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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Should I be worried by the new ONS list?

25 replies

Terramirabilis · 13/08/2013 00:54

I'm not even pregnant yet, although we're trying our best , but I'm concerned that my dream girl's name might be getting too popular. I really like Iris and have done a for a long time. But in the new ONS statistics it's 122. I'm worried it's going to end up way too popular. Anyone got a hunch about Iris?

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TheMagicKeyCanFuckOff · 13/08/2013 01:34

122 is a tiny percentage of girls, less than 1% realistically, and even if it gets to Top 80 or whatever (which I personally think is unlikely, but then will become more popular in about 10 years, and gradually popular from there, with a slow trickle until then?) it won't be that common.

If you like the name Iris, you like the name Iris. The reason it's getting more popular is because more people are seeing what a beautiful name it is. I think it WILL become moropular, but not hugely, unti about a decade or so maybe, so no chance there will be ten in her class!

WhifflyWaffles · 13/08/2013 02:08

I have an Iris, and even though it seems to be getting more popular in stats and is mentioned on MN I have only ever met one other in 4 years of nursery/playgroups/family outings etc. She gets a lot of comments on how lovely her name is, so if you like it I say go for it! Good luck TTC.

Jolleigh · 13/08/2013 02:11

I LOVE the name Iris. Damn you Goo Goo Dolls!

Chottie · 13/08/2013 02:19

I know of one baby Iris who was named for her GGM. It really suits her. If you like it, just go for it.

whyno · 13/08/2013 06:42

Please don't worry!

I'm so surprised by people worrying about this. I totally get top 10 but on the other thread people were freaking out because their names were getting close to the top 100!

I was the only one with my name everywhere I went and I hated it. It's not necessarily a good thing. I'd have thought somewhere in top 100 but not top 10 is still very rare and what everyone would want.

The main thing is if its a nice name! And Iris is lovely.

I think

shoobidoo · 13/08/2013 08:17

Iris is lovely name and it seems that many of us are starting to 'rediscover' it. It may, therefore, continue to rise in popularity. But as long as it doesn't reach the top 20 or so I wouldn't worry too much.
My dd's name has been rising to just outside the top100 and she is no longer the only one we know/in her circle of friends. Hope it doesn't rise even higher!

rootypig · 13/08/2013 10:29

It depends where you live. If you're in east London, yes, you're screwed

squoosh · 13/08/2013 10:51

There were only 476 babies named Iris, really not a lot, it probably gets mentioned more than it gets used.

telsa · 13/08/2013 14:27

yes, be very afraid. It is going mega.....

Hayl7 · 13/08/2013 17:09

It is a lovely name.
I know what you mean though. As a school girl I always wanted to have a Lilly May after my great gran. It changes things because you feel like you lose a bit of originality. You probably a few years before iris gets to the level of lily

rootypig · 13/08/2013 23:46

Just looked up DD's name (she was born last year). It is at 1,483! Now I'm. Worried that I have spectacularly bad taste

And no, it's not Praise. Or Elektra

WhenIsDinnerReadyx3 · 14/08/2013 09:06

It's very difficult to tell how far and how fast a name will rise up the charts, and you are right that Iris seems to be catching on as a "fresh" name option.... And names that sound fresh to us often rapidly become very popular! I speak from experience of naming dd1 eight years ago, with a name that was about 220 on the ons name charts. Pretty safe you would think...but within about 3 years it had got to the top ten and she's now got a name which will really date her to this era! I was really upset when this first happened as i felt it was "our" name. But i've got over that, it doesn't really matter. Sometimes I think children like hearing others with their name, and it can make them feel like they've got a great name!
A similar thing happened with dd2 - her name was about 50 on the ons list in 2008 and is now top 10, in top 3 in some regions of country.
With dd3 named last year I think we're pretty safe ... It's still in the 500's on the ons list, and doesn't seem to move much between 500/600 from year to year.
If you really mind about popularity, have a look at Iris over the last 3 or 4 years on the ons full lists. Has it moved quickly from 400 to 100 in the space of a few years or has it always placed at around 100/150? Where was it 10 years ago? If there's a trend of big leaps from year to year, then it could get to top 20 in a couple of years!
I have to say though, as a parent I get more positive comments/ reactions about my dds' top ten names than I do about dd3's name which people are less used to hearing. If you go for a popular name, loads of people will say "i love that name!"

