Is the baby names thread a good reflection of real life name choices??

[januaryjam]

I always find the baby names thread really interesting. I don't know whether it's just me, but when considering the names that are regularly suggested/loved on here, I NEVER come across them in real life.

To give you some examples, here are names of babies I know of who've been born in the past few months or so...

Poppy
Grace
Amelia
Annabel
Harry
Olivia
Ava
Anna
Oscar
Joshua
Oliver
Joseph
Isla
Max
Benjamin

I can't ever imagine anybody I know announcing that they've named their baby Susannah or Juliette for example. (Before I'm flamed, I do NOT mean to cause any offence, these are perfectly nice names but not names that are considered "potential baby names" where I am).

I guess the point I'm trying to make is are the suggestions made on MN actually representative of real life? Or do I just mix with difference circles to other MNers?

Dd3 has a very un mumsnetty name. She has a nickname as her full birth name

God almighty! It sounds more like a lisp.

It so is!!!!!
Pyramus and Thisbe. The original Romeo and Juliet.
Prn Thizbee. Thisbe Nisson the novelist. Its truly fab.

Floggin it sounds booful

Squoosh, I quite like Ultra-Wackadoodle - should it be hyphenated?

Thisbe is a rather delicious local vino where I am. Couldn't name a child after your favourite booze!

The mention of Jane made me laugh, my dh and his parents all love it and were trying to persuade me. I just felt it would sound like we didn't try hard enough but now I'm thinking it's probably boring enough to be different these days! Can't use it though.

Ds3 has a nn on his birth certificate corey

And ds2s name is cory

Mrsnec. I did with dd1. Think Hill. Though I wouldn't say it was my favourite tipple...

That's a lovely name too! But I doubt the booze was your inspiration for it burgatroyd!

My parents loved old English names. My sisters and I have never heard our names anywhere else. We are very used to having people say ' pardon', 'is that your real name?' 'how is that spelt' etc.
It can be very tedious. I didn't like my name much growing up but love it now. One of my sisters still hates her name at age 50!

I think you're always going to come across people that can't spell names regardless of how popular they are or wher they come from. I have a relatively simple name but it has a few variations and nearly every day I find myself saying yes it's an e on the end not an a and no it doesn't have an h in it but I'm used to it and I wouldn't choose a name just because it's easy to spell.

We have an interesting mix around here, awash with the usual Ellies, Islas and Harrys but also a strong component of more unusual names. Recent babies I know of:

Jasper
Ava
Saarika
Joshua
Darcie
Arlo
Kayden
Emilie
Estelle
Joseph
William
Sachin
Harry
Poppy
Amie
Edward
Nathaniel x2
Devon (girl)
Max

Hi OP
Do you have a child or are expecting?

Anyway, no, it's not. You'd think all the kids were called lionel or leonora or whatever. Actually they're not.

I never hear mn approved baby names in real life! Babies born in the last year that I know are

Eve
Eva
Freya
Sophie
Abigail

Rowan
Noah
Gary
Isaac

Bouncing, 3 of your girls names were on my shortlist. Can I be rude and ask you where you come from I'm interested to see what demographic I fit into. Wouldn't have chosen any of those boys names though.

Burgatroyd, you're so right about the rules!
Mustn't be a nickname
Or a surname
Can't have a hyphen
Or start with a K
Ancient roman/Greek names are desirable... But a bit try hard unless you have some Italian/Greek heritage or studied classics at a Russell group uni!

banana DDs middle name is ancient Greek mythology based, starting with a K. It's not the usual anglicised spelling, but the more traditional. It's actually the name of an asteroid/minor planetoid. I can't tell if it would be mumsnet approved.

Babies I've known the last 3 years
Lola
Harriet
Josh
Toby
Kallisto
Älfi
Saga
Finley
Finlay
Henry
Norah
Ioan
Flora
James

Mrsnec - I'm in central scotland, which is currently awash with Sophie and Eva's! After a wave of Alfie and Finlay's a few years ago, there's no real uber popular boys name at the moment where we are (my sister works in a maternity so knows all the current trends!).

Does she not see loads of James's, Archie's and ruairidhs?

That's really interesting. I saw someone post the Scottish regional charts the other day and I was surprised that there weren't more traditional Scottish names on there. I'm not in Scotland nor am I Scottish by the way. I live abroad. eve, Sophie and Abigail were all on my shortlist and we're probably going with Eve as a middle name its popularity at the moment isn't really putting me off.