What girls names do you hear all the time?

[Bobian123]

Just that really. I have a shortlist but would rather not go for anything that's overly popular. So instead of me telling you the names, could you say what names you hear a lot?!

I have a name of my decade but its not a very popular one. I've only met two others in my life. I like that!

Ava, Evie, Mia, Amelia, Millie, Ellie/Ella, Seren (am in Wales though)

I think that sometimes people forget that a name has a utilitarian function - to identify a person.

If you say 'Millie' and somebody has to say 'which one?' you have failed in naming your child imo. Of course sometimes two children with a very uncommon name end up in the same class (and it just can't be avoided), but if you can avoid it you should.

Other than Emily and, possibly, Grace, none of the names listed are classic names. You rarely meet an Alice, a Lucy, a Mary or a Katherine (I know one of each & have a DD in reception & a 2yo) and usually come across Sophia rather than Sophie.
Of the more classic names, the ones I know more than 2 of are Rebecca, Annie/Anna, Jessica & Amy.

And Eleanor...but that is linked too closely to the whole Ella thing for me.

Maddie, Lily, Isobel/bella, Millie, Grace

Victoria, Elizabeth and Catherine feel like classic names to me. Any name used by a British monarch/central royal probably fits the bill as a classic name.

I really cannot stand the names like 'Ellie' and for a boy 'Ollie' they just sound so weak and wet

Victoria, Elizabeth and Catherine feel like classic names to me. Any name used by a British monarch/central royal probably fits the bill as a classic name.

I would agree with that. Victoria feels slightly borderline because it is very out of fashion currently, so probably not that common for anyone aged 25 or below.

But I agree with the principle. I think that, to qualify as a classic name, you have to be able to see the name written down and not have an instinct as to whether the person is 5, 35, 60 or 85 (i.e roughly four generations). A lot of names that get talked of as 'classic' would actually only be seen in the youngest or eldest bracket (i.e. it is a granny name that is having its time again). Catherine is a name where the person truly could be 5, 35, 60 or 85.

I find many of the popular names wet sounding totally agree sunny. All these Milly/Mollies/Lily/Amelia/Ellie/Sophie - drippy. I like strong traditional under used names like Anna, Miranda, Audrey. Loads of great names out there.

oh no I would not bracket 'Sophie' in with the drippy names.....lol.

Personally have always detested the name Sophie ever since I was a child - always thought it sounded like soppy. Accept I am totally unreasonable and unfair - and definitely in the minority there are lots of Sophies about.

Sophie is definitely soppy.

Soppy Sophie haha

Olivia - mostly. I think 5-6 friends / friends of friends had an Olivia in 2014
Amelia / Emilia
Grace / Gracie
Ruby
Evie / Eva / Ava etc
Molly / Milly / Millie
Sophie
Esme
Jessica

Friends had a Lucy this week which I thought was lovely as no one we know has had a Lucy for 8 years.

It is so hard to guess what names are going to be popular.

When my DD was born we named her with a fairly classic name, not particularly popular, or fashionable at the time, and I didn't know anyone under the age of 30 who had that name. When she started school, there was a little girl in her class with the same name. And since then, it has become really quite fashionable indeed. We agonised over that bloody name, and really thought we had come up with a name where she would be the only child in her class with that name. . Conversely, we named our son with a much more 'fashionable' name (according to statistics) yet in real life we don't know anyone else with that name.

So, honestly, I think if you like a name, go for it. It could be the most popular name in the UK this year and she still could be the only one in her class. Or it could be really unusual and there could be two of them.

Funny - I know several Lucys, all aged under 8!

Surely popular names are popular names for a reason...because they are nice. Usually all the unpopular names are usually ugly sounding.

Not everybody thinks they are nice. I think Olivia is quite an ugly name, for instance.

And, for example, Barry, Gary and Harry differ massively in popularity despite sounding virtually identical.

Poppy

That's true. I doubt any of the parents of the many Harrys ever considered the name Gary.

Just remembered another one - Isla. Pretty but lots of them.

Although I'm sure lots of little Harrys have a dad or uncle called Gary.

lol @ Barry and Garry - imagine calling a baby boy those names today!