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?

Icarus for a boy and Rosamund for a girl. Fab names and know no one with them.

I've met adelaides (love it, though!), linuses, xaviers and a fair few of the other names mentioned.

I gave dd what I thought was an uncommon, but not unusual name, and I get very odd responses. People ask if I've made it up, if it's French, and I have to repeat it a few times. I think the response would be different in england, but it is clearly unfamiliar in Australia.

What about aviva, op? It means spring, it is pretty ( I think). Freakenomics did say it was set to take off though, but that was some time ago.

I love Asa. Here it is A-SUH though, not A-cer.

And I adore Rex.

I have a Sam. :)

We chose what we thought was an in between unusual and common name for ds, and then it totally exploded and I think is now permanent top 5ish although as we were a bit ahead of the curve he's never had to share a class with another. dd has a relatively unusual name but with a perennially popular nickname. She's just decided to use the long form at school as there is another girl in her class with the name and she hasn't enjoyed that so much (she thought it was very cool for a few weeks and then got fed up).

I have a very unusual name and have never met another one, although there are one or two about, and it has been suggested three times here in the last ten years (I was surprised!. Not made up, just an old variation that has mostly dissappeared.

DS is the only one I knew at the time, the only one in this or his last school and I know of one other in the area, who is an adult, not a child.

Loads of people comment on.what a great name he has tho!

Well, my 10 year old ds and his friend are the only Patrick and John in town!

I know irl
17yo Peggy
10yo Aurora
3yo Gus (that is his full name)
5yo Felix (think this is the most common of those you've suggested)

I am not a fan of names that are hard to spell, but maybe won't be so odd where you live.

Call him Ian, Mark or John, her Jane, Diana or Susan. There won't be a single other one in their entire school career, I'll wager.

Glynis, Diane, Kevin, Wayne, Ann, Jacqueline, Karen, Julie, Trevor, Deborah, Sally, Paula, Wendy, Keith, Barbara, Annette, Ruth.
(I've just named all my neighbours, lol). But THOSE are truly unusual names for babies born today. There must be fairly Irish equivalents.

Aviva is beautiful, especially with its meaning but unfortunately it is a rather large insurance company with frequent and annoying adverts!
ragged I take your point but am not keen on any of those names. Felix is out though, thanks!

Icarus and Rex are awesome!
Oh, and feel I should add ragged that some from your list are lovely names that I would like for other people's children but just not the kind of name I have in mind.

I sat next to an Autumn in school, also had a Marie-Astrid in the class. Went out with an Asa too (his entire wardrobe consisted of work uniform and Man City tops of varying ages). Also have a friend called Felix.

As the owner of a name spelt unusually though (not a made up spelling, just an uncommon variant) - the spelling thing is a fucking pain in the arse and the reason anything I pick for a child will be easy enough to get spelt correctly as it annoys the tits outta me that mine's always spelt wrong.

In 2010 there were 38 boys given ds' name. In the year that he was born it was much, much less, so I cont it as pretty unusual (Amos). His brother is Elijah and I picked this because i loved it, it is a classic name, and has not really leapt up or down the charts too much. We know a couple of others online, and none in real life. I don't mind it being a little popular, really, as its still not everywhere, and is more classic than something like Alfie/Archie imo, so wont date horribly.
I love Ichabod, but not brave enough to use it in fact I don't think I am even brave enough to aask about it on mn
My girls are Iris and Pearl. I know adults with these names, but no children. They are 10 and 6, and Iris was very unusual when she was born. I see it higher in the charts, but still not seen any under 40 in rl! I think they are classic, not too popular but everybody knows them!

And we have Aphra and Jane on our next list if dc5 is dd - not sure which way to jump yet!

tummy I love your names, especially iris, I have Idris on my list for a boy bit will add Iris for a girl!

My sister has a much nicer and more unusual name than me and I have to say tummy I would feel put out if my siblings were called Amos, iris and pearl and I was called jane!

Oh and Elijah, sorry, missed him out!

My (adult) brother's name is so unusual, he is known for miles and miles just by his first name. It is an old family name, which has not been in mainstream use for a few generations, but is also a name that everyone has come across, just don't seem to use. Which is a shame, because it's great.

My ds3 is called Derri. I see it occasionally but it seems to have remained unusual,he is 21.My 8 month old is Delilah,i love it,tis not unique but unlikely to be several in her class at school,i think.

I think you have to pick a name you know you truly love (in that case chances are others will too) and stick your guns in the face of any criticism (on MN or otherwise). My dds are Violet and Daphne. Although Violet is now becoming more popular according to the stats, there are none in her school (most having more conventional or multicultural names) and we've only recently come across another baby Violet in the park. Having said that, I adore the name as it's always been my favourite flower, colour and scent, so don't really mind its rise in popularity.

I doubt we will come across another Daphne, I just love it but I know that there are plenty who don't, YET!

I would never choose a name purely because noone else has it .The meaning, sound and how it looks on paper (I think Daphne and Violet look as well as sound beautiful) are very important to me and I have a particular penchant for vintage nature names, being a romantic at heart.

I love your kid's names too, tummytickler, Pearl in particular, (dd vetoed that for dd2, otherwise I might have gone for it) and think you have done a great job so far so keep up the good work!!

DD was the only one in her year of birth with her name and I think the only one in the last few years with it. It's not made up, everyone recognised it and I've never been asked to spell it. We do shorten it but the shortening is very rare too (13 in year of birth). It's a family name. DS was one of 12 with his name I think and I've only heard of two others - one was a famous actor and one is the grown-up son of a friend who says mine is the only other one she's encountered. Again, never have to spell it and everyone recognises it. I love them both. They both have normal middle names to choose from though when they inevitably hate their names at some point.

Oh, Aphra better than Jane, I think. Although I do like Jane, I could never really love it.

I have a Lucia, which isn't hugely unusual, but just enough that I don't personally know any others.

I quite like Amity.

Btw, Rowan is Lucia's middle name. I think it's lovely for boys and girls.

I know an Issa (guy in his 20s) but I think it would be fabulous for both sexes. I think it might be Greek or Turkish in origin?

My name is pretty unusual, so much so I spent years telling people how to pronounce it. Since then it's featured as the girl's name in a certain series of children's books about a boy wizard ... Does anyone know if it's increased in popularity because of that?

I love Rowan and Lorcan but if Bump is a boy DH will only accept very middle of the road names. oooh could Rowan be a girls name?

X post Psammead!