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?

I know a few Aubrey's and Dorothy's!
I think the 'old lady names' are now the fashionable ones. You need to look beyond those.
70's names must be due a come back...
Deborah
Joanna
Sarah
Keith
Trevor
Brian!!

Good luck!

I have to say I love classic names, ageless!

I really liked Jack for DS1. He was nearly Joe or Jacob but I thought Jack was a nice strong name. It was the number one name that year. I didn’t have a computer, so didn’t realise. It was the number one name for the next 13 years. Sigh.

For DS2 I thought I’d go more unusual. Harry. Bigger sigh. It jumped from in the 30s to the top 10, then top 5.

OK, for DS3 none of these common names. Something outside the top 50. Charlie. That would never be popular, surely?

At one point all three names were in the top 4. I don’t even like Oliver, the other name in the top four.

Yeah, yeah, they’re popular for a reason etc. I do like them, just wish I’d not been just ahead of the trend...

Reckless my late DM was Kit and/or Kitty. Both names used pretty much interchangeably.
I thought they were a derivation of Katherine.
I have a photo of her from the 50s, sleeveless white blouse, Capri pants, Rayban-type sunglasses and a scarf. So cool she could have been Audrey Hepburn.

My DN has a name BIL/SIL made up. Not sure if it is actually unique, but I can't find any trace of it on name websites
I've grown to like it, but think she will need a lot of self confidence in the future.

One of the name "types" you hardly never seem to hear for babies now is the feminised-male-name (some mentioned already) e.g. Pauline, Christine, Thomasina, Fredericka, Roberta, Andrea etc.. Exceptions being ones that are used for their nicknames e.g. Josephine/Josie, Henrietta/Hetty or Etta etc.. I can't see these coming back any time soon, but I could be wrong! Maybe it's not too hard to imagine a Shoreditch couple with a little Pauline...

Looking at the ONS graph (and the Scottish version) I'm surprised at how unpopular DS's name has become.

It's one of those names that everyone knows someone with that name (along the lines of Michael).

We picked it as it had relevance to where we got married and weren't bothered if we knew a few but it looks like in going "normal" we've ended up being unusual.

FairfaxAikman Robert?

Both my parents and DH's parents thought they had invented our names (it must have been a thing in the 70's too) They hadn't

Errant no, but again that's in the same vein.
I like strong classic boys names with the kind of shortening that makes you think "top bloke".

FairfaxAikman Steven?
(Sorry, I just like guessing!)

@hammeringinmyhead it’s interesting you describe the vowel trend as ‘prettier’ - because the fashions change & all think their fashion is attractive. The next generation are likely to hear the vowel trend as deeply uncool as it’ll be linked to you mums generation.

I have a classic 70s name (it isn't sharon ) but I think it was considered a bit fancy but you couldn't move for us when we got to school !

Years ago I picked Tasha (pre Internet) called Natasha on her bc. When she went to school she was one of four.

I bet there are a few of you out there too.

My friends Dd is Tasha Goose

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!

I’m called Florence, I’m 30. Also unhappy with David Cameron (for various reasons, but also his name choice!)

Within the extended family we have an Elsa and an Anna, who where born a few years before the Frozen movies came out.
They are not impressed, everyone thinks they were named for the movies, and it's not fun explaining a hundred times over that you were named after family

I like Kevin!

I have a Charley. Male. Took us until he started reception to meet a Charlie. Not met another Charley yet.

When I named my dd 14 years ago I was reading a baby name book for inspiration and couldn't find anything I really like so I ended up giving her a unique name that I made up from a couple of names jumbled up in the book. For 14 years I've thought I made up the name. Put the name in fb last week and there's hundreds of them 🙈😂 very popular with Asians it would seem.

I only knew one Henry as a child. It was considered very unusual (and I hate to say it deeply un cool!) Now we cant move for little boys called Henry at school/pre-school and I think it's a really cool name!

When i was pregnant i found boys names really hard.. my granny said "oooh you know what boys name i love? Wayne" i did not use it.

I have a classic 70s name (it isn't sharon grin) but I think it was considered a bit fancy but you couldn't move for us when we got to school !

Michelle! Nicola!

@Antonin , Omri- that's a weight to carry bless him. There really is such power in a name, it's a huge responsibility and an honour that we have as parents.

@JaffaCakesAreAMealInABite there used to be a lovely Spanish- Serra Leonien couple at our church who called their son Ezekiel, they said it would be pronounced Ethekiel due to the Spanish and west African pronounciation. My DH vetoed basically ALL biblical names (the heathen!) because he has one and at times is a real devil

I’ve heard a few people lamenting that they thought they had picked a really original name (Sophia and Ella being two examples) when a quick look at the baby naming trends would have shown them it was one of the most popular ones recently. Lovely names but if your aim is to be original would you not at least check out the top names published each year?

I had a super common first child name