Is it really that big of a deal?

[Kelsey28]

Is it really that bigger deal if a child has the same name as other children in the class? I see so many people on here give that as a reason not to pick a name and just wondered what the general consensus is? My mum called me my name and very few people had heard of it in the early nineties yet when I started school there was another girl with the same name sat next to me. It never bothered me.

I do think it screams a certain lack of imagination and individuality to name your child, say, Jack. We've got enough Jacks now. Honest.

ODFOD.
Lots of reasons to use a popular name like Jack. (Or Harry or Emily or whatever).
Family connections or meaning, honouring someone who has passed away, heroes (hey Jack Kerouac!), it works with the surname, or maybe just maybe really suited the baby when born.
I think it shows a real lack of imagination and individuality to not be able to think further into an issue than such trite pathetic snobby ridiculous statements as above.

Katie was unique when I was growing up

Did you grow up in Borneo in 1764?

My dd has one of the Eve names which according to various MN threads is dull and unimaginative. We nearly lost her during her birth. Chose her name as it means 'life' which is therefore very meaningful to dh and I, espec as our other dd didn't make it into the world.

Ds also has a very popular top 10 name which has been mentioned on this thread for being dull. It's a family name and also solid and timeless imo. It's perfect for him - he's a hilarious little character with a huge personality. Who cares if his name is popular and 'dull', he certainly isn't.

So what I meant to add was that I agree with Rednails, sometimes you have to look a little further into why someone has chosen a popular name for their dc.

I think it depends on your own experiences of names.

I'm a 70s child, given the shirt version of a very traditional name that had several short forms. The only one at primary school and one of many at secondary. For my generation my name isn't hugely unusual, but the older geneneration assume that I have the traditional name, drives me nuts explaining that my short name is my name!

I'm also a teacher and when I named my children I wanted them to likely be the only one of that name in the class. Apart from Nursery, DD1 has been the only one in her Year with her name. DD2 has never met another who shares her name, even though it's not that unusual. DD1's name is too 30 ish, DD2's top 60 ish. DD1 can get personalised bits in the shops, DD2 can't.

I wanted names that couldn't easily be mistaken, misspelt or shortened or confused with other children.

I love the names I chose for my girls and have never regretted them - and that's what really matters!

"I love the names I chose for my girls and have never regretted them - and that's what really matters!"

You love the names is what matters???

I have one of the most popular names of the mid 80s. At one point in secondary school there were 6 of us in a class. Being identified by your surname initial gets boring. And also on a more practical note, gets awkward when your name is called out by someone, you answer and then it turns it to be another one of your name they are calling. As an adult I still have to always use my surname with my name as an identifier. Personally, I'm really not a fan of having a top 10 name, as you can tell.

Ps. I can categorically say that although I am very much able to buy personalised souvenir items, I have never once in my entire life felt the need to purchase them! Multicoloured seaside tat is not, I feel, a deciding factor in name choice!

My mum loves my name, as a teen I hated it she wouldn't let it be shortened & told my brother i would rather they didn't inflict it on my niece when he asked if I minded his DD being given the name... they gave her it anyway.

As an adult I don't mind my name but much prefer the shortened version & only use the long version for official things & my mother.

My niece uses a different shortened version because she hated being called "wee Jennifer" she's about a foot taller than me these days

You don't get to choose your own name til you can communicate, til then it's the parents' opinion that matters. Once they can communicate children form their own names and guide what they will be called.

To clarify what I meant is that it's the parents' opinion, not the rest of the world, that matter. We are each shaped by our experiences, some will choose a top 10 name and not mind their child being known with an initial after their Christian name, other parents will not want that for their child. It's not right or wrong, it's up to the individual to decide what they want.

Agree with pp that it's not important how common it is as long as you love the name. My nephew had two boys called an extremely unusual name in his reception class (think Gandalf/ Hans solo etc) must've been soul destroying for the parents who were presumably wanting to be unique and really stand out. So even if you shun the popular names no guarantee your child will be the only one in their class with that name.

I was given an 'unusual' name but always had someone in the same class/work place/playground with the same name!

No, it's doesn't matter. I wasn't trying to 'scream imagination' when I chose names for my 3 boys. I chose beautiful, traditional, easily spelled and pronounced names which suited my children both as babies and as they grew older. We've come across other children with the same names...because they are lovely names, of course other parents want to use them! There are lots of things to consider when choosing a name, whether or not there will be other kids in the same class with the same and is probably not high on the list.

