Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

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

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Gutted. Tell me I'm overreacting!

88 replies

Queenside · 22/05/2013 06:29

We named our DD Isla (1yr) and now although I've only met one other Isla I am frequently told 'oh I know an Isla'.

I really didn't want her to have a name like Oscar or Alfie that becomes incredibly popular for 5/10 years to the extent that it almost ruins the name.

Am I being ridiculous? Is it really, REALLY popular?! I'm fine with it being a name that's heard of and not really unusual but not crazily popular. I'm feeling at the moment like I actually really regret giving her the name. Is it so bad??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MadBusLady · 22/05/2013 16:43

Depending on which field you end up working, having a name that identifies you (e.g on the internet etc) can be very helpful.

Ha. Cuts both ways that. There's under half a dozen people in the country with my name. I am VERY visible on the internet, at all times, whether I like it or not.

seeker · 22/05/2013 17:13

Didn't seem to bother Charles Darwin, James Blunt, John Lennon, Stephen Hawkins, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Margaret Thatcher, Helena Kennedy, Lisa Jardine, Sarah Cox, Mary Portas, Emma Watson...............

shoobidoo · 22/05/2013 18:42

But without their surnames, they'd not be identifable, would they? There are so many Johns, Steves, Emmas, Sarahs that their surname helps identify them.

I bet a John Smith or a Steve Jones will have a harder time identifying himself - there must be hundreds of them! In fact I was recently looking for one (medical specialist) with a similar common name, but was unable to locate him.

So, I guess it helps if either your first or surname are not that common .

pygmy · 22/05/2013 18:47

It's kind of the new Ella round here (South London). Nice name.

teenagetantrums · 22/05/2013 18:48

my daughter has a name that is very common now, she went though most of her school life being the only one in school, now she is in her last year there are 4 year 7's with the same name, confuses her when a teacher shouts out her name and its not her they are talking to, but we liked the name don't care how many other people have the same name as her.

ipswitch · 22/05/2013 18:49

I really like ISLA and have never met one in RL.

EleanorFarjeon · 22/05/2013 18:55

It is a popular name round these parts. Lovely name though.

I feel your pain, OP. When we named our first, the name wasn't even in the top 200 names, now it's really popular .

My only comfort is that we've never come across his name in the same age group as him.

rachel234 · 22/05/2013 18:58

"Didn't seem to bother Charles Darwin, James Blunt, John Lennon, Stephen Hawkins, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Margaret Thatcher, Helena Kennedy, Lisa Jardine, Sarah Cox, Mary Portas, Emma Watson..............."

How do you know that? Perhaps they didn't like having to add their initials or other adjectives to be identified in school - especially John, Steve, Sarah and Emma?

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 22/05/2013 19:01

It's popular round here, in fact I overheard some mums saying so the other night while I was waiting for my DCs somewhere, but we aren't overrun with Islas. To be honest, even the most popular names in our school never seem to go beyond two in a class, so not that big a problem.
Whereas there were 5 Andrews in my class at school.

I think there are many worse things than having to be known as Isla X though.

5madthings · 22/05/2013 19:07

I know two, it is more popular but thats the eay these things go. I have a theo and an oscar when we chose them for our boys 13 and 11 yrs ago they were not popular names, they are now.

ifyouletmefinish · 22/05/2013 19:14

I have an unusual name and unusual surname. Never knew another person with my name until I was in my twenties.. Then I moved to the UK and my father tried to connect with me on Skype. There is another lady who lives down the road from me, looks similar and has the exact same first and last name!! And she apparently doesn't like being called at odd hours by old men with Australian accents bellowing "Hello kitten, can you hear me?!" down the phone line. And get this... She named her DD the same as mine! We have never met but a friend met her and was so amazed at our double names and children names

I think it's a big wide world so no matter what chances are someone else is going share your name. Most important thing is to google your chosen name and surname, make sure there isn't a porn star or serial killer with the exact same one then go for it!

LazyMonkeyButler · 22/05/2013 19:18

I know a few Islas - ranging from 2 years to 2 weeks.

It's not in the Evie/Ava league of popularity though.

HerRoyalNotness · 22/05/2013 19:20

I only know one, my 11yo niece!

nightingalefloor · 22/05/2013 19:25

No Islas in DD's year 4 class if that makes you feel any better :) It does go both ways- DD's name is heard of among older generations but rarely used, and none of her friends can spell it, even though it's a real spell it as it sounds one! Isla is nice, popular enough that people have heard of it, but not millions of them.

kerala · 22/05/2013 19:37

I know 2, one 6 one 3. It is popular but its not Eve/Eva. At one stage one third of the girls in DDs class were named a variant of Eve but they keep on coming! I always think of it as this generations Sarah.

Smugfearnleyshittingstool · 22/05/2013 20:30

I don't know any isla's and we live in s/w

LavenderRally · 22/05/2013 20:33

I'm in South West and I'm afraid it seems very popular. DD is in Reception and there are 3 in her year (60 children altogether). I know of a couple in the year above too. Sorry about that. It's a lovely name though.

Bakingtins · 22/05/2013 20:36

I know several, when my friend named her daughter Isla 3.5yrs ago we thought it was unusual, but there have been a lot since. I don't know any older children called Isla.
It's a lovely name though.
You only get a "uneeq" name if you pick something really off the wall.

bluecarrot · 22/05/2013 20:40

I considered it 11 years ago for DD as I'd liked it since seeing Isla Fisher on tv ( home and away?) Called DD something else but it's out for future DDs as 2 of my ex's have Islas ( both kids are around 12-18 months)

I have a name that was extremely popular for my age group and I liked that it was :)

DaveMccave · 23/05/2013 22:55

Why didn't you check out name stats? It's been popular since my dd was born 6 years ago. I liked it but had heard of too many, she has a more unusual name instead which sounds similar. Having said that, all of the Isla's I know live in different areas of the country. Names are often regional in popularity.

Raaraathenoisybaby · 23/05/2013 23:09

I know two Islas of about 6 and 4. It's lovely don't worry about it

DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper · 24/05/2013 09:47

Yes, it's very popular.

And as I said on the last Isla thread, ALL the Isla threads ask about popularity...! They never just ask for opinions in he name, but instead they ask if it's really as popular as they seem to think it is.

Which says a lot.

evamummy · 24/05/2013 10:09

I understand your frustration, especially when you had hoped that your dd's name would not be widely used (although I'm sure Isla would have already been trending up the charts when you were pregnant?).

But, unless you can use her middle name, there really isn't much to do now, so I suggest you stop worrying about it and enjoy your dd!

EuphemiaLennox · 24/05/2013 13:52

Anyone who thinks they have been very clever in finding a name that is currently underused but still oh so tasteful, should prepare themselves for the disappointment they will feel in 5ys time when they turn up at school to find that lots of others were having just the same thought, and your Scarlett/Reece/Felix/Amelie/Isla I'd just one of a few.

Everyone seems to striving to identify themselves as unique, individual and yet classy through their children's names, but its very difficult to achieve as use everyone else is also trying to do the same thing and you can guarantee what seems like a lightbulb moment idea to you, is just a replica of the same idea happening all over.

Happens to the best of us. Even those of us who really are very unique individual and classy .

AllegraLilac · 24/05/2013 17:08

Same happened to me and my 17 year old Phoebe Grace. Nightmare.

Flip

1 2 3 4