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Baby names

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

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Original poster

DH has chosen a really popular name. Tell me it doesn't matter?

87 replies

HowAboutNo · 01/03/2014 12:16

It's a top ten name for our soon to be DD.

I couldn't decide on a name, he came across it and fell in love with it, and I agreed because I couldn't find a single alternative (and still can't). It was so nice to see him so happy about it.

Does it matter that it's so popular? Every other baby is called this atm - though I don't personally know any, I'm sure this will change as I'm not on the mum/baby scene yet.

Will it do my head in? Gah.

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Kveta · 01/03/2014 13:24

it really doesn't matter.

both my DC have super popular names, because we needed names that worked in both DH's and my languages. DS is the only one in his year, but there are two (similar names to) Vaclavs and two (similar names to) Ryan, despite DS's name being number 1 boys name the year he was born. He loves it though, it means we see his name written down a lot, it's easy for him to spell and write it, and nobody ever pronounces it incorrectly (unlike our surname).

Isla is a wonderful name, and if DH's language could pronounce it, we'd have used it for DD!!

pancakesfortea · 01/03/2014 13:25

These things are very localised. I have never met an Isla and think its a beautiful name.

Temporarynamechanger65 · 01/03/2014 13:32

My DSs are called Jack, Harry and Charlie. I slightly regret Jack as it was the no 1 name for every year for 13 years starting with the year he was born! But still many less Jacks than there were Davids in the 50s, 60s and 70s. My ex was called Dave! I still love Harry as a name and it really suits him. Charlie had to have a name that was 'as good' as the other two. I never for a moment thought that when they were teenagers all their names would be in the top 5!

TBH, it's only on MN that anyone every says anything negative about their names. All three boys like their names and none get teased about them.

I know of not a single Isla and it's a very pretty name.

insanityscatching · 01/03/2014 13:43

Isla is a lovely name and I don't know of one around here so your fears of it being everywhere could be unfounded depending where you live I suppose.

melonribena · 01/03/2014 13:48

I love Isla and don't know any baby Islas. But how about Elsa or Iola (eye- oh-la) instead?

ikeaismylocal · 01/03/2014 13:54

I think Isla is a really lovely name.

I have a popular name and I would rather have an unusual name, but my name was popular for years and years and it is still popular today, Isla may be popular right now but I wouldn't have thought she would know tons of girls/women with the same name as she grows up as it isn't one of those names which has been hovering in the top 10 for years and keeps raising and falling.

My dp has an unusal name and his best friend also has the same name, I guess there is no way of avoiding name clashes (or matches maybe!) unless you make up a new name.

AHardDaysWrite · 01/03/2014 13:57

I'm a teacher and have one class with four Jacks and three Harrys! That gets confusing. We also have two pupils in the same year with exactly the same name as they have a common surname paired with a popular Christian name. It's worth trying to think outside the top ten just to hopefully avoid that, I think.

HoratiaDrelincourt · 01/03/2014 13:58

Isla is trendy-popular, I think, rather than always-top-ten-popular. Like Ruby was a few years ago.

I have a DS with a very popular name, and although we know lots of them it's looking unlikely that he will have another in his class, whereas theoretically less popular other son will be one of three I think, distinguished by nicknames. You just can't tell what will be popular where you are.

resipsa · 01/03/2014 13:58

Our DD was born in January and her name was apparently the most popular in that year. We still (3 years on) have yet to meet another who will be in her school year and I know a lot of 3 year olds locally.

I say if DH is so pleased then just do it.

Stockhausen · 01/03/2014 14:01

Couple of points... it's top ten at the moment, but the list is ever changing... and as someone else said, it's also nationally... Not locally.

FabBakerGirl · 01/03/2014 14:05

We didn't really care how popular a name was - and when I was expecting DC1 I was constantly reading about people called the name we had chosen if the baby was a girl, we considered changing it for about 3 seconds - what was more important was obvious spelling (I spent my childhood having to spell out my name), did it go with our surname and was it a nice name.

No idea where our children's names come in the chart and occasionally when they have been there (dc3 never) I have been quite pleased.

