Names whose popularity mystify you

[Movablefeast]

I feel I must be showing my age because I don't understand the popularity of Fern/e. I don't hate it, I am just amazed at it's immense popularity. Why do you think it has caught the zeitgeist at the present time?

Hayden, Kayden, Jayden, Brendan, Kai, Kodi, Tyler, Mason, anything with a hyphen.

Jayden, Kaden, Kai, Kyle, Olivia,

Tinypop, me neither. Three of my DCs' names are on this thread 😁

Jude, why is everyone at the moment calling their child jude? Hate it. Unfortunate meaning too.

what is the unfortunate association with Poppy?

Old man names like George, Albert, Archie.

They were names for a middle aged bank manager when I was young!

Ella/Ellie because it's so boringly common. It is the Tracy of our times.

And ridiculously posh names like Horatio/Ludo etc. Things that you'd call the dog, frankly.

I assume opium newt

Bloody hell, how did I not know that Amelia was a birth defect?! This thread is an education. Thank god my DDs dodged that particular bullet, since I always thought it was a nice name. (I prefer the Aemilia spelling, but if it sounds even slightly like a medical condition it's not OK.)

I guess the negative connotations of Poppy has to do with opium maybe?

What's wrong with the meaning of Jude? I thought it meant jew. I wouldn't be totally put off by Judas Iscariot because he is presumably one of many notable Jude/Judases. It's not a unique villain name like Caligula or Cruella is it?

Oh my goodness I did not know that about Amelia either?! 😱

It's more the MN frequently suggested names that puzzle me rather than ones I hear in RL.

Juno - sounds like what I would've called myself at school to sound cooler if my name was June.

Have yet to hear of it in RL.

I have a Noah and I adore it! I'm a teacher and have yet to teach one (although I'm sure I will in a few years...).

DH wanted Lucas... I hate it with a passion!!

New baby likely to be Elijah which is in the top 100...

Fwiw I have a name which was not generational at all and I still can't imagine a baby in the 80s with the name... (Think Pauline...)

Jude the Obscure

Ava

Where I live is crawling with Ava’s. Teddy too. It’s the name of wetheads.

Special mention must also go to Ivy. I grew up in the 80s watching Coronation Street and that’s why I’ve got teams of negative associations with that name. Plus it’s just begging to have “Poison” put in front of it. Eurgh.

Louis
Harry
Thomas
James
Alfie
Archie

Grace

All blah, don't like any of those

Teddy- no offence but what on earth is a grown man supposed to do with a name like that?!!

Grace
Violet
Elizabeth
Wilfred
Genevieve

The unfortunate associations of Poppy for me are - fields of blood, war, sadness, death, opium, fragility.

Jude - yes Jude the obscure whose son with the same name murdered all his younger siblings mistakenly thinking it was what his very poor parents wanted/ needed. Jude's entire life was horrific. It's a classic book so many people have read and pops into my head every time I hear the name.

Mind you I've also met a child called Cain - first born when I met him at a playgroup with his mother... I didn't ask about the name, neither did anyone else, but I wonder whether she went on to have a little brother for him...

Teddy- no offence but what on earth is a grown man supposed to do with a name like that?!!

Ooh, I dunno, be POTUS?

@Evelynismyspyname

Maybe she was just a massive Emmerdale fan?

Legend, Ivy is just Ivy Tilsley/Brennan to me too. Ida is Ida Clough, Ena - Sharples. Elsie -Tanner. I'm showing my age.
Rawseh and Sawfeh but me off two lovely names.
Fizz is really Felicity I think.
Emily, I will always associate with Mrs Bishop.
Not watched it for years.

Archie is to me an Emmerdale (Farm) character and a popular dog's name.

Audrey just makes me think of Audrey Roberts.
Aubrey makes me think of a very pale, unattractive overweight boy with auburn hair.

Teddy was really nice for Teddy Sheringham but that was when it was unusual.

Freddie makes me think of a frog (they're cute) but Fred makes me think of Fred West.

I really do think that Judas is a notorious bad association and have never come across a baby Judas
Re Cain, There's a Cain in Far from the Madding Crowd and seen as an unfortunate/ignorant choice there, I think they call him Cainy to spare his feelings
Fred- surely that is such a common name, FW really wouldn't occue to me at all.

Where does Reenie come from?

I know two Renes who are both Catherines

For me, I don't understand the popularity of Teddy and Freddy, or Clara and Amelia. Although, I've never known a Clara so I wonder if it's only popular on Mumsnet.

There are plenty of names I don’t like, but the one I don’t understand more than dislike is Elliot(t) just because the people who like it seem to also like names I do, and I just don’t get it ... it sounds so wet to me.