SleepyCatOnTheMat · 14/08/2013 17:47

My DC's name is top 100 but not top 50 and we have not come across any others. So I'd say no. 122 is still pretty unusual. Also I don't see Iris going all the way to the top. I like it but it's a strong rather than pretty name.

Jollyb · 14/08/2013 17:55

I've recently named DD2 a top 10 name,but having said that I haven't come across any other children with her name in all my time at baby groups etc so not too bothered. I do know 2 Irises though (they both had the same due date which was quite strange) . If you like the name - go for it.

LazyMonkeyButler · 14/08/2013 17:58

Don't worry. When I named DS1 his name was fairly unpopular - it's now top 10 & has been for years.

It's never been an issue & he is still the only one of his name in his year (Year 11) at secondary school.

Iris is lovely BTW .

cloudpuff · 14/08/2013 18:15

Can someone post a link to the list pretty please, I can only find top ten lists, thanks

BeetleBugBaby · 14/08/2013 18:32

My DD's name is the current top girls name, she is two, but don't recall it being high when I named her. Doesn't bother me too much, just waiting till next year to see if DS name ends up there, seeing as it is one of Prince George's middle names, it probably will come close. (Alexander)

(DS is 3mo, I used it first :o)

celticclan · 14/08/2013 21:59

Iris is a beautiful girls name. It was in the top 100 a few years ago so it might be on the decline rather than gaining in popularity.

evamummy · 14/08/2013 22:43

"It's very difficult to tell how far and how fast a name will rise up the charts, and you are right that Iris seems to be catching on as a "fresh" name option.... And names that sound fresh to us often rapidly become very popular!"

I agree with that. I think all the recent cutesy names - Poppy, Alfie, Evie, Ellie, Mollie etc - will start to fall out of favour as people look for stronger sounding names. Iris may well continue to rise up the charts...

Original poster

Terramirabilis · 14/08/2013 22:43

Thanks everyone for your replies and reassurance. I will do what you suggest Whenisdinner and look at how Iris's popularity has changed over time. We do have the advantage that we don't live in the UK right now since my husband's from another country so the popular names here aren't necessarily the popular names there. We might decide the UK is the place for us in a few years though so I want to choose a name that's not too popular in either place.

OP posts:

Devora · 14/08/2013 22:54

Ah, WhenisDinnerReady - when pg with dd1, I carefully consulted the ONS lists and eventually picked a name that was in the 40s: recognisable but not too popular, I reckoned (having suffered from owning a name that was completely unknown when I was small, that then gained popularity with small dogs).

It seems every other pg woman that year was drinking the same water, because it is now in the upper reaches of the top 10 just 8 years later. There are 3 girls of the same age with the same name JUST IN OUR STREET. These things just will sometimes happen, so all you can do is relax and choose a name you will like, come what may.

HorryIsUpduffed · 14/08/2013 23:23

Even the top five names in a year are given to less than 1% of babies. Regional trends are more annoying and you can't get the data for that.

littlepeas · 15/08/2013 09:28

My ds's name was around that position the year we named him and is now 70. My other 2 dc have names in the 20's/30's, so obviously I'm not that bothered about popularity, but it does show that you can think you've chosen something relatively uncommon only for it to take off. If anything, it's taught me just to choose the names I love and sod the popularity.

littlepeas · 15/08/2013 09:29

Ps - we've only encountered one other in 5 years, despite the rise in popularity.

Mrsindecision · 15/08/2013 10:18

I always say choose a name you love rather than getting caught up with its popularity. One of my DC has a name which was outside the top 500 the year they were born (less than 70 nationwide for that year group) and there is actually another in her class at school - I was certainly quite surprised! In fact, there are in total 3 duplicated names in her class, and rather bizarrely all of them were ranked outside the top 200 for their year of birth - you never can tell and it would be most frustrating to choose a name you like less purely based on its popularity, only to discover another when they start school. My other DC has a name which has been in the top 10 forever, and interestingly hasn't come across many others with the same name (none in his class either!)

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