To have told her got names are very common at the moment

[pinksaltlamp]

I bumped into a old workmate yesterday, was catching up with her as we haven't seen each other since I left the job.

She told me about her last year, she had a child and moved house. All lovley, then she said the name of her child. First thing I said is "is that a got name", she replied yes and I said " nice, they are really common at the moment". She looked devastated, checked her phone and said she had to get her train.

I keep replaying it in my head and wonder if I really offended her. I didn't mean common as a derogatory term, just as in popular.

Did I say something wrong? She must of known some character from the biggest TV show at the moment is not going to be unique?

Defo maisie

I would have thought you meant chavvy if you had said common.
really? Common names means a lot of people have it. Sarah, John, Mohammed. Usually they are actually nice names and/or have religious significance so a lot of people choose them.

I would have thought you meant chavvy if you had said common.

But why assume the worst, when common also means popular?

Oops you really did put your foot in it maybe you should have said popular or nothing at all except that s lovely

Common means unoriginal when talking about names folk like to think they are unique in naming their kids

No Mrs Jay some folk like to be original. Others choose common names.

Even if you had said popular, no one would want to be thought to have chosen a name based on popularity, or how common it is, or a tv show. Even though it's from a popular tv show, she chose it because she liked it. That's why any name is popular or become classic names. Your comment belittled her choice, and that hurt her, I think. Sometimes when trying to make conversation, we end up saying something that could offend, without meaning to, when we're just trying to think of something to say. I hope that was what happened in your case. You say it was not on purpose.

You apologized, and that makes all the difference. You did the right thing.

Yeah you said sorry and you didn't mean any harm

I know two babies called Arya

If you called your child Voldemort or Gandalf , everyone would assume you got the name from the character in the book or film.
What if you did it the other way around ? Give little one an outrageous name, then hope it turns up in a book.
(e.g. Lembog son of LamTikka of the BumDingo clan)
You might have to have, like 100 kids to get a hit, but think of the royalties

I like Theon

I haven't seen the most recent season but Theon is an utter arse, is he not? It's a nice enough name but I couldn't not associate it with that little shit.

No patent to be sits there saying "right darling we need to think of a nice common name for dd!" Popular is okay but common? Just no. Oh that's lovely is my go to phrase whatever the name!

I know two baby aryas. It's a pretty name, though I wouldn't use it myself.

You didn't mean to be derogatory OP. I wouldn't beat myself up over it.

Theon is now utterly tragic and broken. Still not good associations.

Please tell me she called her 'the hound' lmao!

It's not your fault if she's too thick to understand the correct meaning of the word 'common' - ie = there are a lot of them. The meaning 'lower class' (or 'chavvy') is secondary and a bit slangy really.

OP, I agree with some other posters that using the term popular instead of common could still have been construed as a put-down. The meaning behind your comment wasn't really complimentary and flirted with actually being rather insulting or at least patronizing (as if you were informing her of a fact of which she was in ignorance or something!).

But yes, 'popular' might have been a safer choice of word, as a lot of people don't seem to get this.

I'm sure she'll get over it. It's hardly as though you said "wow that's fucking horrible".

OP may not have English as a first language, but she is not wrong about the meaning of the word 'common'. The mother of the baby was very touchy, as well as uneducated. It was very nice of the OP to apologise, but it was not actually her misunderstanding but the mother's.

www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/common

Ha "are ya"! I don't believe the BBC stats seeing as I've met a few aryas and several people here have done also, must be way more than 200 odd.