Makes me sad that Isla is so common now :( need a name for baby no2!

[Megamoose795]

My Isla Bethany is going to be three soon and when we named her it was not as popular as it is now im hoping baby no2 will have a more unusual name and it will not be common any time soon. any ideas!?

I know a few Islas, the oldest being 15/16 so I would have said its been fairly popular for quite a few years now. My dd is Lucy and I would have thought that would be more popular than it is. She attends a fairly large school and only one other Lucy there. However if she'd have been Freya, Grace or Megan, she would have been one of quite a few at least 5/6 of each of those names at the school and several in her year alone. Its o hard to predict whenyou have this little bundle what will be the most common names by the time they reach school.

I would not look for an unusual name but look for a name that you both love.

I have a 4yr old Noah, chosen because i thought it would be fairly unusual, couldn't have been more wrong! With ds2 one of my name criteria was that it had to have been outside of the top 100 in the most recently published list. Ds2's name was about 110 iirc. I've still come across a couple of them, but nowhere near as many Noah's and it is more of a marmite name so probably less likely to get to top 20 popularity. Do see it get suggested on name threads on here a lot though!

I would check the lists and also keep your ears out at nursery/playgroup a wtc. With ds2 I had a much better idea of what was popular because I had been around young children for a couple of years.

"My son is one of four with the same name in the class and he is as easily identified by the teacher and his classmates as if he'd been called Antigone or Ptolemy."

Then their teacher must have found a way of differentiating them..... because there are 3 Harrys in our Beavers group and calling one of them can be confusing, especially as two share the same surname initial and one of them has a very long double barrelled surname. It would be much easier if each of them had their own first name!

This is, of course, not the end of the world, and nothing to be overly sad about, but being aware of the issue and perhaps having a look at the thousands of lovely less overused names outside the top 100 is a good idea.

Yeah, some teacher hey?

I have two girls with the same first name (which can't be shortened) and the same surname in one of my classes. That's not "an issue" either.

Wow, same first and surname! How do you call them? Name 1 and 2?

I live in Scotland and know only one Isla, an adult. It might well be popular but it's not ubiquitous.

I personally wouldn't want to have the same name as six in the class. I think choosing a name that is very popular makes us seem like we're influenced by popular culture, a group effect. Tastes change!

That said I found myself giving did a flower name. Every other girl in her class is a flower. I find it interesting how most of us get swept in a trend. Perhaps we only like a name because its been repeatedly placed in our subconscious by growing popularity.

This us interesting:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2014/may/12/noah-wyle-flood-baby-most-popular-boys-name-us

I don't know any Isla's at all. My dcs are 9 and 7.

If you really like it I'd stick with it. I chose Lucy for my dd9. At the time I think it was something like no9 in the name stats. However, at 9 yrs old she's in a large primary and there are no others at all.

For my ds we chose a name of a beloved grandad that was def in the top ten in the stats? Now it's super common and there's another in his class and the name is everywhere.

Would I have preferred both my names to be uber unusual? Of course. However, we simple went with what we wanted and I'm glad we did.

Back to the OP though, I love -

Manon
Clementine
Meredith (Merry/Merri)
Catrin
Rose

But also look at our of fashion names that people believe to be 'boring' now but I reckon they'll stand out. I think Louise is underrated and I also like Nicole.

Lorna
Ailsa
Shona

I think Lorna, Ailsa and Shona would be regarded as quite dowdy and 70s nowadays.

I disagree aoife - they are definitely on the way back!