy at ME for assuming you hadn't saddled your kid with a regular name but with ridiculous spelling.

I have enough faith that my children will be unique in their own right. I don't need to force them to stand out by giving them odd names. And as we can all remember, there is nothing worse than standing out from the crowd when you're a kid. I don't know any kids who don't want to just be like everyone else.

Befevered very funny - Derek is almost out there now!

Agree, kids really dont want to stand out and be picked on for being different. Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm MacLaren, perhaps one of the most eccentric and creative couples in the UK for their time and they called their son...Joe they didnt need to prove anything. I have given my kids simple names that I love that are easy to spell and understand and are lovely and warm. I wouldnt want to burden them with anything to show that I am creative and different. They have surnames that they will have to always spell out like I did which I found and find a huge pain in the ass. I have given them longer more flouncy middles names which they can call upon if they want to be a bit more out there.

It does make the world a more interesting place though the Brooklyns, Londons, Tytus's and Blazes of the world and we cant all the the same.

Ds has a very common name according to the Times name list, usually top 3. However he has always been the only one with his name in his year (and the only one in the entire nursery when he was younger). I chose it because I liked the name and didn't think about the fact that there could be loads of others with the same name. He doesn't need an usual name to stand out, that is what his personality is for.

Very unusual name here. Parents working class and not egotistical at all.
My 2 DC have unusual names too (non-english names). I hope they grow up to like having names that are different.
I have always been comfortable with my name being unusual.

I can't believe Jane is number 37. I've never met a child called Jane, or heard of a child called Jane.

/the adonis example is extreme but for me, i'd have been conscious that perhaps my children might seem ordinary to everybody but their parents, and that far from highlighting what's special about them, a very unusual name might have contrasted with their 'ordinariness' (to other people that is). Obviously nobody ever thinks their own children are just ordinary!

I know a local boy with an outlandish name which I cant say as it is so unique. Whenever it is mentioned people go WHAAAAAT and laugh. It really is that weird. Unfortunately said boy is vastly overweight and plain. In a way the name brightens him up and gives him a bit a magic.

I wonder if they include middle names - that's the only way I can imagine Jane being that popular.

I always find it very sad when parents laugh at a child for having a 'special' name and somehow 'failing' to live up to it. Not saying you're laughing at him OP but some would...in the same way people laugh at parents having chosen something they think is unique and then finding it isn't.

I can't see the funny side, really. I feel sorry for them if that happens, but I can't really understand people wanting or expecting a unique name anyway.
It's not going to happen however unusual it is. And there's no point.

Not being one of five in a class - fair enough. Being different to EVERY other child in the city/country/world = nope.

'Obviously nobody ever thinks their own children are just ordinary!'

Mine are! I hope...how can people think their children are better than all the other children? It makes no sense at all. They are just children - albeit with lovely and different personalities. But all are equal in my mind.

Yabu. My dc have unusual names which are c meaningful and special to me.
I also have less common name though it does feature in soaps and its always a glam brassy type
Anyway the names grow on you. I was perplexed with dc1 best friends name but I got used to it. I can't imagine them being called james!

Ha, my name is made up! I am literally the only person in the world with my name.

...which means I constantly have to tell people how to spell/pronounce it.

"I think many of them were pissed off with being one of 3 Claires in their class at school and being known as Claire B throughout their childhood."

That is exactly the reason my mum gave my sister and me unusual names. They aren't what I consider "try too hard", cool and trendy names, but just unusual. Mine is Russian and sister's is Hebrew.

I have an uncommon name - it's Mari - I'm outing myself. It's far more common in Scotland, although spelt differently. I usually have to tell people how to pronounce it if they see it on paper first.

Usually people think i'm called Marie and that I'm trying to be different by spelling it 'Mari' !!