Did you change name choice due to popularity?

[lollydollydrop]

And did you regret it?

Just wondering whether we should stick with an agreed old favourite name of ours or change it due to being so common at the moment?

The name DH and I always said we'd choose if we had a daughter is currently v popular. We went ahead with it for DD and sure enough, there's another in her class. It's a bit annoying but we just couldn't find another we liked as much.

There are two girls named Pru in DS2's class and it's not even in the top 100!

I think there's a difference between classic names - those that hover in between #50 and 20# on the list, always - and popular names in the top 10 - the ones that have a brief flurry of excitement and means that your DC may be one of 3 in their class and, as a parent, you'll be seen as a bit of a sheep. At the moment that seems to be the retro, jolly hockey sticks ones.

So, for example, I really wanted Florence Isla as a girl's name, but there are so many of both at the moment, not least the PM's DD! So we settled on Charlotte, with a more unusual middle name. And yes, there are a fair few Charlottes, but it won't be seen as being a slave to fashion, and she can always shorten it to stand out.

Re Oscar, yes, people naming their baby today might avoid it due to popularity but in 2008/9 it WAS an adventurous choice - there weren't any, it exploded from nowhere! Friends of ours have a 5 yr old Oscar who is one of several in his class but I remember when he was born the name definitely seemed very original.

Yes, we tried to avoid 'fashionable' names for our kids. And no, I definately don't regret it. Agree with earlier poster that the point of naming our kids is to identify them. Whilst it can be hard to avoid being influenced by fashion (even unconsciously), I think everyone would benefit from more name diversity (especially teachers!).

I have to say I completely disagree with gruffalosfriend. In my dd's year group, there are very few " top 20" names at all, and the only names which are duplicated are those which are far less common. In fact my dd's name was outside the top 500 for her year of birth and there is another in her class. She also attends a sports class where 3 girls share the same v unusual name (different to my dd's name, but statistically more unusual ) they were all born in the same school year. In my son's secondary school year group (over 100 boys), there is only one boy with the most popular name for their year of birth. You really never can tell. Even the most popular names are given to less than 1% of the babies born each year.

It's all very regional as well. I have an Olivia (shes in her second year of primary school - 6) She's the only one in her year, was the same in nursery whereas I'm tripping over Aoifes, Caras, & Nells . I don't know any Olivias myself, none in our family, none in the street, none of our older child's friends etc, so to me & our family Olivia was uncommon enough .

My DS was the only one (with his name) in the whole of his primary school, but now he's in Y7 at secondary there are 3 others in his year
We have chosen a fairly popular name for dd which may well date her to a certain era - like the "Rose"s of a couple of generations back.
But we still like it and so does she which matters most

I'd picked James for ds1, which was perfect as I wanted something that would not date, wasn't too well used, you couldn't tell the person's age by the name and everyone could spell it (my surname at the time was a nighmare to spell). He was due in May, in April two friends who didn't know each other had boys and called them James.

I changed and I have never regretted it.

My eldest DS and second DS were both in the top 10 when we choose them but were both the only ones in primary school currently! My third wasn't in the 50 and he had 2 others in his two form year group!Now with DS4 he is the only one i know but interested to see if anyone in his nursery will have it! Trying to come up with a name for DD1 but am really not bothered about if its trendy or popular as long as DH and I like it! But honestly don't worry about popularity as i was one of four with the same name in my year and it didn't affect me in the slightest!

I almost didn't chose DS's name because it was a top 10 name. However I haved that name since I first heard it in the 90s, when it wasn't very popular at home. DS is 6 and the only one with that name in his year. The name suits him and he loves his name. Glad I stuck with it.

We have a very unusual (and comedy) surname and I wouldn't want our DC to be known as on a regular basis so I would try to avoid a name which I thought there would be more than one of in a particular class.

DH loves Sophie to which I said no for the reason above but saying that, although it is in the top ten, I don't know any at all! So it is a tricky decision (for us anyway).

Top name for each sex is used for less than 1% of babies of that sex that year. Which means you're as likely to have a "birthday twin" in your class as a "name twin".

The percentages drop down quickly outside the top ten too.

That's what statistics mean...

ok now this is causing me quite alot of stress. our dd is Ella and despite knowing it's a v. popular we went with it as we don't actually know any and we both really liked it.

