Only like popular girl names - help!!

[IBelieveInPink]

We are having a nightmare finding a name for our baby girl.
In the short list so far has been
Isobel
Imogen
Mya
Claudia
Natasha

All of which seem to be making a sudden jump in popularity! I know Isobel and Mya have been popular for a while - but now Imogen and claudia seem to be up there too?
DH doesn't care how popular a name is, but I dont want her to go to school and be one of 4 Isobel's!

Problem is, those are literally the only few names we agree on.

Any suggestions for similar names which haven't hit popularity yet?

Alternatively - does it really matter if 4 kids in class are all called the same?

Even if you pick the top name on the list there probably won't be another one in the class. Go for the name you like

Natasha seems like quite a strange one to have on your list. You seem to have a predilection for pretty, classic girls names. Not that Natasha isn't pretty objectively but I don't know any under 25 and it was popular when I was at school. I know 4 my age and was at school with 2. So to me it's a bit like Claire or Louise and I associate it with the 1980s. Might just be me though.

Go with a name you love. I picked an uncommon name for DS and I taught a parent class thing when he was a newborn. 3 of the women there subsequently used his name. If we don't move, there will be 4 in his class. It's about 400 on the baby names list. You can't guarantee anything.

"does it really matter if 4 kids in class are all called the same?"

Yes, it can be very annoying, for both the teachers and the children. They will have to add a modifier to their name to be identified.

From your list I really like Natasha and don't think that that is that widely used these days. Great underused classic imo.

The only Natasha I know is 17.

Other names:
Natalie,
Kimberley
Amelie
Annabel
Bethany
Rosalind
Rosamund
Celia
Amanda
Daniella

Both my DDS are one of several, doesn't seem to bother them.

There are 1000's of Star's my age, Didn't stop me being told frequently there is no one quite like Star at embarrassingly regular intervals.

I was the eccentric one, DD1 is too, despite our very common names everyone always knows which one they mean

Honestly it doesn't matter, except possibly in that you may get a nn you don't particularly like sticking. The shorter of our two Lauras was always called Smurf and i think it stuck for longer than she would have liked.

I would just go for what you like-the funny thing (but not for the parents) is when they think they were being really original and they get another in the same class.

exoticfruits speaks wisely . One of my dds is in her 2nd year of primary school. They're are 2 children in her year with the same, very unusual name. Parents were not best pleased at the induction day.

Go with what you love. I have 3 daughters, all with names that on Mumsnet are too popular, not identifying enough. So far two are at primary school and they're the only ones in the year. Dd3 has a name that MN usually likes, I'm tripping over them here - names are also very regional.

I personally prefer Imogen to anything else, it is also the name of DD4's best friend. She's the only Imogen me, or any of my DD's know.

Imogen I think is going to grow in popularity. Claudia might, Natasha unlikely to.

I can understand wanting to avoid your DD being one of several. It's quite annoying to be one of four/five/six in a group but at least you'll never lack choice for personalised items!

The number os babies registered in 2012 with those names

Isobel - 585 (but thousands upon thousands of Isabelles, Isabellas etc.)
Imogen - 1454
Mya - 550 (although lots of Mias and Mayas)
Claudia - 178
Natasha - 206

So in actual fact the only name from your list that can be regarded as very popular is Isobel, the rest aren't that commonly used.

I like Claudia and Natasha best.

Natasha is the Russian diminutive for Natalie, so naming your child that would be equivalent of naming it for example Lizzy - and not Elisabeth - something I personally dislike a lot.

I named one of my daughters a really unusual name (think around 800 in the list) and have met 4 since she was born. My other daughter has a popular name, and is the only one in her school. She loves her name - it wasn't as popular when I used it and has shot up the charts since - i think it depends where you live. in my area there are very few Jacks or Amelia's, but plenty of Mabel's, Elsie's and Inigo's. (my ds has an usual name and was one of 2 in his nursery.).

There are no Isobel's or Imogen's in my school or nursery. Plenty of Mayas, Mias, Myas etc.