Pick a name because you like it. Don't dismiss a name because the baker is called it who annoyed you last week. This is your child and a name you will be saying for the rest of your life. When your child is 10 you won't care how many others have the name and won't even remember the baker but you might still regret not using the name.

emsyj · 01/03/2014 14:05

Isla is beautiful, love it. As others have said, name popularity seems to work on a local level, so it may be that you never come across another Isla throughout childhood/school etc. Where we live, there are a zillion Isobels and Isabellas, and every other boy is called Harry - but I have never met an Olivia or a Ruby and I only know Jacks who are teenagers. I have come across one Isla, she would have been about 2 in 2004 so that would make her about 12 now I suppose. I thought it was a lovely name then and it still sounds very lovely now.

NannyPeach · 01/03/2014 14:10

I wouldn't go for a hugely popular name if I was you, as it sounds as though it would bother you to hear that name at playgroups / school etc.

Similar sounding / type of names:

Naomi
Nina
Nyah
Thalia
Elsa
Mairi
Ida

FabBakerGirl · 01/03/2014 14:13

"Aylah, perhaps?"

Please don't, it is awful. Doesn't spell as Isla sounds imo.

"Islay is the Scottish spelling although pronounced the same. Worth a thought?"

Do you live in Scotland, OP? if not this would be a nightmare for your child.

Nothing suggested as an alternative on here is anywhere near as lovely as Isla. Talk to your DH and tell him how you are feeling. One of you might change your mind as both of you needs to be happy. A mum is posting about changing her baby's name as she isn't happy months in. You don't want that.

I wasn't that fussed what we call the kids tbh. I let DH pick 4/6 names. I picked one middle and DC1 picked the other. DH made suggestions, I said no or yes and that was that.

thegreatgatsby101 · 01/03/2014 14:16

If you don't like it, surely it's a moot point? Has to be a name you both love. IMO, nobody should have to just 'agree'
There are thousands upon thousands of names. Find one you both like equally.

For the record, Isla is a lovely name. Popular yes, but lovely.

kerala · 01/03/2014 14:19

Sorry but it would put me right off. I have a common name myself so veered away from that. When I first got pregnant dh and I decided on Emily or Olivia before realising our whole generation had the same idea!

Find it fascinating that we all seem to pick the same names. After realising how common our favourites were we got abit more imaginative. You can have great standard names that aren't overused yet aren't wacky either. My current favourite is tess. Weirdly underused but great name. Likewise Mary or Zoe. If popularity bothers you a avoid any derivative of eve, Alice, sophie or Amelia. Ok names now lost all charm through overuse imo

AlfAlf · 01/03/2014 14:26

It's only popular because it's so lovely :)

I have a very popular name (for my age group), which one of my best friends shares. Never bothered either of us.
My dd3 has a currently popular name, two of her close friends have the same name. It doesn't bother us or cause any problems.

Meglet · 01/03/2014 14:32

It would bother me, my name is common. It's a PITA.

Driveway · 01/03/2014 14:32

If he loves the name and you really like it, use it!
The only other alternative listed above I like as much as Isla is Ailsa incidentally.

AlfAlf · 01/03/2014 14:33

I was about to suggest Isabel as an alternative to Isla, but just checked and Isabella is number 3 and Isabelle is at 5, so maybe not! Again, popular because it's a bloody good name though :) and alright I'm biased

squoosh · 01/03/2014 15:14

'He will not want to change it, so I will have to suck it up.'

That's really not how it should go OP. The child should be given a name you both like and it doesn't sound as though you like this name at all. You say there aren't any names that you like but that can't be true.

I wouldn't agree to Isla unless I wanted my daughter to be called Isla, you both get to decide on a name, not just him.

tammytoby · 01/03/2014 15:56

If you don't both love the name Isla, then please don't use it! One of you will regret if afterwards. There are 1000s of lovely girls name, hopefully you can find one you BOTH love!

Personally I find Isla a little overused. The purpose of naming a person is to identify him/her, ideally without having to add a surname or other adjective.

But the main thing is that YOU both love it, not us!

winterhat · 01/03/2014 16:16

Even the top few names are only used for about 1 per cent of babies so that's about 1 in every third class on average. And most names aren't in those top few. So if you like it then use it!

winterhat · 01/03/2014 16:17

Actually it's one in every sixth class assuming only half the class will be girls!

MarvellousMechanicalMouseOrgan · 01/03/2014 18:02

It's a beautiful name, but the popularity would put me off. Does your DH realise how popular it is?

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