How has your own name influenced those you have given dcs?

[reallacecurtains]

I've got a very classic 'tasteful' name, considered very old-fashioned in 1970, but still popular today, (plus every other primary school mother I meet in my area seems to have this name). When choosing dc's names , I wanted them to have names which are a little more distinctive so they are the only ones within their peer group, although they are still currently considered classic old-fashioned names.

I've therefore chosen classic though more unusual names, probably echoing my mothers' intentions in the '70s but hopefully with more success.

And you?

my mother's (only one of her)

I am the opposite

as a child of the late 60's my parents gave me quite an unusual name.

i was forever spelling it out, and its not that outlandish really

today my children have classic names that everybody knows.

For DS we wanted something that was different, and ended up with a Dutch name that is quite common in Holland. Haven't met anyone over here with his name.

Sounds a bit hippyish until people understand its meaning and then they decide they like it.

For future imaginary DCs I know we'll get asked if we've made the names up again but for our imaginary DD we've chosen a very ancient hebrew name.

I have a ten-a-penny name from the 80's (Spelt with a G, not J if that helps) thanks to my insistant father and relenting mother. My middle name is not common at all, (never met anyone with it as a first name) but not exotic or odd.

I wish my names were the other way around.

We are going for girl: nn version of a classic name (NOT the classic name as I dont like it, but love the nn)
and boy: scottish name with no connection to the place, just love the name, and whom we know one person called this.

I have a very unusual name. No-one calls me my full name.

Strangely, I am polarised to my mom on many things, but on this issue I have followed her lead and all of my DC have long names, but have been consciously been called by shortened versions since birth.

My name is very short and impossible to make decent diminutives from, so DS has polysyllabic names.

He has two middle names because this is a tradition in DH's family.

Basically, he has about 15 choices of name when he's older.t

My dd's name starts with the same letter as mine - I love 'A' names although love dd's name much more than my own!

My name was rare in the 70's but very popular now - I can see dd's going the same way as hearing more and more of the name and has gone up 100 places in a year

I have a crap name: I gave my children nice ones!

I have a Puritan/virtue name that is classic but not well used. I have found having an uncommon name helpful in breaking the ice with people (they ask you where it's from/why your parents called you that/etc).

I gave DD1 an unusual but very very old name (the first woman but not Eve though as she was the 2nd ), DD2 has the Greek version of my name and DD3 has another Greek name that's an attribute rather than a virtue.

Although I don't love my name it's classic/traditional/popular (not so popular now but definitely due a comeback!) and easy to find nns...I have always liked the fact that I don't have to spell my name and that no one struggles to pronounce it...have gone with similar for DS (very popular but classic with opportunity for decent nns.) and will do for DD - due in May!

My name is derived from a male name so I wanted a name for DD that was feminine and had a lovely meaning that wasn't just 'from John'!

No-one ever forgets my name, but then no-one can ever spell it, nor pronounce it correctly from reading it. In my parents' country my name is a beautiful, simple name, a little unusual but not weird or woo. But I grew up here in the UK, and live here.

So my dc have all got classic names that work well in both cultures. No-one boggles when they are introduced. DH thinks of them as strong British names, I think of them as beautiful Jewish names. Both sides of the family are happy.

(No doubt one day the dc will moan "Why did you give us such boring names? It's not fair!")

My father is the sort of man who has phases. When I was born he was in his Greek mythology phase. I therefore have had to spell my full name out whenever I tell anyone it. Thank god it has a vaguely normal nickname because my parents decided if they were going to go for an unusual first name, why not go the whole hog and have an unusual whole name!

Because of this I have given my DC more classic names and very normal middle names in cause they hate their first names!

I have a name that was, unbeknown to my parents, rising in popularity when my parents chose it and was in the top five two years later. (My parents thought it was slightly unusual, so were a bit disappointed.) It then dropped like a stone, having been over-used, so that anyone who knows my name can pretty much guess my age.

All my DCs have names which had been regularly in the top 25 over several decades, but never in the top 10. DD's name has risen a bit since and has been in the top 10, but still, no-one will ever be able to typecast any of them as being any particular age.

Also, I don't have a middle name ('cos when your parents think they're giving you a slightly unusual name, why would you need one?) but actually a middle initial would have been useful - there was another girl in my school with the same first name/surname combination - so all my DCs have two middle names.

I actually like my name very much, I just wish that everyone with my name wasn't so clumped together, age-wise.

I had an unusual and awkward surname before marrying so was determined that my dcs names should be fairly normal and easy to spell. It gets so annoying to have to repeat a name 3 times and then spell it out.

I have a name which is classic, not overused, easily nicknamable and international. I have given DD a name which has the same attributes. I like my name. I hope she will too.

I have an Irish name that bewildered Americans when I moved to the US. When the DCs were born I thought twice about the Irish names I had always liked and opted for family names in English instead. [regret]

I am named after my grandmother. I was given the name in the 70s and it was deeply unfashionable then. Just after I was born my Dad noticed a load of them appearing in the obituaries and really felt like they'd made a bad choice.

I've never met another person with my name, was never able to get anything with my name on it as it was so un-used and you'd never be able to guess my age from my name.

Ironically, the name is now so popular that it is being over-used, people roll their eyes in the 'not another one' sense, and girls with the name now will be easily dateable. I suspect it will drop like a stone in the next few years from sheer over-use.

DS has a name which is also currently deeply unfashionable - nowhere near the top 100 - in fact, I'd be surprised if anyone else used it in the year he was born. But it's a well known name that everyone has heard of. Maybe by the time he reaches his 30s it will be back in vogue again, like my name is now. He is known by a diminutive of the name however, so much so that his actual name doesn't feel like his name.

DD has a timeless, classic (Shakespearean) name - not common or dateable but everyone's heard of it.

I was very much influenced by my own name - and liked not being one of several Sarahs/Joannes/Claires of my age. I was absolutely keen to avoid names like Ruby, Ava, Olivia, Evie, Archie, Alfie, etc, as they're really going to date due to popularity. I am pretty certain my DC will be the only ones in their class - DS without a doubt!

I have an unusual foreign name which I love - it's rare even in my home country. Luckily it's easy to spell and sounds fine in English so has never been a problem. I do need to spell it out the first time I meet people but then they remember it.
So for my DSs I was all set to choose somewhat unusual (not too much) names, albeit ones that 'worked' in both languages. That was counting without DH who is Mr. Classic British Name and not prepared to go for anything even remotely different.
So our two DSs have very classic names, which I do like - can't imagine them otherwise now. In fact they are so classic and a tad old-fashioned that they aren't top 50 names either and I've yet to meet other little boys with the same name which is good.

I have a very unusual name (never met another) which I very much like. dh has the number one name for the year he was born in. Both ds and dd have pretty popular names. ds was named after a historical character (dh is a historian) and we didn't expect it to be popular, but it is one of those names that exploded a bit in the charts (and 12 years later has been top ten for the last ten odd years). dd's full name is unusual but her nn is and always has been popular, and has become more so. Perhaps it's lucky that we moved countries! dd's name still popular, ds's almost unheard of.

Kate, Victoria, Adam and Charlotte here! These are the names of me, my kids and my partner! Very classic names, all shortened/lenghtened by friends. :)