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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To avoid top 20 names when picking a name for my baby?

108 replies

Mooveover · 05/01/2018 12:16

I am not bothered about my child having a completely unique name, and I don't like 'made-up' names. I want something fairly traditional.
However I don't really want them to be one of several kids in school with the same name.

AIBU to avoid top 20 names? Even though that means ruling out some really lovely names?

I'm aware the popularity of names can really change, eg someone I know picked a name a few years ago thinking it was quite unusual, yet now it's really popular and she's gutted.

OP posts:
babybubblescomingsoon · 05/01/2018 12:20

Call your baby what you like. No yabu or yanbu about it and I'm sure you know that. It's your decision

splendide · 05/01/2018 12:23

I think it’s hard to tell anyway. My DS name was just outside top 100 when I named him but it’s climbing fast!

60percentofthetime · 05/01/2018 12:24

Call your child what you like! My sons name is v popular, think top 5, but there is no one else in his class of 30 with the same name. If you like a name, go for it.

Dahlietta · 05/01/2018 12:25

I honestly wouldn't worry. I think there's so many names used these days that there are never so many of one particular name, not like there perhaps used to be. For example, I've been a teacher for 15 years, 10 of those in a large boys' school, but I've only ever come across 3 Leos and 1 Jake (plus a couple of Jacobs who shortened to Jake). I think it depends a bit on demographic too. I taught in a prep school for a couple of years and every other girl seemed to be called Grace, but a lot of other popular names were barely represented at all.

BexleyRae · 05/01/2018 12:25

I deliberately avoided the top 20 names. Both myself and 1 brother have very popular names, but my neice has a top 20 name so I don't think it bothered my brother. I

Whichschool2020 · 05/01/2018 12:26

Call your baby what you like. If you call a baby what’s number 21 in the list they might still be one of 3 in a class and the number 1 name might only be the only one- it just depends on so many things. My first has what I thought wasn’t a particularly common name (top 100 but low down!) and we know 5! Hmm Second child has a much more popular name and we only know two.

gothicsprout · 05/01/2018 12:29

Where you live can make a difference too - the ONS website has lists of name popularity broken down by region of the U.K. if you're interested in avoiding the popular local choices.

Ilovewillow · 05/01/2018 12:31

Choose a name because you love it! my daughter's name was no where near the top 100 9 yrs ago - last year it was no. 35. Having said that I've still only met two others and no one at school. Lots of cats and dogs with the same name though.

MrGrumpy01 · 05/01/2018 12:33

All my children have top 20 names. The youngest has top 5 and is the only one in her class. The eldest now has another in her class at secondary.

Even if you pick a less popular name it is no guarantee they will be the only one.

TabbyTigger · 05/01/2018 12:33

I second PPs - in DD’s class at primary school there were 5 Olivias, 3 Poppys and 3 Eves. I just checked a list and while Olivia was admittedly 4th for the year most children in her class were born in, Poppy was 39th and Eve isn’t even in the top 50. There were also three boys called Miles and three girls called Lois in other DD’s class which I thought were both quite unusual names. It’s impossibly to predict how many there will be in a class! I’d just pick a name you love, regardless of popularity.

Sirzy · 05/01/2018 12:35

The names that there are more than one of for boys is ds class aren’t top 20. Ds is a top 5 name and the only one in his year at school and non in the year either side either

LynetteScavo · 05/01/2018 12:35

I avoided too 20 names....went fir one which was something like 68 but climbing. It's now firmly in the top ten.

Rebeccaslicker · 05/01/2018 12:37

In the same position here, OP. All the names I loved that were unusual 10 years ago are suddenly wildly popular - ruby, amber, Scarlett, Lola, violet - gah!!

I think pick what you like and don't worry too much. I've therefore stopped looking at lists and am pushing for Elizabeth with this one as i think it's elegant but has loads of shortening possibilities. I'm facing an uphill battle with a DP who wants "aggie" (feckin' aggie, ffs!!).

RestingGrinchFace · 05/01/2018 12:38

YANBU. If you don't you will end up with a other Vw of plastic tat with their name on it from every zoo, museum and art gallery you ever visit.

Cornettoninja · 05/01/2018 12:39

Completely up to you.

By it's nature a lot of people know others with the same name and I reckon most people don't really think about it.

RNBrie · 05/01/2018 12:40

Use a name you love regardless of where it is in the charts. Dd1 has a top 5 name and is the only one in her year at school. Dd2's name is not even in the top 250 and there are two of them in her nursery. You can't control these things!!

megletthesecond · 05/01/2018 12:42

Yanbu. I avoided the top 100 Blush because my name is so common and it's been a pain in the backside.

Snowysky20009 · 05/01/2018 12:45

Aggie? I can see why you aren't pushing that! Elizabeth is lovely though, and I like Libby as a shortened version. (IMO)

Ds2- we didn't know a single one of his name, not in the top 100, and have now come across over 40! Neighbours children, neighbours grand children, etc. However only him in his year at high school. So you really can not tell.

GeorgiesBoat · 05/01/2018 12:52

Name your DC something you love.
I named DD1 something outside the top 100 18 years ago. Despite this, her best friend in middle school was called the same name. Now the name is top 10 and everywhere. You just can't tell.

MTBMummy · 05/01/2018 12:55

I'm with megletthesecond I had a very popular name growing up, so much so we were all called by my surname (not common and always mispronounced) we deliberately chose names that weren't on the top 100

SparkleFizz · 05/01/2018 12:56

YANBU to avoid top 20 names if you want, but I think you’re worrying too much about the popularity. There’s a huge range of names given, and even a top 5 name is given to relatively few babies.

The darkgreener website names.darkgreener.com/# is great for looking at baby name popularity, it uses official Office of National Statistics data on baby names given in England and Wales.

So take Oliver, for example, most popular baby name in 2016 - put that into Darkgreener and the data shows it was given to around 0.95% of all babies in 2016. That’s less than 1 baby in every 100 babies with the most popular baby name of the year. So even the most popular baby names don’t make it likely that they’ll be on of several in the year.

DS1 is in year 1. There’s not a single duplicated name in his year group in his school.

DS2 is in nursery. There’s 3 pairs of duplicated names. Being vague to avoid being too outing, but first duplicated name was between 10-20 in popularity for that year. Second duplicated name was between 30-40 in popularity. Third duplicated name was between 120-130 in popularity, so not at all one where you’d think a child would be one of many in the class.

PickAChew · 05/01/2018 12:58

Nurseries and primary schools across the nation are full of not even top 50 when he was born ds2's namesakes.

Seems I'm a trendsetter.

phoenix1973 · 05/01/2018 13:01

I avoided popular top 20 names.
Glad, those names have at least 2 in the class.
My child is the only one of that name in a school of over 800.
Its not a made up name either 😁

EB123 · 05/01/2018 13:04

Just choose a name you like. Ds1's name was pretty uncommon back in 2010, now there are lots of them. Ds2 has an averagely popular name and we have only met one other

BigBaboonBum · 05/01/2018 13:07

I just called mine what I liked but when I found out one was in the popular list (despite not knowing anybody with the name! Although they are. Other traditional names) I must admit I felt a little bit wounded but... it really doesn’t matter!