Top 25 name with unusually named older sibling

[CousinChloe]

My DD has a pretty unusual name where we live, it's Scottish and more common there, but not really used so much down in my neck of the woods. I think it's top 300 in England and Wales.

DC2 due in April and we've finally agreed on names we both like, but both are much more popular, in the top 25 boys and girls names respectively. Would this bother you? Both DH and I have relatively unusual names too, so I don't want DC2 to feel left out at all - I'm hoping this won't really cause any problems though?

Both my girls names came in the same unusual rank of popularity.

That was intentional

It wouldn't bother me. DD has a top ten name and DS has a name which according to ONS was ranked about 600th. DS's name isn't unusual but it's uncommon. If one child had an extremely unusual name I might not call the other child Emily or Oliver (as examples) because it might sound a little bit unusual to have a Ptolemy and an Isla or whatever but to be honest it doesn't really matter in the long run.

i don't know. Dc2 might be jealous of their siblings less common name? I think it depends on the names.

With our dc two were not top 10, around 20 I think, and the third not even top 100, but the not top 100 name wasn't unusual just not popular. Now the first two are top 10, and not top 100 is top 50. It's v annoying.

I wouldn't worry about it. The way these things go there's no guarantee it won't become more popular in the next couple of years anyway. If it's a name you like, why not!

I know that I was always jealous of my younger sister's more unusual name. But nobody died!

I might be weird, but unusual wouldn't bother me as much as if one was a markedly "prettier" name. Carol is pretty unusual these days, but I might be a bit envious if my sister had a prettier name even if it was more popular.

It does slightly bother me that my eldest two kids have popular names and my younger two don't. I do absolutely love the names I gave them though. My eldest daughter has a very popular name (top 10 - I had no idea when I picked it) but she loves her name. She has a more unusual middle name that I wasn't brave enough to use. My younger two have Scottish names and we live outside Scotland, so they are uncommon where we live.

Dd1 had a very unusual name when she was born (both sets of grandparents had never heard of it, and even I had only seen it used once before) and ds1's name was top ten. Dd2's name is a derivative of a more classic name but probably top 200 or something. Dd1's name that no one had ever heard of went through a massive popularity surge and even in here, peopl still eye roll about it, despite the fact that no one had ever heard of it when she was born.
Ultimately, you use names you like and ignore popularity, because these things are not set in stone, and that oh so unusual special individual name can in the blink of an eye become an over-used smirk fest

I think it would depend on what the individual names are. Are you able to tell us?

My sister and I seem to have survived unscathed.

My eldest has a top ten name, although it was around no. 250 when she was born. Both my boys have much less common names. I can honestly say, nobody has ever mentioned it, either inside or outside the family.

ds1 has a very very unusual name, ds2 has a top twenty for the year he was born name. We did spend time trying to think of and like something unusual so he didn't feel "left out" but the fact is we love his name as much as we love his brother's name and I think that means more than matching.

Thanks everyone for all your opinions. I do feel a tiny bit sorry for DC2 if they do end up with the more popular name, as I do think it's useful eg at work to have everyone know who you are just by your first name, but in the grand scheme of things it really isn't important and isn't guaranteed either way anyway.

Thanks again

I don't think it matters, personally!

I think it depends on the names.

For what is worth, I was the only person in my school with my name whilst my sister was always referred to as 'Name G'. I was so jealous of her as she could buy personalised items off the shelf and didn't have to spell her name out to people!

I have a more common name than my sister (though she's younger). On the one hand I was jealous that she had a more unusual name, on the other hand I was grateful people weren't always spelling my name wrong and I could buy stuff with my name on it! Pros and cons. I don't think it matters

You cannot guarantee that the elder sibling's name will remain rare. My middle name was very unusual when I was born but became popular five years later.