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 have one of those names that is neither common nor unusual and have usually been the only one in my class with it - except when I was in middle school and there were 3 of us in one maths class!

The boys have names which aren't extremely common, but oddly enough became more popular in subsequent years. We have a very common surname, though, so tried to avoid anything that was in the top 30 at the time!

This is how NOT rare Rudy is as a name, btw:

I did notice when I used to post on a Mums Forum where we all had babies in the same month that those that chose unusual names did seem to go on and on about the names allll the blumming time

My name was unusual for my generation when I was a child. I was always the only one. It was a "Granny name" and I hated it.
It's now very popular, probably in the top 20 girls names (I'd guess) and I rather like it.

My two DS's have, what are perceived to be, extremely common names but there isn't another one of them in their entire primary school.
Most odd!

Evie is definately the Sarah of the naughties ...

I used to know a couple who had a child called Boo - and even though I think it doesn't matter what you call your kids (within reason of course) as long as you like it, this mum was a real anal, controlling type who seemed determined to hot house the poor little mite into someone better than anyone else... She would even control the poor kid's portions [hmmm] to a strict level. Everyone I know who knows the mum or who have met her even in passing at birthday parties etc thinks she is quite anal and insecure in her demeanour - the child has a strict time for everything and the mum delights in her unusual name.... I can just see her child rebelling against her mother's strict code of conduct one day...

Yanbu at all, some names re plain stupid and the people that name their child silly names have no sense

my neighbour has two kids called rocco and florence,which sound pretentious but actually her husband is italian and they are family names.

I can just imagine boo's mum.

Catsu - ha ha no not fanny, at the risk of totally outing myself her name is Talia, we got some comments when she was born but I totally love her name and it really suits her as she is a very unusual child.

I have a double barrelled concoction of 2 70s names and I hate my name. It gets pronounced wrong (why it's common names) spelled wrong, some online forms don't recognise hyphens, some people can't cope with hyphens fullstop, some people have even been quite rude to my face about it.

BOF

never mind my circles, it's the whole borough that's lefty

Bitofacyclepath I think our daughters may have the same name....! I was going for the unusual but not outlandish then boom, all over the bloody charts lol.

Of 26 born in the whole of Scotland in 2010, one of them is in my DDs nursery and will be in the same school year. Her mum and I just put it down to good taste

Hmm well DP and I are middle class, creative and a bit different. Not because we try to be deliberately. We just are a bit arty-farty and intellectual. We can't help it any more than someone very conventional and scared of standing out can help it.

We gave our DC unusual names because they have a lot of meaning for us, and yes because we want our children to value individuality and originality and know that their names were chosen specially for them, not just so as to fit in and not rock the boat. If they hate them, they have more common middle names and shortenings/variants they can switch to, or if they wanted to change their names that would be for them to decide. But I myself would love to have a really unusual name, so it's possible they might too.

When I hear of yet another baby being called the same name as 10 other kids round here already have I think oh FFS yaaaaaawwwwwwnn, you boring twats!

Both my children have unusual names, we are a working class couple and the names were chosen because we liked them and disliked run of the mill names.I think you either love or loathe modern names and it is simply down to individual choice.One of the Mum's at school told me her new baby was called John,now I did not realise anyone choose this name anymore but obviously her and her husband liked it.

Having worked in a class where 10 children shared the same 3 names, I am all for variety and if that means unusual names then so be it :)

I am thinking of names such as Neon, Zelda, fifi, Trixi, Adolf. Rococo and Florence sound nice.

I have an awfully posh classical Greek name in rl. Yuk. I yearned to be a Susan or a Jane or a Sarah or a Helen. Just everyone had a comment. I grew into it as an adult and it's not so bad now. Wouldn't have done anything to mean to the dc though.

DS's class and mates are largely: Will, Tom, Fred, Matthew, Mark, Ed, Alex, Henry/Harry, Theo, George, James, etc.

DD's class and mates are largely: Chloe, Francesca, Lucia, Hannah, Lou Lou, Imogen, Alice, Phoebe, Helena, Xanthe.

DS is nearly 18, DD 14.5. Nothing that unusual there. They are both at indy schools.

We gave DD an Irish name - I was holding out for Niambh or Roisin (or Sinead at a pinch), but DH insisted on one that could be easily pronounced by non-Irish speakers so we compromised and gave her the name she's got. Funnily enough my cousins have all done the same, we were all born/brought up in England but our ancestry is Irish so we've all 'reverted' so to speak...

I and DH are the sixties equivalent of Jack and Chloe, so we both wanted something that not every other child in the class would be called. As we ended up living in a very multicultural part of London, DD is unique in her name despite it being relatively commonplace elsewhere.

My job brings me into contact with lots of children, covering a relatively deprived borough of East London. The middle class enclaves tend towards the 'granny/grandad' names - Edith, Nancy, Alfred, Wilfred etc. The not-so-middle-class areas delight in names that often have to be read aloud to understand what they are, because from the spelling it's not always obvious - the TreyC mentioned above being a mild example. And then there are the very religious families whose children are called things like Pious, Blessing, Praise, Mighty Leader (I kid you not) and suchlike. I like a bit of difference, personally :)

The rule is never discuss religion or politics isn't it? Well, I think names could quite properly be added to that list too.

I have to chortle at 'Rudy' being put in the same category as 'Orinoco'!

sleds - do you have 5 children? Are you who I'm thinking you are?

I like Annika for if we have a DD which I think is a fairly unusual name and I like Nathan shortened to Nate if we have another boy, just got to convince DH. DS has a fairly common name but the shortening is slightly more unusual :)

I know several people called Rory both young and old not sure if it's commonly used but it's a nice name and suits them perfectly. I was one of four children with the same name in my year group. Couldn't even do something like Nothing P as we all had P as the start of our surnames = Very frustrating

Well, I'm from a mixed background and my parents decided to give me very ordinary names from their backgrounds . I grew in the 70 and 80 and felt my name was horribly old fashioned then - I yearned to be called Kate or Debbie.One of my middle names is really bonkers. But its mine.

My dh from Italy and he has a very unusual surname so I insisted our ds be called something that could be uttered easily in english and italian and ds has ended up with a name which (to me) conjures up the idea of a 1980s accountant.So he has a very staid first name with a very fun surname.

But we're happy.

I think his 'very ordinary name' is what makes him cool in a school full of kids who's parents are desperately trying to 'stand out'. A bit like it's so hip now to be in your 40's without a tatoo or non ear piercing.

We gave our 3DDs unusual names and they love them, we love them and we get lots of comments on how nice there names are.

I cant think of anything worse than calling the a run of the mill name.

*Mu1berrybush... You would imagine right. She is one of the most dislikable people I have ever met!