For me, it's not about whether there are other children in the class with the same name. That may or may not happen, regardless of popularity.

It's about avoiding names which will inevitably sound 'dated', simply because they're so popular they become associated with an era

Names like Jennifer, Karen, Nicole, Dave, Brian, Kevin, etc - were all popular once, and now sound very dated. At the time, I'm sure the parents thought they were 'lovely' names!

Hard to believe that the names that are so popular now - Ruby, Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Millie, Tilly, Jack, Oliver, Harry, Charlie, Archie, Alfie, etc - will all sound very dated in 20 years.

There are so many names to choose from - it's understandable that many people do try to avoid the very popular ones.

Yes it's also about ageing well with the name. Ie if I hear Elizabeth, they could be 1-100 in my mind, Paul is 40-55 , Betsy is either 90+ or under 5.

I'm already starting to find Alfie, Archie, Harry, Charlie, Ellie, Evie etc a little dated. Like fashion, you start to tire of things a little when they're so abundant and everywhere.

All the way through school there were three Sarahs, three Anna's and st least two Pippas and Lucys in all my classes. Didn't matter one jot!

One of my criteria for my dd's names was that they should not be too popular. It was slightly irrational considering the pool of names from which we now choose is so large that even top ten names are not super common as apposed to the Mary/Margaret/Anne etc George/John/James etc type names which dominated up until the 40s or so.

It wasn't that I imagined my daughters being more individual because their names were, but rather that it seemed more practical to avoid Sarah B, Little Sarah type situations, that their names might stand out a little.

It was just one of many many criteria, but it worked for us. I certainly don't judge people who didn't care about it, nor would I expect to be judged.

I love my very popular bit traditional name. It's a nice name but also no one pre judges me... I could be 1 year old, 30.. 100 ... from a rich family or a poor family.

My son has a similar classic name.
What I don't like are trendy / faddy names. I don't think it does the child any favours. Everyone knows a Gary will be around 50 and a Claire about 35 and a Nigel about 55.
So for all the Ruby, Alfie, Archie, Evie children they will face the same.

Rightly or wrongly, names also denominate social class/ rich v poor etc throughout life

Ie Many would make first assumptions as very diffenrt people based on:
Alfie Harry Levi
Of
Alfred Henry Levingston

Passing I know a Garry - he's just turned 27 last week so quite a bit off the 50 you suggest

I have a name that was very popular when I was given it but in a trendy way. Now it's 'an 80s name,' which really dates me. I think classic names might be on the unimaginative side but at least they don't have class connotations - James or Katherine could be from anywhere so it's impossible to make assumptions based just on the name. Not so Lexxi-Mae or Brayden.

I wonder if having an easily Googled name will be a good or a bad thing for the next generation. My first+surname is a common combination, and surname is also a noun which further confuses the searches. I quite like that it would be difficult to find anything out about me through Google.

I think the trick is to find something that's not too popular but is easily recognisable. Being Isabella C. in a class with six Isabel(la)s could be a nuisance, but being McKhinleiyh or Aethelflaed has its own problems too.

DD has what was apparently one of the 5 most popular names in the year she was born.

She was the only one in the whole school for all the time she was there

Being Isabella C. in a class with six Isabel(la)s could be a nuisance, but being McKhinleiyh or Aethelflaed has its own problems too.

There are thousands of names between those 2 extremes! Most names outside the top 100 or even top 250 will be normal names that are simply not trendy at the moment.

NotLady I'm not claiming that the name Gary was banned from the 70s onwards but it's a very 50 year olds name (Gary Lineker etc), I assume the person you know called Gary has quite an unusual name amongst his generation?
Similarly I know of a Barry who will be about 30, which is unusual ... you would assume Barry is the name of his father. Also a Brian in his twenties. Most people look pretty surprised at how old those people actually are (far younger than you'd expect).
There will be 20 year old Alfies too but the "average" Alfie will surely be about 3 years old since it has become very faddy.

I just don't like names that date at all. I was looking round all the "older" people at work recently and realised they all had names that date them to roughly the age they are (approaching retirement). As soon as they send an email out or their name flashes up on your phone you'll guess they are 55 etc. I just think for my own children I don't want anyone to have preconceptions of their age or social class from their name and I'm very glad I have such a name even if it is a popular name these days (as ever).

I think the benefit of a common name is that you are difficult for potential employers or Sherlock's to google you. Better to be "Jo Smith" then not be able to hide your old page of Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber fanfiction