When choosing a name did you ever consider the 'future prospects' of your child going by that name?

[CarbonEmittingPenguin]

Sorry for long thread title. This isn't in relation to any impending baby but just wondered if parents ever did think something like "James sounds like a name of a future CEO of a fortune 500 company, xxxx doesn't."

Did you just go with what you liked? Was any of the above ever of any concern? Just curious. I have two first names - one of which is loved on here and the other not so much.

My boys have Icelandic first names, which are in the top 10 for names in Iceland and British middles names which are in the top 100. (All family names).

We chose the names because we liked them not because it would help them become Vikings or some such

I think some people forget that the name is used more as an adult than a child. When we told people the boys name we had in mind they would say 'hm not really cute for a baby' no but he won't be a baby forever! I do think it's important to think of them in their career and life it's a big responsibility!

No, not at all.
We just went for a name we loved & didn't consider how LO's future prospects may be affected!

I really can't understand those who do, but each to their own.

A friend couldn't decide on a name and picked one of the strength of knowing someone else with that name who is now a barrister & it would be a good name to have in terms of future success

A name really cannot predict a great deal, in my opinion

Mynd Robin is a lovely name, DH was asking me today how certain sonographers can be if a baby is a boy/girl and eventually the conversation ended with us deciding in the unlikely event of the baby being intersex we'd call him/her Robin so he/she wouldn't have to change their name when they were older. sorry weird tangent

Anyway our considerations have been works well in both Italian and English, sounds sensible on a high court judge/go etc but not so pretentious we'd feel the uncomfortable shouting it across a busy playground.

We did yes. I have both my children names that would work if they wanted to be prime minister, a footballer, an actor, or just a standard Joe bloggs.

I love both their names and wouldn't change them, but I know whatever career they choose when they are older they will never be judged before they walk through the door for their name.

It's tricky isn't it? 10 years ago when I named my son something little heard in Southern England a friend called her son Wilfred which was considered very brave and now the likes of Wilf, Stan etc are quite popular.

My 3 children have names which are relatively unusual (no others in their 3 form entry primary school) but they are not tied to a particular time period or class. I can see the attraction for people choosing very 'unique' names though

sugar

Am I correct in thinking that Ottilie is not pronounced ott-illy in Germany?

For both my girls, I wanted names that were easy to spell and pronounce, went with our surname, but, most importantly, I didn't want twee, flowery, cutesy names ending in 'y'. Both my girls have strong, sensible names that will see them into adulthood. I would rather their name sounded like a doctor or lawyer than a stripper or Bond girl

I love the name Miller, sugarplumfairy28

StellaAlpina - I actually never knew the gender of my DD until she popped out. Not for the want of trying to find out - 4 scans and she kept her legs crossed on every single one. Big change now, where her favourite activity seems to be throwing off her clothes and dancing naked around the coffee table....

Oh, yes. There is an Eddie Izzard routine about what to call your children so they won't get beaten up at school. Which is why our children have top 100, old testament names. Seriously.

It shouldn't matter. But there are plenty of studies to show that it does matter, employers and recruiters have bias (class, sex, race) without even realising it, and they are certainly missing out on talent as a result.

Not very much comfort to the person who didn't get the job interview, though.

Yes, that's the thing, Jassy. All these people that say 'it shouldn't matter therefore I will name my child Bottom because I'm keen on Shakespeare' have to realise that whether they think it should or shouldn't, this isn't utopia. This is the real world, with real people (including poor Bottom), and human nature being what it is, others will judge or assume. And using that child to make the point that it shouldn't matter is actually more selfish than the kids that tease.

I'd bear in mind though that employers might also have unusual names. The recruiter will quite likely be of a similar age to the one seeking employment. What stands out as weird now, probably won't in 20 years time.

I chose names based on what I liked that would also be great on an adult. Not all names are imo. I do discriminate even if I secretly like a name. I think naming a child is an important responsibility tbh. Bunny Hopkins or dinky twinkle bumpkin are crap for example and Elizabeth and Alexander are strong sensible names (my kids aren't any of these names just examples)

I have one of the most common names for my age group. I hated the fact that my identity was just another one of the same. My parents at the time gave me the name thinking it was unusual and then were shocked as they eventually discovered they hadn't been as original as they thought they had been.

I was determined not to do the same; it does amuse me everytime I see a thread on MN with someone saying they are consider X but they are scared their child will get bullied for it being so unusual, only for them to be told that its actually a current top 100 name.

For me, having such a common name is not something that I consider as a positive thing. I find it curious that the balance of opinion is that common is better than unusual when considering how it characterises some ones life.

There is no evidence that it is always 'better', it simply may offer different opportunities and show a different set of values. Even Freakonomics which is the source that is relentlessly quoted on threads like this, came to the same conclusion.

I dispute the idea that being a lawyer or a doctor or a high court judge is 'better' and what everyone should aspire to. I find the whole conformity and the aspirational middle class bollocks depressing in its own right tbh.

For me, a name that travelled well and was easy to spell, in a world that is increasingly global was more important than this obsession with your child's future occupation. I wanted a name that meant something personal to me, and through that was a 'gift' in the sense that it told a story, rather than just being something I liked the sound of.

I know to a lot of people that isn't important, and here's the thing. I really couldn't give a toss if Mr and Mrs Snooty, think my child's name isn't a good name. I didn't want to choose a name that Mr and Mrs Snooty approved of. I wanted the right name for my son and reflected my family values and meant something to us.

I guess I figure that at some point in life you come to a crossroads where you have to decide whether you want to fit in or you have to challenge the life views of other people. I want DS to live a life where he questions the status quo and consensus and finds his own way. DS has an 'ordinary' second name he can go by if he so chooses too. He can choose a path that is conventional in thinking if he wants, but I want that to be his choice rather than simply fitting in and having to break out of that instead of the reverse.

Having read the research which says that 1) your society's perception/stereotypes in relation to your name impacts on the statistical likelihood of academic success, and 2) girls with unisex or 'less feminine' names are statistically more likely to do better at stereotypically male activities like maths and science.....Yes this did influence my thinking and I went for a simple, non-girly name.