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.

I think regardless of the facts, baby names are very emotive when you’re pregnant (as I am) if I tell someone I’m thinking of a name the only response I want is how lovely it is, regardless if that’s what you actually think. I certainly don’t want to be told a load of stats! My hormones are raging so my emotions are very high. Thankfully other then my DF (who I refuse to tell any names because he makes me cry with his negativity) everyone seems to be aware of this unspoken rule and all names I’ve said I like have been met with the correct response

Aurora is Italian for dawn. She would probably be more unique calling the baby Dawn to be honest!

That's true Ihopeyoudance!

When someone tells me their baby's name...

That wasn't the case here. It is only a planned name for an unborn baby. As it was chosen specifically to be "unique" pointing out that this was rising in popularity wasn't wrong. Especially as the OP then changed the subject.

It'll get called Rory.

@CalmConfident No babies being called Louise

This is really true. I have several friends called Louise (im in my 40s) but havnt heard that name on anyone under 20. However i know at least 5 new 2010+ babies with the middle name Louise. Wonder why

My DD's name was burgeoning on becoming popular when I named her. Her brother's was popular already but we had personal reasons for choosing it. Let the Hyacinth Buckets do their worst I say .

You sound jealous. It would be spiteful to tell her. Aurora is beautiful and unusual

You dont hear of any Alisons nowadays. Tell her to call it Alison.

Being in the top 100 still doesn't make it that common. In 2017 (the most recent year for which statistics are available) there were 330,000 baby girls in England and Wales. Of these, 665 were named Aurora - 0.2%.

I think the unreasonableness rests on whether the unique factor was important to how much she likes the name, if it was like OP suggested then it’s fair enough to mention it’s popularity.

Maybe try again in a few weeks and ask her how important the rarity is. Without mentioning the name itself.

My friend and I were pregnant at the same time in 2003 and we discussed this. We both wanted unusual names. I chose something like Jane (but not Jane) and she chose Amelia. It is funny though, she was badly masking her confusion and sense of superiority with what I had done - given our conversation about wanting a name that wasn't super popular. I was the one who consulted the statistics though. I actually, name nerd that I am, consulted the stats for UK & Ireland (as I'm Irish living in the UK). I also had a look at the American stats as they go beyond top 100 to look at patterns! I had a look at the Spanish, French and Italian stats as well! What can I say. I was interested. Some people like crochet.

At our school we have a large number of Chinese families, and so we have a small Victoria, Claire, Sarah, Joanna and even a Nicola. It’s like being at school in 1984.

My to sons have too 10 names. For one of them there are two in his year of 38 and the second is the only one in a year of 45. Yet there are two boys called Terrance!

*top 10

*two

I find people look at the rating of a name, not the number of children born with it. Like a pp said, 0.2% of baby girls given the name Aurora makes it pretty rare. I can't remember exactly, but I found there's not a great deal of difference between the number of babies called the 11th most popular name say, and the 50th most popular. My daughter's name in often mentioned on MN as being ridiculously popular and ubiquitous, as though it's in the top 5 names. It's actually around #30 and as a teacher I've never come across one (have taught or know siblings of hundreds of children). I can only assume they're all concentrated in one part of the country!

Maybe be she is going for a U-nikw spelling like Aa- Raw-Raa

I don't know how this happens though, it must be osmosis. If it is your pfb and you don't know any babies or mums then you, and everyone else, is picking the same thing.

I know TWO Auroras, although to be brutally honest, one is an Arora.

@thighofrelief101 I think what usually happens is the name is the name of a character in a TV show or a film, either that or an actors stage name. Someone hears it and goes ooh that sounds unique I'll use that. And suddenly the world is full of Amelia's and Auroras.

I have no idea where the -Mae and -Rae thing came out of though.

I think JudasPrudy is right. Also, names that are not common in our generation or our parents, so we don't hear them much & they sound fresh, but it turns out everyone else was thinking the same thing.

Also I think a lot (not all) of people want the same things from a name - for it to be pleasant, heard of but not too popular, and that's pretty hard to do.

I heard my first real life Aria today in the park, a preschooler.

I like Ariel, but........laundry.

Kim's daughters name Epponae Rae is still relatively unusual, at least the Eppponae Rae is! ;)

Hmm. You should not have made that comment. Just wrong of you