To wonder why you would pick a name in the top 10?

[FreckledFrog]

So the latest top 100 baby names have been released this week. It has prompted me to wonder why on earth you would pick a name in the top 10-20 names.

There are thousands of beautiful, unique names out there, yet so many people are happy to pick the same names despite knowing their children will go to school with multiple Olivia's, Noah's, Amelia's or George's.

Do these people not desire some originality for their children?

Am I being unreasonable? I have a very very unusual name and have picked less common names for my children and I wonder if this clouds my judgement?

We chose traditional names as it's what we like, they weren't popular at the time.
Turned up to school, tiny village school and there were a few with same name, even though only 30 kids in the whole school.

Not true TealDeal (the second bit)

I grew up in that period with a couple of good friends called Harry

Jack and Chloe flew up the charts when Richard and Judy were on the tv everyday, frequently talking about their children!

My DS' name wasn't in the top 10 when I picked it (before I was even pregnant) but by the time I had him it was. There were 2 others with the same name in the hospital when he was born.

However, he was the only one with his name at preschool and is the only one with that name in his year at school. There is another in the year above and 2 years above and beyond that I don't know. So it may have been (and still is) top 20 but our area isn't overrun with them. People always comment on what a lovely name it is and DS loves it when he meets someone with the same name.

grew up in that period with a couple of good friends called Harry

Anacdotes aren't evidence. The stats say it was out of the top 100 for a quarter of a century.

Ava became popular only after Reece Witherspoon named her DD Ava.

YABVU. I think you should pick a name you like, rather than look around at what is "in" or "out." And I think it is silly picking a name to try and make your child stand out. Your child will hopefully make himself/herself stand out by being who they are. Both my boys have very normal names, and they are full of character and memorable for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with their names.

I find "unusual" names quite irritating and contrived but I would never say so, as you have the other way around!

Is it not allowed for people to pick names they like? Perhaps many don't give a shit what's in the top 10-20 and what's fashionable, and who aren't interested in making up ridiculous ugly names just so their child will be unique in a way which actually doesn't matter at all and which will make them laughng stocks all their lives, and always having to spell it for people.

It's a silly question. That's why you got [biscuits]

Oh. I'm a bit crosser about it than I realised, and than it deserves. I apologise.

LOVE this! I was given an conventional name and hated it when I was a kid as people took the Mickey and stuff but I love it now!! One of my twins names is quite conventional and the other not so...I just liked the names! I will have to see if one turns out ordinary and the other not so lol!

Why would you make up a ridiculous name though Jux? There are loads of names that aren't in the top 100 that are perfectly normal and nice.
Of course people can pick a name a name they like. Just why does everyone think Harry is a " likeable" name all of a sudden?

This thread has made me think back to over 3 years ago when we named our LO.

We just had a couple of names that we really liked, and then we picked one of them. Didn't buy any books, look at websites or consult the list of top 100 names etc.

I love the fact that it was a name that we both loved and so we chose it.
Had a peek at the name lists and our chosen name is in the top 60.

Because I liked the name, have always liked the name and didn't want to saddle my child with another name I didn't like as much just so it was original. I have an unusual name, it's fine and I like it, but I did get a lot of puzzled looks from other children growing up. If there was an unusual name I really liked I would have picked that for my child. I think sometimes the more you hear a name the more you like it, so perhaps we are drawn to popular names for that reason.

I knew quite a few Thomases & Olivers when I was at school (in the 80's-mid 90's). They were definitely a bit more UC/MC than now but I would always consider them as classics...I didn't know so many Jacks & Harrys at that time. They've just stuck around and become a bit more popular whereas James, Daniel, Nicholas etc...haven't peaked so much...although saying that I know loads of kids called the latter 3...

I think that Thomas, Jack, Harry and Oliver won't date in quite the same way as Gary and Kevin.

Thomas, Jack, Harry and Oliver have been in use, albeit in and out of fashion, in England for centuries. (Jack and Harry are well established short forms of John and Henry)

Gary and Kevin are a lot newer to England so much more trendy names in England.

Actually the thing about those lists is that being in the top 20 is ok. It means people still like them.
Once they start to drop you know the name is going to sound dated.

When I named my DCs their names weren’t in the top 10 but now they are. Neither of them have had others in their class with the same names. It was important to me that they had names suitable for all of their life. It’s all well being different but having a daft or cute name might not be so great for a grown up with a serious job.

My son has a top 10 name. He was named after my dad, dfil, and both great grandads who are no longer with us. So be it. It suits him. He has an usual middle name he can use if he chooses .

Lots of traditional names date. Richard for example. Very establishment, lots of famous ones, overused in the 60's not popular now

Why is poster after poster concluding that if you don't choose a top 10 name you have opted for "youneek" fifi trixibelle type moniker? There are hundreds of very lovely traditional names that are not in the current top 10.

John
Zoe
Miranda
Tess
Mary
Honor

Etc. Traditional lovely names but underused. Those are good choices in my (very subjective) opinion. None my own kids names btw just sounded refreshing amongst all the graces and Olivia's.

Picking a less common name doesn't guarantee your child will stand out. Apparently there were about 50 or 60 girls named Sylvie last year, and I know of 3 in our smallish town (though admittedly they are all about 4 or 5 years old).

(That said, both my DDs names are in the less than 100 a year bracket as I have a very common name and hated it as a child!)

Lots of traditional names date. Richard for example.

But that's because they're all Dicks.

I named my child 6 years ago and last week the Daily Mail said it was the most hated baby name! I always knew I had excellent taste :-p