Names that were unusual when your DCs are born and are now everywhere

[KellyanneConway]

22 years ago I had a beautiful DD, Ella. I knew no one else with that name and I got asked more than once how to spell it! There were no other Ella's in the same school year as my DD all through primary and high school. When my Ella was doing volunteer work in primary schools a couple of years ago, she said it seemed like every other little girl was called Ella.
I still love it though and so does my DD. We like to think we started the trend

Not my DC but I know an Aurora. Think it's an amazing name but whilst looking for names for my own DC I'm so shocked to see how popular it is now!
My DP has a family member called Freya. Apparently their mum is annoyed at the popularity of the name now!

I really loved Reuben which is everywhere now.

I really wanted Sunshine for a girl but then that awful film came out.

Luckily I've not met anyone else with DS's name.

My 22 year olds neice is called Freya, all through school she had to repeat it for people and spell it out and she was the only one I'd ever heard of... Now half the under five seen to be called Freya!

Arlo

A relative called her DS Noah about 15 years ago and everyone thought it was so unusual.

OP, my Dsis (40) is called Ella, it was quite unusual growing up.
2 of my DDs were unusual now they are everywhere - Trinity and Phoenix (this is v v outing) my youngest DDs name is common, however we spell it with an ë instead of an 'e' just to remail slightly different

I have a Theo! It is everywhere now!

I think my dd’s name was very underused when she was born last year and I’ve certainly never met one, but now I see it mentioned on just about every baby girl name thread so I think there will start to be a glut of them soon!

Evie/Eve
Theo
Florence
Martha
Alfie

We desperately wanted Noah had dd (now in her 30's) been a boy. Everyone was horrified and took the piss endlessly. Now look … and her actual name is also incredibly popular now and she was the only one then. Its really annoying!!

In 1996 Ella was the 56th most popular girls name in the UK with 1,137 being born that year.

I won't give their names, but I was ahead of the curve two out of three times, with both DS1 & DS3.

In DS1's case, 25 years ago, I'd never known anyone with the name - but the following year it really took off. Most annoying!

DS3 is 20 & his name was very unusual at the time. It's got more popular in the last few years & seems to be well liked on MN.

Not when my children were born but my own name, never ever met another, as a child or adult, now very common: Eve.

I have a cousin Jack in his late 30s. When he was born, everyone wondered why his parents had given their baby such an outdated, old-man name, and a nickname at that. Now younger Jacks are everywhere.

I love looking up the stats. Keeps me amused for hours. When I looked for my own DC, I only looked outside the top 1,000.

DS2 (10) is Ezra. When we used it, in 2008, it ranked #500. In 2016, it entered the Top 100, and now I see/hear it a lot.

The names of four of our other children, including Ezra's twin sister, have all rapidly become far more popular in the time since we used them. Sons all have names of Hebrew origin, girls have 'vintage' names (i.e. Olive), all styles that are very popular right now.

We used a more obscure name, of Hebrew origin, for DS3 (our youngest child) born in 2013. As of yet it shows no sign of doing what the other names have done. However, it's very similar to Noah, and if people start discovering it as an alternative (as Noah is so popular), then that too could take off!

My kids names. I'm a trendsetter! Even the names I had picked out for them if they were the opposite sex have gained in popularity. I'm a naming guru!

Isabella was 89th in 1998 but in the last few years, I've met many little girls named Isabella!
Olivia too was around 25th in the most popular names but it's been in the top 10 now for several years!
Poppy was 99th but last year it was 13th I believe!

I have an Ella (I did think of Ella before I even clicked on the thread), but tbh we really don't come across it that often in RL. She's almost 16 now. I know 2 other Ellas (both younger than her).

I regularly see it mentioned as a popular name on MN, but don't come across it in RL!

My mum got stick from her mum for naming my brother Joseph in 1981. Apparently it was weird and old! Now look!

No one ever posts on these threads saying they chose a name they thought was popular. Everyone maintains they chose names that were unusual only to find out later that there are loads of kids with that name. 🤔

My DSister was named Ava 33 years ago. As kids we always had to repeat our names to people (I have a v. unusual name). Now Avas are everywhere.

My friend had a son 10 years ago and called him Oliver. At the time that name was nowhere to be seen, and now obviously it's one of the most popular names in the UK,US,Canada and Australia!

My sister Phoebe was born 2 years before Friends started. My Dad is Ross. Mum is still livid.

@loosey I think that’s amazing 😂😂