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Baby names

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

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Original poster

How many of you worry the name you pick is too popular?

65 replies

LDNmummy · 06/08/2011 20:46

I let DH pick our LO's future name as long as I could use my grandmothers name for her middle name. He wasn't too keen on it but was happy to compromise and I wasn't too keen on his choice of first name but was also happy to compromise; so we are both happy.

But the main reason I wasn't immediately happy with his choice of first name, was simply because of how popular it is. I had a look at the popular names list and it is a constant toward the top of the list.

It doesn't bother me now as her entire name is very unusual and I felt happy for him to have the honour IYSWIM. But I was wondering how many others are put of by a names popularity?

OP posts:

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groak · 06/08/2011 20:53

why oh why oh why is it a competition to have unusual names?

Names might be on a popular list because they're popular because they're... nice names?

Catnip sunshine really will not love her name in 25 years time!

Italiangreyhound · 06/08/2011 20:57

I agree, a totally unusual name sounds great on a film star but most kids just want to be normal and fit in. I am usually happy when I meet someone with the same name as me. I also tend to give people nicknames, really good friends/family so you can always have an unusual name at times but just not on your certificate and not when you go for job interviews.

I am sure it is popular because it is beautiful.

RitaMorgan · 06/08/2011 20:59

I think ds's name is becoming more popular (it's top 50 but not top 10 at the moment) - I don't really mind that it's popular but I didn't want him to be one or three or four boys with the same name in his class at school.

Even if you choose a very uncommon name, it could be the next big thing anyway. Just choose a name you love - but be prepared for her to be always known as Big Olivia, Little Evie, Amelie J or whatever throughout school!

Sirzy · 06/08/2011 20:59

I picked a nap I liked, I didn't even look at popular name lists until I happened to come across one when he was a few months old.

As it happens I have only ever met one other child with the same name as him in the last 20 months and his name is one of the top names if you go off the lists. The name Kyle only comes pretty low in the top 100 I think yet I know of at least 5 kyles under the age of 5!

budgieshell · 06/08/2011 21:04

When your child is at the shops looking for things with names printed on (note books, badges, bed room door names etc), you will be pleased to say "yes darling here it is". The alternative is a child so disapointed that there is nothing with their name on (tears will be shed).

FairyArmadillo · 06/08/2011 21:09

I had every intention of giving DS an uncommon name. My first choice was vetoed by ex. He hated it so much he begged me not to insist on it. He was OK with my other weird choices. DS for a long time was going to be called Orion. However there was a name I had loved for a decade which wasn't so popular when I first heard it, but has been in the top 20 for the three years since DS was born. I love his name. It was the last name to make my shortlist and two distant friends have given their babies this name since mine was born. But I really don't mind. He suits his name much more than Orion or Oberon (my other choices!).

mymumdom · 06/08/2011 21:11

My sister and I have really unusual names and we both hate them. Stick to what you like, even if it's really popular, and don't chose something for the sake of it.
We didn't chose Emily as our eldest DD's name because it was number one, but there are only 3 in their school, out of 600 pupils.

HeidiHole · 06/08/2011 21:11

Names are normally popular because they're nice. I don't really mind that much

lockets · 06/08/2011 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wigglesrock · 06/08/2011 21:17

Dd2 has a really popular name, one of the most popular ever It doesn't bother me - we haven't met that many Olivias, there are very few in dd1s primary school and none in dd2 nursery school. I think it depends on where you live as well, I have heard Elijah about 20 times this summer out and about in parks (all around 2-3years) but very few Olivers, Jacks etc.

Meglet · 06/08/2011 21:21

I deliberately picked names that were outside the top 100.

My RL name is common as muck and I hate it, we had 4 in my class at school. It's a PITA. I didn't want the teachers to get my dc's muddled up with any others.

AlaskaHQ · 06/08/2011 21:27

My first name is Emma.

In my first school there were 4 Emma's in my class of 25
In my second school there were 5 Emma's in my class.
In my college at university there were 4 Emma's out of just 30 female students in my year.

I hated it. I was never able to be just "Emma", instead it would be "Emma X".

tammytoby · 06/08/2011 21:32

If you accept that the point of NAMING someone or something is to IDENTIFY him/her/it, then the more popular a name is the less it serves its purpose to identify and you need to add an initial, an adjective (little Ella, big Ella, whatever).

