Any opinions on Harry?

[Renaissance227]

My DP thinks that Harry will forever be linked with Harry Potter and therefore, even though we both like it, we can't use it. Any thoughts?
P.S. There is a strong chance our DC may have to wear glasses as we both do and DP is using this to strengthen his argurment. He also has no alternatives in place in case we don't use Harry!

Harry is a lovely, strong name, yet equally suitable for a cheeky boy. I've yet to meet one I don't like. Also remember that in the 60s, 70s and 80s the most popular names were much more popular, so the number one name might have been one in 10. Nowadays the number one name is more like 1 in 25, so not anything like as common. They are popular for a reason, as they say. (They are just nice names.)

Thank you EllenJaneisnotmyname. Really appreciate your response.

Hi OP

Really like Harry. Lovely name. But I do think you might be under-estimating its popularity?

Above you say Christopher & Jonathan are more common -but in 2009 Harry was the 3rd most common boys name in England & Wales, while Christopher was 94th and Jonathan 127th. If you take the 6000 odd Harries listed & factor in some of the 2000 Henries listed might be nicknamed Harry (as well as all the Harolds!) it was the most popular name that year.

Which doesn't matter one bit if you love it -in fact it means it's statistically likely one of your friends or relatives will use it if you don't!!

I'd be more put off by Prince Harry associations myself but then Harry Potter Mania has somehow passed me by. I still
think it's a cracking name though.

I like the name Harry. And prince Harry is hot!

Very popular, especially if you add all the Henrys and Harrys together. Plus Prince Harry, Harry Potter.... I think people will tire of it eventually and it will date - it will be the Steve or Mike of the 1970s. I'd choose something a little less common personally.

I didn't ask if you knew whether or not it is popular, anyone can check out stats and or know a number of cmall children called it!
I wondered what people thought to the name.
Do you have any sons rachel234?

What is this obsession people have with naming their children strange imaginative names? As if their children are a kind of extension of their persona and they feel they have to outdo people and show how original they are by having an odd name?

The reason a name like Harry is popular is because it's a good solid english (albeit nick-) name.

It's a good name. I'd use Henry on BC but that's your choice (and also because my grandfather was Henry and always called Harry).

And in relation to Harry Potter - it wouldn't make me think of him. Especially as it's a different generation and really it's too common to have such connotations. It's not like having a daughter called Hermione...

Thank you manchurian. Appreciate that!

manchurian, imo there is a big difference between choosing a 'strange imaginative name' (which no one is advocating!) and choosing a name that isn't already used by thousand others. There is a middle ground - lots of lovely names outside of the top20 that are good solid english names but aren't as overused as Harry. But of course the op can feel to ignore that if it doesn't bother her.

But why does it matter if a name is in the Top 20 of names? In years gone by every other boy would have been a John or William.

That's what we have surnames for!

What is this obsession with the lists of top 20 etc?
Does no-one just go with what they like anymore or does it have to be on the outskirts of a list somewhere before it is usable?!
Again, do you have any sons rachel234?

My thoughts exactly manchurian. Thank you.

I think its lovely, I don't associate it with Harry Potter, more with Prince Harry :)

Thank you PamBeesly

I don't understand why you wrote this yesterday - "Harry is very common and I too find it a little boring, tbh" and then came back today to give me some more negative feed back on it - "I'd choose something a little less common personally", rachel234.
I like opinions but why keep telling me your negative opinion again and again?

I agree the obsession with the top 20 has spolit the baby-naming practices a bit. You are right to just go with your gut, OP. I think they are useful if you aren't sure how popular a name is AND popularity would put you off. My DSS is Jack after his late grandad & DH & his ex were aware it was very common when they chose it but they dud so anyway because they like it & it had family meaning. Now he is always "Jack G" at school as there is always more than one but that's ok. Frequently we/he have brief moments of confusion when people shout for their other Jacks in supermarkets, swimming pools etc, but overall our Jack suits & likes his name very much (& we just mentally drown out all the other Jacks -OUR Jack is Jack!).

On the other hand my mum named me a very popular name without meaning to do so, not knowing it was about to go through a popularity boom, & she & I have both always been a but cheesed off by how many others there are & how dated the name now feels. But I think flash-in-the-pan popularity that quickly dates names is a bit different from classically popular names.

I am currently considering Noah for imaginary future DS but I worry this will fall into the faddy camp as it's climbed the charts rapidly in recent years. But if I become sure in my heart it is the name for us I will use it anyway.

Enjoy your lovely Harry :-)

I am now considering Noah

To get back to your original question then, what does Harry mean to me? Well, it's a lovely sounding name, it sounds beautiful in the mouth and to the ear. It suits a great many personality types and I can't really think of any negatives of the name itself (other than the popularity issue). To me it says, strong, supporting, thoughtful, confident, all positive values. As I said before, the Harry Potter association is a non issue for me - Harry is a lovely name and will outlast HP by a long way. So yes, I think your husband's arguments against it are pretty weak!

Yes it might date a little because of it's enormous popularity right now, but I don't think it will be particularly badly as it will always be popular because of it's positive qualities.