Do you like having an unusual name?

[WeAreNow]

Just that really.

DP thinks it’s mean to give baby an unusual name as people will struggle with it. All of the names I’ve suggested are unusual. My name is really common, there were 4 of us in the same class with the same name at school and I always wished I had an unusual name.

So my question is if you have an unusual name do you like it or do you wish you were called something a bit more ‘heard of’? If you don’t like it, why not? I know there will be usual problems such as not being able to find things with names on in shops but I’m not sure of other reasons!

YABU: no I don’t like it
YANBU: I like it

My name used to be unusual, but become more popular in the 90s and I still haven't met very many. It's hard to pronounce if you're not an English speaker and I do have to spell it.
I gave my DDs slightly unusual names outside the top 100, but made sure they were easy to pronounce & spell!

My name was unusual when I was growing up (born mid 70's), but gained popularity about ten years ago.

I didn't meet another 'me' until I was about 15, and then met another 'me' at uni. Other than that it's generally kids who are still under 10.

It is easy to spell (although people do get it wrong) and isn't difficult to pronounce. The only downside as a child was being unable to get any personalized stuff (name plates for room were a BIG thing in the 80's). As the only 'me' in the whole school, I found it strange that there were several Tracey's in each class

As an adult, the only downside has been numerous parents screaming my name at toddlers and GMIL stating "oh yes, you do like weird names" when I named DD a completely unrelated name (that started with the same unusual letter) 🤷

My name is unusual (in England, pretty bog standard in Ireland) plus the spelling is awkward and it’s not obvious how you’d pronounce it. And there’s an alternative spelling which is much easier and more common. But oh no, I have to have the awkward version.

I found it a massive pain in the arse/embarrassing growing up but I’ve got over it now.

I still have to have at least one conversation a week about my name, but I quite like that once someone has got it, they never forget me.

My first name is normal and my surname is distinctive. There are three of us with this name in the UK.
I normally don't mind it but someone tracked me down on facey a few months ago dredging up the past and they mentioned that they'd never forget my name, so when they saw it coincidentally they knew it must be me.
I'd be well pissed off if I got a stupid first name though.

I have a very unusual name. Think mythology.
Contrary to popular opinion, no I was never bullied, no I didn't hate it (opposite in fact!), no I didn't struggle to get jobs etc.

HOWEVER, you do get people either wanting to analyse the name or comment on it. You get over it.

I gave all my kids “unpopular” names - a tip to finding names that are “normal” but unusual is to look down the bottom of the ONS lists for recents years. You will find plenty of really ordinary names (think Clare and Fiona) that no one much is using at the moment. You guarantee they won’t be in a class with 5 others, but everyone has heard of the name.

My name is unusual but not unheard of. You'll almost certainly have heard of it (there's a celebrity and a fictional character with this name), but you probably don't know one IRL. It's currently outside the top 100 and probably always has been.

I like having an unusual name and don't really mind spelling it out, but having said that my three DC all have fairly common names. So although I don't mind it myself I guess I didn't want to put them through it!

My name is so unusual that I have never met another one. It was nice being the only one in every school and workplace, it made my surname redundant, like being Prince or Madonna... LOL.

Most people manage to spell it correctly despite its rarity.

There was a Cleo who years ago was a famous singer but most youngsters have never heard of her.

My name is quite unusual, but it’s one everyone has heard of. Especially these days. It’s much more popular now than it was when I was a child.

However it’s never caused me a problem!

Oops I meant to say, my name is Cleopatra.

I fucking hate it. I have a name which I see often on Mumsnet lists as well! Good grief, think of the children spelling it out for the rest of their lives i.e. me!

My name isn't unusual as much as uncommon. Everyone has heard of it but there aren't too many about. I've met others but I was the only one in my school, one of 2 where I work etc. Combined with my surname I'm one of about 10 in the whole country, which makes you easily searchable on the Internet....which isn't always a good thing!

Uncommon but 'normal' is fine. Unusual, difficult to pronounce and spell is not.

This should be your goal!

I have two boys with normal but uncommon names.

I love the fact that I don’t know any other children with their names and I also love it that people don’t give me a: “what the fuck kind of name is that?” look when they ask me what my children are called.

It’s all about balance.

My name isn’t unusual from my parents country but here it is. I hate people always asking where I come from, or even worse they try and guess the country, which is always wrong. People I’ve
Worked with for 10 years still pronounce it wrong.
Once I didn’t even realise my boss was asking me a question as didn’t know they were talking to me they got it so wrong

I’m a variation of Zara. I love it, always have. Never wanted a plain boring “one of many” name.

My name isn't particularly unusual - but it is for my age group, it got popular about 10-15 years after I was born.
So people assume I'm younger than I am - not a problem

I have an unusual spelling to my name. I have only met one other person who spells their name like me. I would have preferred a name I don't need to spell out all the time.

@pheonixrebirth

I love my name and the unusual spelling. However on holidays at pontins I was always gutted because I couldn't buy any of the personalised crap like the pens, badges and mugs. I also heard a child being shouted for in Aldi the other day and let me tell you, living in the north where the accent is as broad as you can get, hearing a woman bellow "Renesme, hurry up, bus is comin" just didn't sound quite right! 😂

A good point. Regional accents aside, it's always worth thinking about how the name will sound when you have to shout it at full volume along the aisle of a crowded supermarket!

@Crosstrainer

I just put my wife's first name into google - nothing else - and she's on page one.

I was going to make this point. My DH has a very bog standard name ((think John Brown sort of thing) and has always said he’s really grateful for it. He works in an industry where there’s been a bit of publicity and he’s been glad that he can retain a bit of anonymity. If you’re Atlas-Romulus Brown-Phillips, it’s much, much harder to do that....

Yep. This was my trouble. Used to work in a fairly ‘scrutinised‘ industry, media wise. And there were very few people with my name.

Luckily, whilst I used to be the only Atlas–Romulus in the school, and in my early years in my career, it has actually become a more common name. Though I do wonder if people see my email signature and assume I’m 20 years younger than I am, as my name had a specific window of popularity (Not Charlene, or Khaleesei but that kind of thing)

Slightly off-topic, I know, but before I got married I had a very unusual surname, which I hated. It was always mispronounced, which meant (a) I had to correct people when I first met them, which sounded both petty and pretentious, and (b) the mispronounced version left me vulnerable to all sorts of horrible nicknames.

It didn't help that my first name was very mainstream and there were three of us with that name in the class, so the teachers always used to address each of us by our full names to make it clear which one they were talking to.

I lovehsving an unusual name. Imagine being the 4th Laura or Hannah in the school, I'd hate that.

I have a really common name and thought it was boring as a child. As an adult, I love it for the privacy it offers online. Aside from lots and lots of random people, I share it with a tv character and a cello player. People would need to know more than my name to find me through googling.

Love having

Mine is a classic old english name, but unusual for someone of my age. I did not hear of anyone with my name when I was growing up. In fact I was in my late30's when I heard my name being called in the street. I naturally turned round thinking it was me and saw a 4 year old running to her mum!
Its definitely more common now, fairly low in the top 100 names. I loved my name growing up. It gave me a distinct feeling of individuality that I have carried through to adulthood. Love my name.

My whole life has been like ‘Jonathan’ in the Goodness gracious me sketch! .

I’d like to be introduced to someone new just once, without having to repeat or spell my name, being asked where I’m from or being told how unusual my name is. Yes, I know it’s unusual! I had lots of teasing when I was younger but luckily I was tough enough to not get too upset.

I agree with pp who say choose normal names that aren’t particularly common rather than trying to be ‘unique’.