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Baby names

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

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Original poster

I have a very popular name, it has never been an issue.

74 replies

ToTiredToBeWitty · 05/06/2013 19:03

Why do some believe popularity is a bad thing in a name choice? My name clearly ties me to the late 70's/early 80's.

I have always shared my name with other people in my class/activity and it has never once bothered me. People know how to spell my name when I say it.

My surname, on the other hand, is an 11 letter bugger which no one knows how to spell and I have to say every single letter every single time. Drives me crazy.

My conclusion is that its easier to live with a popular name that everyone knows how to pronounce and spell than an unique name that everyone goes 'huh?'when you say it.

What do you think?

OP posts:

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Ficidy · 05/06/2013 19:51

Yeah, boys' names are definitely harder. I think girls' names in general are nicer too.

strawberry, I agree with ToTiredToBeWitty, I'm sure your name isn't ugly at all. If it's come up on mn a few times, some people must think it's lovely!

harbinger · 05/06/2013 19:53

I've been 'blessed' with a first name that everyone goes 'Huuuh' about as it is so rare. Always have to spell it out, even though it is quite easy and also the question of where is it from? Nobody knows C17 English names!

NomDeClavier · 05/06/2013 19:58

I prefer names that are known but not very common IYSWIM so you avoid the spelling issue (which we have with our surname) but don't get 50 of them in your social circle.

We have the added complication that it needs to work in different languages but luckily there is substantial crossover.

I also prefer slightly more unusual forms (Sophia instead of Sophie, Helena instead of Helen etc) but those are becoming more common as people wise up to it!

SleepyCatOnTheMat · 05/06/2013 20:02

I have a name that is very common for my generation and still people spell it wrong all the time

strawberryswing · 05/06/2013 20:04

ToTiredToBeWitty and Ficidy, as lovely as your comments are, my name is genuinely hideous! I long for a normal name!

harbinger · 05/06/2013 20:14

Gertrude? Strawberry or something like that?

harbinger · 05/06/2013 20:15

Gertrude? Strawberry or something like that?

harbinger · 05/06/2013 20:16

Eeek, sorry for double post.

Turniptwirl · 05/06/2013 23:19

My name is unusual but not off the wall, there are variations on the spelling but no pronunciation issues!

I always felt slightly bad for the kids who have to have their letter or surname after their name to distinguish them but good to know that at least some aren't bothered at all!

Anjou · 06/06/2013 06:25

My first name is very, very unusual. Never met another one. It's not made up, just an abbreviation of an archaic name. I really, really love being the only one, I just wish the name itself were prettier! Yeah, I have to spell it every time I meet someone, but better that than looking around (along with 7 other people) when a popular name is called out to see if someone is talking to you!

I've given my DC's very unusual (again, not made up) names, as I've always felt that a name had a huge impact on your sense of self, and affects how others treat you throughout life. I appreciate that not everyone feels that way, and can understand how they might take comfort from being called a recognised name (maybe it feels like being in a club?! I wouldn't know!). However, I hope my DCs will appreciate their beautiful, cool and unusual names when they are older.

If I'd been called one of the popular names for my generation (there were about 7 of each at my school) I would definitely have changed it to something more unique. As another poster said up thread, the world would be terribly dull if everyone played it safe.

CreatureRetorts · 06/06/2013 06:33

I have an unusual first name and I like it. But it sounds nice once people say it correctly.

However we gave our DCs strong classic easy to say and spell names. Why? Because I want them taken seriously so Tullula and Lexi were out the window

SanityClause · 06/06/2013 06:36

I have a popular name.

One year there were six if us with (variations of) my name in the class. So, that would be about half the girls.

I hated it then, and tolerate it now.

Oh, I also have an unusual spelling. Yay!

There are so many lovely names. Why do people go for top 10?

EuroShaggleton · 06/06/2013 06:37

I have a popular first name. I hate it. There were five of us out of 30 in one of my classes at school. And annoyingly the teacher had a lazy eye and would ask you to answer a question by saying your name and looking your way. Only she could look at two of us at once! I used to live with a flatmate who insisted on making me a nickname because he had just been through a painful breakup with someone of the same name Also my sil has the same name. If I had taken my husbands name as she did we would have identical first and last names!

It's a name with a few different spellings so people get it wrong anyway.

BalloonSlayer · 06/06/2013 06:49

My DD has a very popular name. It is not "currently" popular though so although we know loads of others, she is the only one in her school.

She is delighted when she meets another person with her name (very often). I think she sees them all as members of some cosy little club.

My DS has 5 good friends, and apart from him they all have the same name. I don't think any of them are bothered.

