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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Would you pick a name in the top 200??

110 replies

nappyaddict · 04/09/2012 08:50

I've heard a few times that names in the top 200 will date and be the next Sharon/Tracy/Kevin/Trevor etc, unless they are timeless classic names that have remained in the top 200 over decades.

Do you agree with this?

Did it affect your choice of name?

If you liked a name and then found out it was in the top 200 would you change your mind about it?

OP posts:

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getmeoutofthismadhouse · 04/09/2012 10:53

My DS's name was number 1 for years , (Jack )but I rarely hear of boys with that name around our area . There is only a few in his school . I chose it because I loved it at the time , I didnt care how popular it was or is now.

RunningOutOfIdeas · 04/09/2012 10:54

When we chose DD's name we did not consider how popular it is (one of the top 5). For the past 2 years of nursery there has been at least one other child with the same name. They loved having the same name. The mother of the other child has told me on several occasions how it helped her DD. She was rather shy and younger than my DD so my DD tended to be a role model for her.

ThisIsYourSong · 04/09/2012 11:06

This is excellent, it goes back to the 1880s. Don't know where it gets it info from though.

I do wonder if DT1's name might date a bit, its Aidan. Still a lovely name though so I'm not worried about it.

tammytoby · 04/09/2012 11:07

We chose names we loved but both dh and I love timeless, classic underused names. So yes, we did avoid the top 250 or so names but not on purpose, rather that we didn't love any of the popular names.

Ds's name was used 13 times last year and dd's about 200 times. But both names are well known, classic names - they're just not trendy.

tammytoby · 04/09/2012 11:08

In our class this year (where I help out) there are 4 Harrys, two of which share the same surname!! Will be interesting to see which nicknames we can come up with....

Ragwort · 04/09/2012 11:13

My DS's name is in the top 10 and has been for years, he is named after his grandfather and it is apparently a classic, timeless name - also the most popular dog's name . We actually have never met that many other boys (or dogs) with the same name.

My own name which I didn't think was that unusual is apparently over 2500 !!!

SPsFanjoSponsoredByFemFresh · 04/09/2012 11:14

My sons name I think isn't even in the Top 1000 but if it was in the Top 100 I'd still have chosen it.

MrsHuxtable · 04/09/2012 11:16

According to that link there are no babies with my DD's name in 2008, can't click on 2010. She was only born this year though. 7 girls in that year were born with her nickname.

I'm glad it's such a rare name in the UK. It's not made up btw, it's a German classic name. I hope, it won't become more popular!

Lambzig · 04/09/2012 11:23

I became a bit obsessed with this when I was pregnant with DD and chose a name in the 3000's.

Near to me, Ethan is a really popular boy's name and I personally know 5 among friends and family and there are two in my daughter's music class. Its a really nice name, but I would really hate a name that I came across so often.

I think its a bit easier to be fanciful with girls.

I am pregnant again and we are trying to chose names and really strugging with a boy's name. Its hard to pick something that is unusual and classic, but spelled correctly, and doesnt have the 'head kicked in, in the playground" factor. There are a few I like outside the top 100 so might have to settle for that.

mayanna123 · 04/09/2012 12:00

There are LOTS of beautiful, classic normal names outside the top 200-300 most popular names. Being less trendy also means that such names are less likely to 'date'.

Boobz · 04/09/2012 12:11

My DDs (Penelope and Constance, nn Penny and Connie) are over the 250 mark. DS is Kit and is nearly 500th.

I like that they are not made up names but are not popular. Kit could get popular and date, I suppose, but most people go for Christopher and shorten to Kit (which we didn't do because I was too scared he'd end up a Chris and not Kit, which we love).

In answer to the OP, I wouldn't have chosen a name in the top 50, (so no Olivias, Graces, Emilys, Jacks, Harrys etc) but outside of 50 I think it's unlikely to be seen as too follow-the-crowd.

LettyAshton · 04/09/2012 12:13

I was a bit obsessive and constructed my own table of the top 500 names of the past 5 years when I was expecting the dcs.

Ds's name is still rare but classic [preen], but dd's... unfortunately it has shot from obscurity to middle class-tastic. I was most miffed when someone famous named their dd the same name one week after dd was born and that seemed to open the floodgates.

BonaDea · 04/09/2012 12:16

Can someone let me know how you look lower down the list than the top 100? I've only seen the top 100 for boys and girls and wouldn like to look further down the list.

MrsJohnDeere · 04/09/2012 12:20

Didn't give it a thought when naming my Dcs. In fact, I think one has a top 10 name and the other has a quite uncommon name.

Prefer classic names to trendy ones that date.

whatsoever · 04/09/2012 12:25

We've chosen for our as yet unborn baby (due next month) and wanted to make sure the names weren't top 20 at the very least. Our 2 girls' choices are not even top 100, our boy's choice is top 30 but I don't know any personally. Our middle name choices are top 100 but old fashioned. I think it's when they are very popular trendy/modern variants that I groan a bit, as you know the nursery class is going to be packed with them for a few years. It ages the child a bit like a trendy dress ages your wedding photos.

In the greater scheme of things it doesn't matter a jot as long as you like the name but we just didn't want to be quite as predictable as we might have been. It was fun looking through the Penguin names book for inspiration too

Lambzig · 04/09/2012 12:27

mayanna any tips for boys outside of that?

bethjoanne · 04/09/2012 12:31

if you pick a classic not common name now it will be certain to be in top 1o in in 10 years time .i use to love jack harry george henry isobelle and sophia now they are sooooooooo comon

bethjoanne · 04/09/2012 12:35

love the name felicity for a girl.
sebastian for a boy.

mayanna123 · 04/09/2012 12:46

Lambzig, depends on your taste of course, but names that I like include
Lucian
Ronan
Quentin
Dominic
August/Augustus
Linus

sonnieboo · 04/09/2012 12:56

We sometimes forget WHY we name a person (or thing) - to IDENTIFY him/her. So the more widely a name is already used, the less likely a name will fullfil this purpose. If there are several Harrys, Jacks, Evies and Ellas in a class then some sort of modifier needs to be added - a surname initial or other adjective (small, big, ...).

So yes, it is a good idea to avoid popular names, especially if you have a popular surname!

MrsBovary · 04/09/2012 13:05

Identification and differentiation is only a part of why a name is chosen, surely, and not a traditional naming consideration? The name pool is larger, and more diverse, than it has ever been too.

LST · 04/09/2012 13:09

I would. And I probably called my son in the top 20. But I don't care as I like the name so didn't check.

PeggyCarter · 04/09/2012 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bethjoanne · 04/09/2012 13:33

ernest,walter,elizabeth,minnie,robert,charles,bessie,clara,rose,frances,pearl,
michael,richard,nancy,maria,heidi,erica.lovely classic names not common yet!xxx

ellangirl · 04/09/2012 13:34

citylover The Scottish names popularity 2011 can be found here. You want table 4, then search for name ... My DS is number 200 ish in England, but 50 ish in Scotland!

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