I thought I was so original ...

[Carbohol78]

Freya, there were no Freya’s, DD10, other option was Isla, again no Isla’s, I thought I’d found a pretty, not odd, but not over-used name. Now there’s loads of both!

Anyone else think they were “oh so original” and now the classrooms are flooded?

No, I researched the UK, Irish and American stats! nerd, I know

I didn't just go by a name's position, I avoided names travelling too fast up the charts.

My kids names sounded relatively normal when they were born, as in, they didn't have the 'ooooh that's original!' wow factor but in real terms, they have been very unusual in their classes. Although I know a few adults with their names and also, now, 12-15 years later, children under 5 with their names.

So I'd advise anybody to study the info available and avoid anything moving up positions too quickly from one year to the next.

Everybody knows someone with their name

My daughter doesn’t. In fact I’ve never heard another person in the UK with her name. It’s used in the US though. She’s 22.

This is a well known phenomenon. A lot of people want a name that 's not too popular but is well known, and end up picking the same name as lots of other people thinking the same thing.

I did this with my son. Growing up I knew just one person with this name, and also heard of it once in a children's book which was written in the 50s.

Now it's bloody everywhere! Not top 10 popular, but in my son's school there is probably one in each class or not far off that.

Doesn't matter too much as I still love the name but I thought I was more original than that!

Another Noah!

My sister is Evie, and was the only Evie anyone had ever heard of. Fast forward 20 years it's everywhere.

I have a fairly unusual name. The year after I was born a popular film with my name as the title came out, and my mum was gutted. People always asked her if I was named after it!

It's also an interesting demonstration of how we are all influenced by the same trends, even if we don't realise it.

About 20 years ago when I knew no babies/children and no stats, my favourite names were Noah (after Noah Wyle in ER) and Sophia. I couldn't say why, but those were the names I wanted to use when I had kids, 100%.

Fast forward to when I actually had kids, and I found out that Noah and Sophia are EVERYWHERE! Whatever made me love the names must have made lots of other people love them too! Whatever that was.

So I used something completely different in the end

Clara was unusual 25 years ago when we named dd. Now its everywhere. Still love it though.

My name has been mentioned a few times, clearly common as muck 😂 my 2 DS have names that iv never heard anyone else called and not particularly outlandish. DD has a beautiful name. There is only her in her year group with that name but its defo top 20 and a fair few children in her school with same name

I know someone who named their baby Ruby because "it's unusual" who am I to argue

I love that Tallulah is one of the most popular names at my children's schools, I can't imagine the parents thought there would be so many either.

I've never met anyone with my first name however I have seen it pop up on here when people ask for 'unusual, old fashioned' style names but don't think many people have taken the bait. I hated it as a child but now I love it. It's very 'posh' sounding though which can be annoying as people like to tell me how 'posh' is sounds

In my class at primary school (25 kids) we had 4 Gemma's, 2 Barry's, 2 Michelle's, 3 Geoffrey's & 3 Gary's which is weird because I've never heard a baby being called any of those in the past couple of decades so presumably they'll make a comeback in the next 10 years or so

Not me but DM did the exact same as yourself. She went with a name for DSis 15 years ago that wasn’t really that popular, but within 2-3 years it started to be heard a lot more and I think it’s been in the top 20 (maybe even 10) constantly since then.
She then had my youngest sister 11 years ago and gave here a never used name anymore, many people would stop and look in shock when they heard her name and then saw a baby instead of an old lady of 70+, however her name has become more popular, but not just her name the whole trend of using old fashioned names on little ones

My son has to say his first and last name at nursery as there are three other of the same name..

Evie - none around when i picked it!

I went to school with a Barry and a Gary.
You don't really hear those names anymore do you?

There are a lot of both Freyas and Noahs aged about 14-17.

I have one Dc with an unusual name, that stayed unusual; one middling popular that stayed middling, and one middling when the name was given that since became very popular for a few years.

You can't future proof!

when people say ''none around when I picked it!'' was that their first child? were they mixing with toddlers? you have to check the statistics. ESPECIALLY if it's your first child.

Another Noah here 😅
Although we must live in an area where it's not very popular because we've only known one other (mine is 8) 😊

Had my DS (2) been a DD he would have been Florence (that’s where we conceived so it seemed fitting)-it seems that every other girl born in 2015 in this area was a Florence too!

When I was born, Abbie was unusual and a lot of people told my mum it was old fashioned. That was 40 years ago but now there are Abbie's everywhere.

When I was in my 20s I had Amelia picked out as it was my grandmother's name.

I was gutted when it suddenly became popular.

Fifteen years later and I had DS - only 16 others with same name in England and Wales in 2013 when he was born and it hasn't climbed higher. It's a proper name, biblical in fact, but unusual. Still love it and how we have never met or heard of another.

DS deception class has several similar unusual names though, so they are all united in their 'uniqueness' iyswim. Except for the Olivers and all the Elliots!

*reception - though a deception class does sound more fun!

I had a fairly u usual name met 4 others from birth until 24 then bang name went into the top 50 for 2 years now there are loads of 6/7 year olds walking around using MY name 😂😂. My sister had an unusual name then in the top 20 the following year mum was fuming

I tried to give my ds1&2 not common names so far I know 3 ds1's and 2 ds2's.

Crying laughing at the Alexande story - sorry!

That should have said Alexa story (autocorrect!)