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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

I was just wondering...since the 2010 stats have been released would you now go with a different name??

57 replies

scarlettlips · 29/07/2011 11:34

Hi All,

I was just wondering...since the 2010 stats have been released would you now go with a different name, If the name you liked was in the top 10 or even 50???

Say if you wanted to call future DD, Jessica would you know change it to something else or would you just say..' oh blow it, I don't care about stats'

Just interested being a nosy cow really

OP posts:

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UrsulaBuffay · 30/07/2011 21:13

I'd rather call my child Jessica than Lettice just because it's not on the popular list. All this 'phew' our name is number 10678 is ridiculous imo.

FairyArmadillo · 30/07/2011 22:06

I know Ursula. It's not the worst thing on the world to have a popular name. Out of a shortlist of 5, including names that don't even appear on this 2010 list, I gave DS the two names that appear in the top 20. Because I liked them! Two people I know gave their DS's the same names in the 3 years since DS was born. Didn't know any before he was born. Just thought- great. I must have picked a nice name.

chirpchirp · 31/07/2011 16:56

No, I wouldn't, I love the name I chose for DS. What I do find strange is that DS name appears in the mid 20s but so many people tell me it's unusual.

LaydeeC · 31/07/2011 20:32

I have a 12 yo dd. Her name wasn't popular when we had her. Last year was at no 100 and this year has rocketed up to no 74. Why would it bother me? I was clearly ahead of the game!
Would I change my opinion on a name because I found out it was more popular than I thought - nah!

usualsuspect · 31/07/2011 20:34

Nope ,I never even considered the top 10 names or whatever

Stars22 · 31/07/2011 21:53

My name (Sophie ) is near the top and has been for years but i have not come across any little Sophie's were i live. I wonder where they all are.

somewherewest · 01/08/2011 12:13

Nope. We're sticking with James for our new arrival as its been my favourite boy's name for years and years. Its also fairly traditional and timeless, so won't age as badly as the 'on trend' names in the top twenty or thirty (which I would avoid like the plague).

ellangirl · 01/08/2011 12:55

I've been thinking about this a bit, and here are my thoughts for what it's worth!!
If you choose a girls name which is popular now, but has never been in the past, it may well become a 'sharon' or 'patricia' of the future. I wouldn't choose a top 20 name because I wouldn't want my childrens names to date e.g. for girls 'sharon' is a 70s name, 'patricia' is a 50s name etc. Having said that, some names really will stand the test of time, as they have been consistently popular e.g. james, william and thomas, or something like Louise, Emily or Elizabeth perhaps for girls, although I think there are fewer truly timeless girls names.

everlong · 01/08/2011 13:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tuschinski · 01/08/2011 13:38

I can't open the other link. Can someone tell me where Reuben comes in the charts, how many there are etc? Thanks

MamaLazarou · 01/08/2011 13:57

I would definitely reconsider on a name if I found out it was top 100. Yes, I am weird. My name is really bloody common and I have always hated being one of many. When we meet new people, they never remember my name, but everyone remembers my son's because it is so unusual. The trick is to get something rare but not wacky, IMO, so everyone can spell and pronounce it but it's unusual enough to be memorable.

MamaLazarou · 01/08/2011 14:00

Tuschinkski, Reuben is number 71 on the list (931 babies called Reuben in 2010).

Tuschinski · 01/08/2011 14:04

Thanks MamaLazarou, not much change I think.

Cattleprod · 01/08/2011 14:18

I've crossed a couple of names off our shortlist for DC2 because they're in the top 50 or so. I don't like James/Thomas/Jack type names anyway, I find them quite dull, and when there are hundreds of thousands of names out there it can't be that difficult to find something unusual without being ridiculous or 'kre8tiv'.

It doesn't matter to me which year the names were popular though. If a name was popular in the 1940s (eg John) but isn't used so much now, it would still put me off as there are a lot of people with the name around, they are just older men rather than other babies.

Original poster

scarlettlips · 02/08/2011 08:27

somewherewest DH and I could only agree on James if DD was a DS! However our very good friends have just had a James, lovely news but bugger!!!!!

OP posts:

tummytickler · 02/08/2011 08:53

I was surprised to find that our boys name was not on the list at all , and there were only 12 born with the same name as a potential dd.
However our other 4 dc all have their names within the top 1000, top ranking being eldest ds at 120.
I don't think I would use a name in the top 20, but only because we know other people (or lots of other people) with the same names. If I didn't know somebody called Samuel, for example, we would probably use it (if we liked it enough!)
I couldn't believe our boys name was not there, it is a fabby name, and would still use it if it was the number 1 name.

Yorkshiremum · 02/08/2011 09:55

I have two DS's with fairly popular names (around the number 20 mark in the list) but it didn't put me off as I wanted them to have traditional solid names. Thta said, I don't think I would have picked a name in the top 5 or so for the fact there my be several in a class.

With my DD however we chose a name that doesn't appear in the top 100. I don't know why but I felt that we could be a bit more "different" with a girls name???

cadencealex1 · 02/08/2011 10:36

I am totally put off by the lists. I have three children and with the exception of one, who appears in the the 'top' lists (Charlie - boy) I prefer to choose names that whilst not too unusual, aren't common.

startail · 02/08/2011 10:41

You can't win, DD1 was very popular, but it was a family name I was sticking with.
DD2 was supposed to be rarer, I only knew one 4 years older. Then on of the staff at nursery and one of the teachers at school used it and suddenly they have appeared everywhere.

emmazed · 02/08/2011 12:25

sorry to be a technophone - but can anyone point me in the right direction of the full list? i can see the top 100, but not any further down.

thanks in advance

emsies · 02/08/2011 13:18

I'd much rather a name in the top 50 than a really "odd" name like some of the ones that spring up on lists here...!!

Our daughters name is in the top 10 and we chose it at the last minute having preferred more unusual names but I'm really glad she has it as its a "classic traditional name" which is important to me and for her employability in the future. However we haven't met any other babies or toddlers in our area with the name!

I'm not that keen on Jack as a name but bizarrely still yet to meet one locally. Lots of Nathans and Reubens and Zacs here.

SardineJam · 02/08/2011 13:35

DS1's name has gone down in popularity, he's in the 100s, and am happy about that and DS2's, due in 7 weeks, name has gone down in popularity, albeit, by only 1 place, but am pleased. I do definitely think I would reconsider the name choice if it went up in popularity!

Leena78 · 02/08/2011 13:45

I think if you trully love a name, you won't mind. However, we named our 1st son with an unusual name (at the time) and now there are 3 of the same names in his little toddler group so I'm not too happy about that, so much so that I'm thinking of changing his name. haha

Sophiesmummie · 02/08/2011 16:35

Given that the whole point of naming someone or something is to IDENTIFY him/her, then yes, I would avoid names that are already used by thousands of other little children. I too was one of 3 in my year and hated having been known as little xx.

There are so, so many lovely names to choose from outside the top100 or even top250. Good luck!

shoobidoo · 02/08/2011 16:38

I'd be put off if a name was in the top 10 (probably even top 50) because these names 1) will date more than less popular ones and 2) I'd rather my child didn't have to share his/her name with several others (talking from experience here too). Agree that the point of naming is to identify a person.

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