There are thousands of names to choose from (over 5,000 boys names alone were used last year), and we really enjoyed choosing a name for our dd that we love, that sounds good with our surname and that wasn't already used by thousands of other little girls.

tammytoby · 06/08/2011 21:33

And yes, you can personalise almost anything nowadays - that really shouldn't be a consideration imo.

Nightstar · 06/08/2011 21:37

I have an unusual name, Seren. Actually not so unusual now, it's becoming better known but it was 'wierd' when i was young.

It means Star in Welsh. I love it. I was the only one in my class and it is always remembered (though rarely spelt correctly which is annoying) and I wear a lot of stars in my jewellery and its lovely to have a name that actually means something, and people tell me constantly how pretty it is.

I would hate my kids to have a really popular name that was the same as everyone elses, but on the other hand i personally love traditional names. So I think its a balance of finding something you like that isnt TOO mainstream or unusual.

Jenmummy · 06/08/2011 21:38

i've jsut named my third dc Jack... did agonise over whether it was too popular but all the other names i considered didn't really work for me.. when i originally found out i was pregnant i thought 'jack for a boy and lucy for a girl' and although i went round the houses with names for approx. 36 weeks it had to come down to the name i liked best which i also felt would suit his surname....
still look at him at 6 weeks and think ' oh lordy have i done the right thing??!' Time will tell :)

Jenmummy · 06/08/2011 21:39

@ NIghtstar - I think your name is GORGEOUS!!

Original poster

LDNmummy · 06/08/2011 21:39

You guys are right, her future name is a lovely one, I like the meaning too. I suppose I just imagine living in a world where everyone is called Jack and Jill and cringe a little (obvious exaggeration but you get my drift hopefully).

When I say I wanted a not so popular name, I don't mean something made up and silly sounding like Catnip Sunshine , I meant something more individual so she wouldn't have 5 classmates with the same name.

But I see what you guys are saying.

Italiangreyhound and budgieshell I think that was one of the reasons DH picked a popular name actually. I actually have an unusual name and remember that moment at the Sea Life Centre or theme park when they didn't have a novelty item with my name on, but as I have grown up I have come to love having an unusual name, I suppose it just depends.

OP posts:

MollieO · 06/08/2011 21:43

I picked a name that was and is very popular. In fact now number one and other years top three. I had no clue as I chose a name I liked rather than looking at popularity polls. Despite it being a very popular name ds was the only one at his nursery and is the only one in his year at school. We don't know anyone else with his name despite its popularity. I would choose a name you like as you will be using it several times a day at differing volumes.

Original poster

LDNmummy · 06/08/2011 21:47

Oh and he picked the name without checking the ranking BTW, I found out how popular it was after he told me when I was looking up Its meaning.

When I say DH wanted a popular name, I mean one that wouldn't be too different.

OP posts:

ZZZenAgain · 06/08/2011 21:50

I never worried about it at all. I also tbh never thought for a minute whether other people might or might not like it.

Sirzy · 06/08/2011 21:52

Surely the fact you only found out of popular it is when you looked it up suggests it may not be that popular in your area? (if that makes sense!)

casperella · 06/08/2011 21:55

Personally, DH and I wanted our kids to have names that were readily known and easy to spell. Mainly because I have a hellish name which most people can't pronounce properly never mind spell, which coupled with an unusual surname (both pre-and post-marriage, how I long to be Jones or Smith!) means at every stage of my life (school, Uni, various jobs) I've had to repeat and spell my name to people, over and over (at least that's what it feels like!). So we didn't want that for our 2 - both names are in the Top 10 and have been for years.

But of course it's a personal choice, some people like unusual names, and others don't - we all have our reasons.

clutteredup · 06/08/2011 21:57

Me too casperella - we have a dreadful surname so nice simple 'normal' names easy to say and spell for our 3 DC. One difficult name is enough.

BunnyWunny · 06/08/2011 22:00

I have a very common name, and although i wouldn't want to have a 'weird' name i would like to be a bit more unique! I chose a name for my dd which was not in the top 50, but was not so unusual that people would ask her how to spell it, I think we are all happy with it.

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