My son is 4 days old and he doesn't have a name.

[SophieJune]

Hello Mumsnet,

My son is 4 days old and he doesn't have a name. The only name I like is in the top 10 and that definitely seems like a problem. How much of a problem is it though? Does anyone have a child who has a top 10 name and could let me know?

Thanks

Go for it, at least he'll always be ab,e to have things with his name on.

I wasn't named until day six. You have a bit of time left to decide.
The only problem with having a popular name is that there will most likely be a few children with the same name in his class his entire schooling life. On the upside he will always be able to find a mug or keyring with his name on it.

It's not a problem unless you consider it a problem; it's ranked up there because it's thought to be a nice name after all.

Plenty of people with unusual names wish they had a more common name, and vice versa, so there is no obvious 'better' way to go.

Maybe you could say what the name is and there may be good suggestions for less used names of similar style?

As long as you like the name, what does it matter?
Congratulations OP

Unless your last name is very common I’d use it.

My DS’s name was in the top 5 when he was born. He’s now 14 and has never had anyone with the same name in his class with him.

If you like the name I wouldn’t let the popularity put you off.

I agree that it is a 'non-problem'. If you love a name then you should choose it..there are so many names around now that the days of a class full of Sarahs has gone.

Congratulations 💐
I second what WingMirrorSpider said.
I am a secondary school teacher so see a lot of children.
I have only ever had two pupils who have the number one name given the year my ds1 was born. His name is similar, which is why I notice. Ds2 has a more classic and timeless name and I do get more of them, maybe one or two a year. Neither of them gave classmates with the same name. Not even 'year' mates AFAIK.
This year in one of my classes I had three Emmas but as others have said, if it's a lovely name, so what!?
If you and his father like it, if it works for a teenager and a 40 year-old as well as a baby and toddler, go for it!

One of my girls has a top 10 name. Extremely popular. I don't care, I've loved it all my life . She's 18 mo and haven't met any others at baby groups etc.

My son is Mason which was v popular at one point.No other boys with his name in his nursery.Just go with what you like

I have two dc both with top ten names, they are both the only ones in their class with their name and their is one of each lower down the school. I think if you love the name then use it.

As long as you like that name. Try to also research about the meaning of the name you have chosen.

My first sons name was ranked number 3 in the UK when he was born. He had another one in his class but he didn’t mind that. He actually only knows that one other person with that name even now. I also haven’t come across another one.
Littler dd also has a very popular name. There are several of them in her gymnastics club but none in her school. It doesn’t bother me anyway as it’s a nice name clearly as so many people chose it.
Go for the name you love. Unless it’s Wayne. Lol

Only just realised the other day that my sons name is in the top 10. He's the only person in his whole school with his name. If you love a name just go for it, maybe he won't be the only one in his class, maybe he will but at least it will be a name you love.

Wow you've had 9 months to choose one lol (not judging)
We chose our daughters name pretty quickly after we found out we were expecting which wasn't overly uncommon however we hadn't heard it for a long time. By the time she was born it was in the top 10 but that was her name from the very beginning so that is still her name now

And yet we've still not come across a little one with the same name

I had the most popular name of the time and at one stage there were 5 of us in the class. It was never a problem and I never gave it any thought.

I have one DD with an exceptionally popular name - as in top ten for many, many years. I had no idea it was popular when I chose it - it was a name with lovely associations for me.

I became aware of its popularity when I took DD out to parks, swimming, etc. But it didn't matter. She was my little "Cleopatra" iyswim. She had also developed a very cute mispronunciation for her name by that point, and that was what we called her.

When she went to school she was officially "Cleopatra K" and the other one in her class was "Cleopatra R", but they were known by different abbreviations and still are.

Weirdly, her next younger sister has a name that was way down the lists in the 600s, and on her first day of Kindergarten, lo and behold, we met the only other girl with that name we have ever encountered. Again, a "Gwendolene K" and "Gwendolene R" situation, but different abbreviations used.

So there are no guarantees.

• Names changed but you get the gist...

I have an Oliver which tops most baby name lists. Never met another Oliver ever.
I also have a Daniel and a Dylan both quite high up the list neither of them have ever met anyone with the same name.

I have a Charlie and I've not met one single other Charlie in any of our baby clubs or classes :)

My ds has a name that was just outside the top 10 the year he was born and has been in the top 10 ever since - he’s 16 now.
He has been to 2 primary schools and nursery before that, one secondary school. He has never had another child in any of his classes with the same name!

I have just checked the top 100 girls names for the year I was born. My name was not on it. But for one year in Junior school there were 5 of us.

Congratulations

Take your time, my 2 boys didn't have a name for 2 weeks and the other a week

One child has a relatively unusual name and the other a traditional name. The only problem is that if one wants something with his name on it we can't get the other one as well.

There are four boys with the same name in my DDs reception class, they are each called the first name and surname each time they are addressed and by the kids that way too, seems a shame I think!