Anyone picked a really “original” name...

[Canone]

... only to discover it isn’t at all?

I have a Kit. Thought it was a bit quirky and “different” at the time. Even the stats seemed to suggest so.

He’s 2 and I’m hearing it EVERYWHERE. Yet another celebrity has just had one. I still love it of course but isn’t funny how we think we’re being really cool and “original” and actually we’re anything but!

Anyone else have any tales of baby naming woe?

23 years ago I chose Florence. Everyone said how unusual and don't know anyone under 90 with the name. Then David Cameron had one and it all went to pot!

JaffaCakesAreAMealInABite it's a good name!

@ProseccoFuelled Doris should be right on trend, but it seems to be defying the odds 😅

Funny, really, as it's not so far from Iris, which is doing well.

I gave my daughter an 'original' name and I'm still yet to meet anyone who have ever heard of the name before.

My DPs wanted to give all four of us a name which was unusual for the time. My name is #4, DBro is #6, and DSis #1&2 are both #8 for their year. Good job parents

My DC's names are at 0.08%, 1.23% and 1.45% in popularity for the year they were born. We've only met 5 others in total for all three names.

I hadn’t even heard of Kit Harrington when we named him, it was inspired by a great-grandma Kitty (which he would have been if a girl). Obviously I have now though!

Some lovely names on this thread, even if they’re not original!

I think my parents did it quite well really! I have met one person with my name in my entire life - and she was German (although it's not a German names) it's never been in the top 100.

All of my grandma's 14 grandchild have 'unusual' names but only one of them I would say is a bit . It's funny though because now we've started having children ourselves, they have generally 'normal' names.

DD is only 10 months old and I thought I'd chosen really well and uncommon but I think it's just around the corner from a boom. I do love it though so I don't mind - it's Thea.

My DC name was 170th when born, and now it's in the 600s.
There was still another in the same class.

We considered naming DS Atlas but in the end went for another name. Good job as in the baby group there was another Atlas.

I’ve met 5 Phoenixes recently which seems an unusual name to be so popular

DS actual name is pretty rare and I’ve not met another yet, less than 3 in the year he was born but 9 last year so perhaps it’s on the rise

DD’s name has only even made the charts at all once in the past 20 years so we’re unlikely to meet another.

@JaffaCakesAreAMealInABite it's a very popular name now amongst Christian circles. I serve in our church crèche and there are 3 regulars in the under 4 group and 3 in the 5-9 year old group. But none in the teenager group and I'm yet to meet an adult one. And I've been going to church all my life. The adult males at my church seem to be the Michael, Paul and David group and that is including one from Nigeria, tonnes of European heritage and a few Korean/ Asian heritage. Biblical names are universal. For the women there are quite a few Deborah's and Judiths over the age of 40. Ages ago I started a thread in the Christian threads asking about the 'most' unheard of biblical names nowadays, and someone had heard of a Nebuchadnezzar!! Unreal, but impressive eh?

Sorry for the detail OP.

Audrey might be 'due' a revival, but is unlikely to take off in UK whilst there is still a major soap character (on screen consistently since early 1980s and still going strong)

I know several little Audreys. Also Dorothys.
This phenomenon is really common. People think they are choosing an 'original' name but actually the name is 'in the air' and they pick up on it around the same time others do, though they don't consciously realize how/where from.

My friend names her little girl harper. Then two years later beckhams daughter harper came along and it's just exploded

I know a Luna, Violet & several Aubrey's whose mums thought the names were unique but they are all popular now!

I know multiple children with the names Aurora, Ramona, Matilda, Tristan and Ezra which I think are similar to the names carmenbea mentions. Also know an Aubrey.

A friend of mine called her daughter Elsa shortly before Frozen was released. Although actually it hasn’t really become a much-used name. She just looks like a massive Disney fan.

I know 2 Auderys, and a Doris

names fascinate me - I was only thinking how popular Harry is, but Barry and Larry, Gary - never hear them. Its just one letter different so why is Harry cool and now but not Barry.

If I had a baby boy now, I'd choose Timothy or Peter. Very traditional but I don't know any little ones.

If I had a baby girl now, I'd choose Athena or Joanie.

Don't know if any of them count as 'original'!

I have an Aurora which was uncommon the year she was born but has been getting steadily more popular and was in the top 100 names this year.

DS has an old classic name. I've not heard it on anyone or anywhere until we moved to our tiny town. There's another in his school, another the year younger than him and another just been christened. Clearly they've al heard his name and we are now trend setters . My dd has an old classic name too, and I haven't heard it anywhere other than an estate agent saying 'that was my grandmothers name, I have never met another one since'

DS3 was the only kid in a school of 2000 kids with his name. Then we moved to the UK and there were 3 others with his name in his class plus a girl with the female version. 😭😭😭

My kids used to go to a school with a lot of kids who had parents that had moved from China - they all spoke Mandarin as a first language and all had both a Chinese name and an English name. They used to have the coolest and most unusual English names such as Norman, Susan and Pearl.

A friend named her daughter now 7 Romilly after hearing it on the news (Romilly Weeks) nn Romy, everyone remarked it was so unique and now I have come across 3 Romilly's, 2 Romy's and a Remy!

@Mayvis - Good choice in Joanie! I think that's lovely.

I am not sure I like Dorothy, it's too "Wizard of Oz" conjuring pictures of that scary Tin Man and Lion.... but I quite like it shortened to Dotty and I consider that pretty unique.

I named my son Bradley, and then two years layer Brad Pitt became famous.y Bradley is 24 now but i still hear Mum's calling Brad when i take grand kids to park.

TeaAddict my DS is 15 now and we have only ever heard of other Noahs under the age of 10.

Round here in churches, there are still lots of Jacobs and Joshuas, but also an increase in Reuben, Caleb and Matthew which I always think is a funny one - quite a lot in the 80s but still plenty now. I also know quite a few Peters of all ages, but not sure it ever really went away.

I really wanted an Ezekiel but last DC was a girl so I never got to use it - still slightly gutted!