I sometimes think at present there is more an issue with the "similar sounding but not the same names" in classes. The "ll" sound is popular, so you'll get: Millie, Mollie, Lily, Bella, Ella, Ellie, Tilly, Billie, etc all in the same class, which all have very similar sounds while being completely different names. Likewise all the many different spellings of Alicia/Alesha/Aleesha/Elisha/Alisha/Icouldgoon . . . which keep the names quite low down the popularity list but they are all essentially pronounced the dame.

FanjoPaterson · 06/06/2013 06:51

I was always the only one in the school.
DP, on the hand, was 'Stephen A,' in the same class as 'Steve A' and 'Stephen H.'

I didn't mind so much, but it was a pain if my name came up on scab duty because I could never say 'oh, I thought you meant the OTHER Proserpine!'
DP didn't care. I'm not sure he even noticed there was more than one 'Stephen' in his class.

I do think it's a tad uninteresting though, when yet another top ten baby is born. There are so many lovely names, pick something different.

DebsMorgan · 06/06/2013 08:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FobblyWoof · 06/06/2013 09:10

I think some people believe that their chld will stand out from the crowd with an unusual name but they could be as bland as dishwater, who knows?

Emma was the name of choice in my school and it was never an issue. Some of those Emma's have gone on to have very normal, fade into the background type jobs and lives and others have done completely random things- a name is rarely a basis for anything

hellokitty123 · 06/06/2013 09:13

OP, I'm afraid I don't agree with your conclusions.

Firstly, 'popular' does not 'equal easy to spell'. Lots of very popular names have to be constantly spellt out e.g Kathryn/Catherine/Katharine

Secondly, a 'unique' name does not always make people go 'huh'? There are lots and lots of lovely underused names that are well known and easy to spell/pronounce. They're just not 'trendy' at the time.

Lastly, we sometimes forget why we name someone or something. It is to identify them. I know about 9 Steve Smiths which is very confusing and in my dd's class are 3 Harrys of which two share the same surname!

hellokitty123 · 06/06/2013 09:16

"I think some people believe that their chld will stand out from the crowd with an unusual name "

Yes, people do hope that they can be uniquely identified by calling their name.

But this has absolutely nothing to do with their personality. Naming has to do identification of a person!

Original poster

ToTiredToBeWitty · 06/06/2013 09:19

I know about 9 Steve Smiths

Really? I don't know anyone who shares the same first name and surname. 9 is an awful lot!

OP posts:

shoobidoo · 06/06/2013 09:29

I have a common 1970s first name, always shared with 2-3 others in my class/at work, and I have always hated it. There are so many beautiful underused names - why give your child such a popular one that they always have to add a modifier (e.g. surname initial, big, small or other adjective) to their name....! Agree that names are meant to identify us.

shoobidoo · 06/06/2013 09:32

OP, your 'unspellable' surname does seem like a pain. It would probably best to have a fairly unique (but spellable ) first name, so you're easily identified, and an easy to spell surname. But, of course we can't choose our surnames, sadly...

hellokitty123 · 06/06/2013 09:41

Yes, 9 Steve Smiths is a lot, isn't it - I've included all I've ever known including at school right up to now, but we've moved around a fair bit. We recently renovated our house and 3 of the various tradesmen were called Steve Smith! That got a little confusing at times...

But with a super popular surname like Smith or Jones you're very likely to get lots of people sharing your name if you choose a very popular first name, which Stephen was in the 1970s. I bet there will be lots of Harry Jones growing up now too...

Original poster

ToTiredToBeWitty · 06/06/2013 09:44

Yes I hadn't thought of that point. Having a very popular surname would probably lead me to choose a less common first name.

OP posts:

Choccyhobnob · 06/06/2013 11:47

I have a very easy to pronounce but commonly mis spelt name, it's not off the wall but i've only ever met about 3 other people with the same name and only 1 spelt the same. I love it and would hate to know loads of others.

My maiden name was pretty common though and it never bothered me at all!

My married name is foreign and a total PITA. Nobody can spell it, or pronounce it (including me as saying it correctly requires an accent and makes you sound like a nob so the whole family just says it the 'english' way!)

For my future DC's I want something easy to spell and pronounce but I want it to be as unusual as my first name! DH can't understand the issue as he has a pretty common first name, and it never bothers him, he thinks our kid will have enough to deal with with their surname so apparently I need to stop thinking of weird names but he'd go for Amelia if he had his way (never gonna happen).

Feel really strongly about it though but weirdly enough my common maiden name never bothered me at all!

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