Anyone actually managed to pick an unusual name?

[Carlitawantsababy]

I'd really love my DC to have an unusual name and personally wouldn't like it if there ended up being 4 others in his/her class at school etc. I gathered together a list of names I like bit looking on here loads of other people like them too so I've clearly, subconsciously, picked up a penchant for fashionable names. So..I was wondering, did you pick an unusual name for your DC which is actually still unusual now they are at school? How did you do it and have you got any tips for avoiding the latest trends?

Grumbling I adore the name Seren. DH wouldn't agree to it though as he has pronunciation issues. He vetoed so many names!

Frazer is nice (or is it Fraser?)

I have a Stirling, one was announced in the paper about 6 weeks after his birth (am assuming they saw our announcement, we are the opposite end of the UK from Scotland LOL) but none since.

He's 10.5 now and likes it so that's fine, Dh picked it out (racing fan) and I think it's fine, I got to pick out ds4's name in return.

DS1 / ds3 / ds4 common names- all names driven by taste over whether they are rare or not.

I have a penchant for 'old-fashioned' names. Searched online for 'historic names' and found a wonderful spreadsheet of the top 100 names for each gender for 1904 and every 10 years thereafter up to 1994. Quite interesting to see how names trend in and out, and provided a few ideas. Though I can't bring myself to use Doris which was no 3 in 1904 and 1914 (after my Nan) as I know someone who uses it as a derogatory term!

I know a boy named Surena. (Sir-N-uh) It's quite a common Persian name so I assumed there'd be more in Britain but not according to the ONS!

I really like it - but he gets fed up with people thinking it's Serena and he's a girl.

I would pronounce Aaron 'Air-un' (a bit like Erin therefore) and while paying only half my attention one day I thought surely there must be some mistake, as I knew an Erin Rogers a few years ago...

Cheerful -- Aran would be Arr-an, like the Aran Islands ()

I love Aram, as in Khachaturian.

I know one little Ambrose, aged about 4. Lovely name imo, but I don't think it will ever be mega-popular. Another nice, unusual English name is Dunstan, which has the same sort of pre-Reformation feel to it. I love Clement too.

After unwittingly choosing a really, really popular name for DD3, following DD1 and 2 and DS, whose names are a mishmash of family names/traditional/classic/Irish and quite unusual, I tried for something more on the unusual side again with DD4 and named her after my mother (uncommon name). Then she met the only other one we have ever come across on the first day of school, and they have been friends ever since.

Wessun Smith ? They didn't even spell Wesson right.

I have an unusual name, I've only ever met one other, and on the ONS list there were about 30 last year. I love the fact that if I hear my name it's me that's been spoken about, so wanted the same for my children.
(Not going to out myself completely, but it's a musical instrument like a piano but with plates not strings & it means "heavenly", or sky blue in Spanish.)

DD is named after a tiny Cornish island, we love the place and when I was pregnant I was googling for pictures of it and pictures of girls kept appearing so it was an obvious choice. The year she was born there were 4 on the ONS list, last year it had doubled to 8!

Currently trying to find a name for DC2, due in 2 weeks! We've got a girls name, Anya, it's more common, but still quite rare. Still no decision on a boys name. They all seem to be either really popular, too old fashioned, or wacky. I've been trying to persuade DH into liking Seth for 5 years, it's getting more popular but still unusual, and DH still hates it.

Childtwo is quite unusual isn't it. :o

Going to scour the thread for names now :)

Both my sons have what I class as unusual names. There were 5 Victoria's and 4 Emma's in my class at school so I was determined my children would avoid that. I have Milo and Cooper and am expecting a third boy in Feb. People probably assume they are newfangled but actually are Latin and Anglo Saxon. Next one is a work in progress but definitely will not be Matthew or Tom!

My first DD has the normal name of Sophie.. subsequent twins.. Gypsophila (gypsy) and Araminta (minty) .. they are now 6 and love their names :)

DD is Matilda and we've not come across another yet. She does go by Tilly though which is way more popular. DH loved Tilly but I didn't so Matilda was the compromise.

My Ds are Jareth and Danann and my Dd are Arwen, Darcy and Akai. I would have an unusual name as do my siblings (hippy parents). I am Etaoin Williow Moon.

Etaoin xx

thefirstMrsDeVere - yes I did. We both had different names on the ante-natal thread (stinkypinky) I was so very touched by what you said about your brave beautiful girl, and her name is very cool

I had no idea about your Asher though! Spooky eh!

Is there a list of ALL names that were given last year? Not just the top 100? Can anyone direct me? Thank you so much!

That is so lovely Bollocks (how funny will that look in the active convos?)

I am very touched. Made my week that has

feb70, www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-225089, and when downloaded, tab to Table 6.

And here for Scotland: www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/births/popular-names/2010/detailed-tables.html.

my son is kenzie and my 2nd gs called oakley

WOW that was fast! Thank you NoHunIntended!

Thats a great spreadsheet NoHun. Having scrolled aaaaaaall the way down, I can see that my DD was one of 47 to be named her name. I'm happy with that. Mind you 47 girls were also named Precious. And 144 were named Princess, so my judgypants are on tightly.

no - just Ella- common as muck, I've been told

I was at university with a Precious - she was of African heritage, not sure where exactly. I think it is quite a known name in some cultures - I quite liked it. Also knew a Comfort. Princess, on the other hand...

Pleasure! I have them saved! :)

LWWW, you could have just used the search facility!

The name we have in mind for a DD if we have one was also one of 47 for last year! I wonder if it's the same as yours!!!
My DS was one of nine in the year he was born, using the total for England, Wales and Scotland (he is half English, half Scot).

Princess is also quite a common African name afaik.

Princess was given to 144 girls last year in England & Wales - quite popular actually.

tripped across this old thread and loved it... What did OP call her dc??
My name is really simple and there were LOADS of them when I was born, but I haven't heard of a baby called it in years (religious reader of the announcements column). Annoyingly it has several spellings, so I still have to spell it out every time - annOYing.
I pointed this out to everyone who told me off for calling DD2 a flowery 'out there' name. Her name is a 'marmite' name - people either love it or hate it. I passionately love it, so don't care! Now there are lots more (like to think I inspired a few), but I quite like that as it stops people saying 'eh?' when she says her name...
My son is called the most normal name you can think of - and yet I know of only one other under five. Yay.
My parents called my brother a 'crazy' name 30 years ago - everyone thought they were mad and said it was an old man's name - now it is in the top 5 and has been for ten years. So you can't bank on a name staying unusual or common... e.g. Mary, Clare, Jane, Caroline? John?
I think there has been an overload of flowery names (Isabella, Florence, Grace etc) and Victorian maids names (Tilly, Elsie, Esme) in the last few years, basically our great-grandparents generation, and now people are looking at their grandparents names instead. I know several Reggies, Stans and Wilfreds. No Eileens or Normans yet!
Loads of place names around in the last few years too, especially Cornish and Scottish (Merryn, Lamorna / Iona, Kinvara etc).
I think any child 'becomes' his/her name so fast, it doesn't matter what they are called. They alone can make their name cool or nerdy...
Just watch out for the initials or the first/second name combo. Polly Esther?