This may be controversial but you know what, I don't care if name we have chosen is too popular...

[Yellowflowers]

...because for example I know loads of Johns and they are (nearly) all perfectly well adjusted despite never being the only one in their class.

The common names when I was at school were Dean, Dwayne and Samantha - always more than one of them per class. They all came across as individuals though.

So there.

What I do care about though is a celebrity chose the name we have chosen if we have a ds a few years ago and I don;t want people to think we are copying them. Sigh. Still, most people won't even know the name of that celebrity's child - I just read a lot of magazines!

What is the name? Finn?

You are right not to care.

I am one of many people with my name, I was always known by first name and then my surname intial. Never bothered me when I was at school and never bothers me now when I work with people who share my name.

Why would it?

What would bother me is having to repeat my name every time I say it as no one has ever heard of it and getting a face.

Why on earth is giving your child a popular name controversial?

"so there" ?!

name your child what you like.

If you are giving your child a popular name you are in the majority anyway so why the aggressive attitude?

YANBU to name your child a popular name - although YABU to think Samantha, Dean and Dwayne haven't sufferered due to their parents choices.

YAalsoBU to start this thread without telling us the name so come on!

I'm Samantha and I turned out ok. My best friend through primary school was also Samantha but we were the only ones.

haha - I'm not telling our name as it is a secret until birth and some friends of mine know my mn name.

BUt one of the names we have chosen keeps appearing on MN threads so must be quite popular.

I'm guessing Arlo

nope, but am not getting into that game (she says, trying to resist...)

Good for you Yellowflowers! Its usually the parents that are keen to stand out by an unusual name choice, most kids want to fit in!

Some of the opinions on the more popular names- Matilda, Ella, Evie, Olivia Thomas, Jack etc on here are just rude!

Yeah, but I once taught a class that had 4 Bens in it, and two of them had the same initial surname, so they were known (by the students as)...

Tall Ben, Ginger Ben, Sporty Ben and Thick Ben.

I always felt sorry for thick Ben, but sure enough that was what he was known by. Kids are not renowned for being nice.

I also taught a class that had three Amys in it. One of which was known as 'Amy Microphone head'. Everyone knew her by that name.
It put me off going for a popular name. Kids are not nice.

My name is Claire, along with every other girl born inthe early 70s. My middle name was even more popular as a middle name!

But it was fine. never bothered me. Was only everone or two other girls with the asame name TBh anyway, and never had any dodgy nn.

DD has a relatively popular name but as it happens we dont know any other cildren with her name.

louise Hula??

Oldjolyon, you've made me laugh.

Poor old, thick Ben!

And I can picture Amy Microphone head!

Kids are too cruel!

Ava?

Hula your middle name is anne I'll bet

no, has to be jane for Hula's mn!

Oldjolyon, that would be my concern too. In my class there was 'the ugly Rebecca' and 'Fat Dan', and children don't have the social niceties not to say that to their faces.

Even now I find myself making up nicknames to help me remember adults I meet with very common names. Particularly Steves, Mikes and Daves - there are hundreds and hundreds of them!

I don't think it's contraversial to name your child a name but I do get irrationally annoyed that my favouritest girls name ever (Cecily) suddenly seem to be hugely popular on MN despite my only ever having met one real one...

It is putting my off naming DC that (if DC is a DD) because lots of girls I knew at school had to be distinguished by things so conversations ran along the lines of 'Have you seen Charlotte?' 'Which Charlotte?' 'The fat one with brown hair', 'Is Sarah here today?', 'Which Sarah?' ad nauseam.

a name that's popular even....

I am feeling slightly better about my DD's name. She is number two on the list.
When we get to England she'll probably be in a class of 4 others so will be called gobby ruby.

Kids are not nice about anything and IMO those with names that make them stand out are more likely to be picked on and have silly nn's made up about them

I have an unusual name. I gave my DS's more usual names. Standing out is not particularly fun for a child

LOL at Gobby Ruby [hgrin]

I have one DD with a really popular name and a few DCs with names that are somewhere in the middle, and one with a really unusual name -- she wishes I had called her something else, while popularnamegirl grumbles only occasionally but grumbling is a major part of her personality...

I have always been known by first name and initial and it pisses me off no end. One of 5 or 6 in the class, one of three in the office. The only place my name doesn't have an initial after it is when I walk through my own front door. I bloody hate it. So let's hope your child feels the same as you, eh?