Chloe or Penelope (irish mum's input especially please!)

[babyblabber]

Just over a week until she arrives and joins siblings Noah & Sophia!

I've always loved the name Chloe but wonder if it's become a bit "meh" having been so popular for so long. I'm Emma and there are 3 of us whereever I go so really want to avoid that. Even my mum who usually likes the most vanilla names thinks it's boring. I know two babies called Chloe although friends of friends so wouldn't see them.

Penelope with a potential nickname Poppy is a recent favourite while searching for a name that was pretty, girly etc, like Sophia, and not very common. DH not loving it but probably could be persuaded when we're discussing it as I lie in a hospital bed post section!

So do I go for a name I've always loved or a more unusual but still lovely name?! Am really really torn!

Squoosh not disputing your evidence at all, and yes there are a lot of children called Jack and Sophie in Ireland, in fact it is almost more of a surprise when someone announces a son not called Jack!!

However I have friends with children named: Clea, Beatrice, Penelope, Arlo, Milo, Leon, Saul, Levi, Matilda (Lots of Matilda's in Dublin) and many other outside the top 5 names. My own DD is Florence, and that isn't even in the top 100 in Ireland, the year she was born there were 13 Florence's born in Ireland.

I would agree that an unusual name in Ireland usually amounts to an unusual Irish name and not an unusual name from another culture. I suppose if you are not living here it can be hard to appreciate that a name isn't just an Irish name but an unusual Irish name.

I know a fair amount of children by name through schools etc and among the hundred or so of children I can name I know of one Sophie and 2 Jacks. I do know 9 Emily's. About half of the children I know have Irish names.

Not Chloe.
It's definitely a 14-17 years ago name. There's loads.

Penelope is nice. I prefer Poppy or Penny though.
As long as your surname isn't Murphy or McCarthy (insert other popular irish surname) I'd say go for it. Just not Chloe.

Zoe maybe?

(I'm irish in Ireland)