DD2 is on the way and hubby has been completely put off of our other favourite name (ruby) not only because it is so common but in the last 2 weeks we've realised a neighbours children are Ellie & Ruby and our childminder also looks after sisters Ellie & Ruby.

If we don't go with Ruby will we always regret not having it??

hubby & I both have very common names, to the point my best friend & I share the same name, my hairdresser has the same name, one if my good friends/colleagues has the same name & EVERYONE knows at least 1 or 2... It doesn't stop me from liking it though... and I don't dislike that I was called something common... in fact I prefer it to the alternative, which was apparently Candice.

it's a real dilemma. and it's stressing me out.

IMO if you like the name go with it! If your DH really doesn't think its the write name why not use it as her middle name and don't worry about regretting it which you may but you will realise there are other far more important things to think about!

A child is an individual regardless of his/her name.

I'd rather my child be "yet another Emily" who is really good at art, or who likes sport, or who is kind rather than giving them a name that they'll have to spend their entire lives spelling and explaining to other people that their parents wanted them to be "unique"

Names are popular for a reason. Don't make your child a Tarquinius or a Cassandra just because you think they'd want an unusual name. I'd rather be Emily A or Jack P......

Nope and I never would.
I simply do not understand the obsession with a child's name being 'different'. Every child is unique no matter what. Why do they need a name that no one can say or spell?
Choose what you love. Who cares if its popular? I had a girl at school with my name. We loved it. Called ourselves twins!

I have an Oscar who was born in 2007. When we chose his name, we only had the 2006 ONS data to go on & Oscar was, as far as I remember, in the top 100 but only just. Fast forward a year & it was in the top 20.
Saying that, my Oscar is the only one in his entire 400 + pupil primary school.

Yes and no. I fancied Isobel, but a different spelling was one of the top 5 that year. And then met a truly obnoxious Isabelle so went looking for another name.

Yes, we changed our minds very late in my pregnancy due to popularity. Ended up choosing one equally as popular but it suits our dd perfectly and I much prefer it to our original choice. So no regrets here!

I don't like choosing popular names. I teach small children... I don't want a name I have several of in my classes year after year, or a name I tend to associate with a particular child (especially a difficult one!).

That said, if the name is just right, if you love it, I think there's nothing wrong with using it even if it is a top 20. 5mo nephew is named Liam. It's perfect for him, goes great with his last name, middle names, and parents' names (all strong Irish names if you couldn't guess...)

Why are some of you implying that the only alternative to a popular name is an unspellable one?

There are so many lovely underused classic name out there that are easy to spell and pronounce! And for what its worth I like Cassandra.

Yes, it isn't Jack or Zyxxon with nothing inbetween.

But I don't buy that "top twenty" equals "very popular".

DS1 turned out to be top twenty in his year, and is rarely out of the top 50. To me that says classic rather than trendy - I agree that I'd swerve from trendy wherever possible. Oscar, as discussed above, made a sudden leap in popularity. Ditto Ruby. Those are "of their time" and you'd be more surprised to meet one in Y11 or a new colleague.

But despite his statistical popularity we don't know another with his name: weird local statistical anomaly or something. Thousands with his name, who all apparently live hundreds of miles away.

I also think you have to look at adjusted ONS figures so that homophones such as Isabel/Isobel/Isabelle/Izzy are counted together. Suddenly a name that you search and comes up mid-table turns out to be every other little girl in Reception!

I'd always loved Oscar since reading Oscar & Lucinda 20 years ago, thought it was beautiful and quirky. Had always planned to use that name but I got scared by the sudden popularity when I had DS last year so called him something else (a normal name but not as popular). We've had funny reactions to his name so sometimes I wish I'd just gone with the name I loved.

Thanks for your opinions- very interesting reading! I had a look at the ONS statistics and can see how some names have really shot up in recent years, whereas others are more 'stable' and hence considered classics. I wonder whether any names can become 'new classics' and stick around in the top 10/20, or whether they invariably fall from grace and plummet.. I would not want future generations to be able to guess my DCs ages just based on their name (I personally wouldnt like that as a female!)

If DD had been born 20 years earlier she would have had the same name but it would have been much less popular. I think her name is mid 30's in the UK but not even in the top 100 in Ireland (where we are from) or Australia (where we now live). So no we didn't change what we wanted to call her based on the popularity of her name.