to tell friend that her baby name choice is not unusual?

[toastofthetown]

My friend is expecting her first baby later this year. As I’m massively interested in baby names I asked her if she had anything in mind. She said she wanted something unique and is planning on using Aurora. I said that Aurora is a gorgeous name, but has risen hugely in popularity over the last few years and is now in the top hundred. My friend seemed annoyed with this and told me that it is a very uncommon name with only a few born each year, so I just changed the subject.

Since then I’ve been wondering if I said the wrong thing. Was I unreasonable to point out how popular the name is? I wouldn’t have said anything bad about the name itself, but l didn’t want her to regret her choice later, because she didn’t know about the sudden spike in popularity.

Having a unique name doesn’t make you unique anymore!
It’s getting so boring.
The unique thing is a traditional name nowadays!

Sarahrellyboo1987...true,my friends newest edition to her family was called nelly Mable X in my defence my children are teenagers X so thankfully I choose names before the madness took hold or god knows what they would have been called😂I have a friend who called her daughter Red from Shawshank redemption,that's got to be quite unusual though XX

My 9 y/o DD is called Aurora, named after being born exactly at dawn. There was only a handful of people named Aurora in Scotland at the time, but definitely more popular now locally including a colleague at work who named her daughter Aurora this year.

We were going to use that name but part of the reason we didnt was because of how popular it has become!
Beautiful name but after the Disney live action film came out a couple of years ago it leaped in popularity and is now associated with a Disney princess and not the goddess.

It would have been politer not to say what you said. Being 'massively interested' in baby names doesn't make you an authority and it sounded like you were trying to rain on her parade. However now you have said it, if you like the name be enthusiastic about it if it comes up again and if you dislike it, be interested in how she chose it and don't offer any opinion.

I have never met or heard of an Aurora, and I know a LOT of small children!

It's a lovely name but I know one, it's gaining popularity I think so definitely not unique.

I have never met an Aurora and I think it's an awful name but none of my business and none of yours.

There might have only been 665 named Aurora in 2017 but this baby will be born in 2019- that's nearly two years for it to continue to climb up the charts. I think if she explicitly says that one of her criteria for picking a name is that it's unusual then it was kind of you to say something.

Maybe when the dust settles you could send her a link to the graphy-name sites and say "this is fun to play around with" or something, but only if you feel she wouldn't think you were making a dig.

I never understand people described by PPs who pick en vogue names like Ava, Sophia, Grace, Mia or Ella and think they're being dead original. They're pretty names and fair enough if you don't know that many young kids or don't look at the stats, but in the age of social media you must notice the same names used by your peers cropping up repeatedly?

COuld be worse...I was pregnant at the same time as a friend (she was 3 months ahead of me)
She didnt find out babies gender at scan, but I did...
I had told her (pre-scan) what our prefered babies name was for boy or girl
When I told her the gender (i was having a boy), she said great, I will take your girls name now thats its 'free'
She had a girl and sure enough used our chosen name (first and middle!)

YWBU for telling her, unless she specifically asked.

More lies like 'It's gorgeous' (it's hideous) are what's required when speaking of baby names. You either like it or you lie - them's the rules.

We have two in local preschool and many children struggled to say it. One family shortened it to Rory 🤔, the other child had a lisp and struggled with the r's. I think if people have decided they are easily offended but so many children are stuck with difficult names based on the parent wanting to be unique; speak out I am not sure I know anyone called their actual birth name but many that have to repeat/spell their childs unusual name/spelling!

Tammara marley-lola

I suspect you’re teasing but I really hope this is true 😂

Of course YANBU. If you can’t tell a friend a relevant fact in a conversation for fear of upsetting her, what sort of a friendship is it? No wonder there are so many communication and relationship problems in society if so many people think it would be better to keep your mouth shut and let your friend live in blissful ignorance.

Pocahontas or Moana - or even Cinderella - would be more unusual than Aurora.

Me too 🙊😂😂😂

Well yes, YWBU to prick her balloon. It's her baby, and she loves the name. Don't be that person that always has to be right. I am one of these people and it doesn't do you any good.

I love that darkergreen website, my daughters name isn't listed and mine is unique.

Well OP, if it was unique before it certainly won’t be after this
Daily Mirror.

Oh, OP. I hope your friend doesn't read The Mirror. I'm quite surprised they picked up on it, to be honest.

At least it's not another A'me'lia.

Ribbonsonabox Is there a Disney live action version of Sleeping Beauty ? Missed it somehow.

I had this - (me and good friend who is a bit ‘highly strung’ and known for being a big judgmental of others)

Me- ooh so have you chosen a name yet?
Her- yes we want something meaningful and unusual (not like all those common children 😂) ....we’re going to call her Aria!
Me- As in game of thrones? That’s cute- it’s getting super popular now!
Her- 😡😡😡 NO it’s not from game of thrones and it’s very unusual
Me- 😏 ok....my god daughter has 2 Aria’s in her reception class...but whatever you say!

Whatever name someone chooses it is hardly going to be unique unless it is in Klingon. Aurora slept for 100 years after being pricked by the witch, Caillebotte's needle, so it would not be a great name in my view. However, schtum is best.

It is not a name that makes you unique. It's you, the person. You might be called Qwertysquoo and be the most boring mean person ever!