I like baby name Rowan BUT....

[MissHenty]

I already have one DC (now 5yo) go through preschool and baby groups, and everywhere I go there has been a selection of Rowan, Roman and Ronan’s (also Reubens but that’s less confusing). I think all those names must now be top 100 so they are likely to mix regularly and are SO SIMILAR. I’ve noticed the parent has to keep explaining how their child’s name is spelt to decipher them from the other names. No thanks!

Anyway thinking of alternative names.... perhaps Lucas? What do you think? Something fairly soft and gentle sounding. ie nothing like Hunter or Wolf.

@ThatCurlyGirl

Thank you so much for taking the time to think of names for me. People are so kind

I really like Milo and Sonny and Ben from that list. Noah too

I don’t mind about popularity of Noah. It’s because RoWan and RoMan (and, less of them about but also, Ronan) are so similar and increasingly popular especially RoMan

Thank you so much will discuss with DH

I think they won’t be muddled in the playground: Rowan is 0.15% of babies & Roman 0.12%
So in my secondary school of 700 that statistically would be 1 child!
The current fashion is for parents to try to be as unique as possible so even the very top names are nothing like the popularity the top names of our generation would be.
1 Rowan & 1 Roman who could be age 12 & age 15 are hardly going to have problems identifying themselves.

Noah is also lovely though & I think sometimes we focus on ‘logical’ reasons for discounting a name because our heart just isn’t feeling it.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’ve already seen it myself a number of times where there’s been both a RoWan and a RoMan in the local playgroup or nursery class (different kids of course not the same two individual RoWan and RoMan’s that keep meeting!). Also come across a RoNan and a RoHan.

Looked at the graphs of the name statistics and wasn’t surprised to see both RoWan and especially RoMan dramatically rising in popularity. Apparently there’s a very famous YouTuber called RoMan - that probably explains the explosion of the name recently

5 years ago I never came across either name but now it’s only going to get worse and worse and both are increasing dramatically in popularity and showing no signs of slowing.

Lovely names just too similar and ripe for confusion.

Thank you so much for alternative suggestions. Am thinking about Sonny, Milo and Ben xx

I think you are overthinking this. One of mine has a pretty unusual name. Guess what- in her Guide group on her first holiday away of 20 kids- there was one with the same unusual name! The one with the more common name has one similar in her school year- spelled differently. They don't mind this at all.

If your children are in schools wit 100's of people and they go out to clubs/activities, chances of never meeting another Ben or Peter is still quite low. And they will meet lots of older people with these names.

Just pick the name you like and stop worrying about the rest!

I really like Seth! I'd never considered that name before

@Nearlyalmost50 thank you for taking the time to reply. I think I’ve explained myself badly as I’m really not bothered about popularity! I like the name Noah for example and don’t care there’s a few others around.

It’s the fact that both RoMan and RoMan used to be extremely rare but are now very mainstream and I’ve heard them get mixed up many times. I’d just rather avoid that hassle of having to say how the name is spelt each time. (Also I think both names could date given they were previously unheard of and are now very mainstream. Could be a Darren type name or a Stacey/Tracey feel in ten years?! Who knows...?!). I’ve seen he RoMan/Rowan confusion first hand with my own eyes so I know it happens now. But know a couple of years ago it wouldn’t have been a problem

It would be like if Noah and a name like Nowah were both top 50 names. And you’d continually have to decipher between the two.
Hopefully that explains it betteR.

I like gentle sounding names. A name like peter or Noah or Seth or Ben or Otis is unlikely to continually get asked “is that’s x or Y?!”

Thank you again for replying xx

@mintich yes Seth is lovely isn’t it! So gentle but very manly

I don't think Rowan or Ronan would get mixed up with anything else, these are known names (e.g. celebs have them), Roman might.

It's your baby's name, so you have to be happy with it though, so if you like some of the other options- go for it!