Do you think ‘unusual’ names put a child at a disadvantage?

[Nojeansplease]

My name and my partners name are both difficult and we have to spell them constantly
I’m conscious about giving that to a child.

I’ve also read about studies showing people with foreign names are more likely to be rejected for jobs etc.

And there’s snobbishness if you choose a name that is considered ‘chavvy’ by some.

Did you pick an unusual name / do you have an unusual name - is that something you think of?

If you didn’t pick an unusual name were these things a factor?

I just can’t imagine myself with an Oliver/ Olivia or whatever the most popular names are now! (Though I appreciate they are lovely names too!)

But if you gave your child a first name that strongly hinted at a diverse origin, might it not lead to assumptions, such as a strong connection with a particular race, language, continent or culture?

I know someone with a very British full name who is mixed race, and who says it can be a disadvantage. The name is completely normal white, male, middle-aged and middle class. The person is male, British, middle-aged, middle class, very good at what he does, but is most definitely not white. Situations like job interviews are often situations when people look for people like themselves.
It might not be right but it is how it is.

I have a perfectly normal british name but moved out of the UK and it’s a hassle where I am now - I have to spell it constantly and have taken to just answering to random names that are kind of near it.

We gave the dc classic names but spelt dc1’s name in the way it is in her father’s country - we only added one letter but the confusion that caused in the UK. Whereas now that we’re in her father’s country she’s got a much easier life

There are current High Court judges called Sue, Beverley, Parmjit-Kaur (known as Bobbie) and Akhlaq. And some wonderfully silly first name-surname combinations which have clearly not led to them hiding in their room hanging their heads in shame -- Amanda Yip, Julian Goose, Philippa Whipple. Bobbie's surname is Cheema-Grubb.

I’ve also read about studies showing people with foreign names are more likely to be rejected for jobs etc.

This has unfortunately been shown to be true, so yeah, if you live in the UK you might want to avoid a name that advertises itself as 'Not of British origin' and go for one that is more neutral.

As for 'unusual' I think unusual is fine, as long as its not made up or spelt in a way as to make it 'unique'. There are thousands of names out there and often several ways to spell them, personally I'd go for something that people in this country are going to recognise.

Having said that, things are changing. Some companies are adopting a 'blind' hiring strategy that doesn't take people's names into account and with diversity and discrimination laws improving all the time hopefully this will be less of an issue in the future.

It might not be right but it is how it is.

It seems you'd like rules, @MikeUniformMike -- everyone should be called James or Emily, otherwise people will think they're 'exotic' or lower-class and they don't get called for interviews? Unless they're not white, in which case they definitely shouldn't use traditionally 'white' names in case their ethnicity surprises someone unpleasantly at an interview. Despite the fact that a lot of older people with Jamaican or other Caribbean origins are called things like Winston and Reginald.

My name is one of the most popular names - there are 5 of us on my team at work... nicknames are trying to be decided upon. It's annoying.

Having the same 'usual' or 'common' name as 5 others in school or at work defeats the whole purpose of having a name! You can't be identified!!

Also, regarding the foreign aspect many companies are actively recruiting foreign language speakers!

@Sleeveen, not at all, but James and Emily are perfectly fine names.
Most of the names people I know have are perfectly fine.

I'm making my point because names can cause problems, maybe minor ones or ones that could be a PITA.

All good and well if you want to call your child Philip or Philippa, but if your surname is McCracken, you might want to give those names a miss. Adding a middle name or double-barrelling the surname won't help.

My name is common for my generation but has two ways of being correctly spelt so I always have to spell it anyway.
I like a distinctive name but esoteric spellings are annoying. A friend of mine named her daughter with an odd variation of a name. She gets quite narked when people get it wrong. It's easy to get it wrong!

@sleeveen agree totally with what you said.

@MikeUniformMike but those names are just ridiculous (and very funny -I just laughed out loud) that's not the same as giving a child an unusual first name.

@Christmasbiscuits
I wonder if they exist? I know someone with a shortended-firstname surname combination that sounds like a word. Won't say what it is but it is a Laura Norder or Rob Banks type one. There was nothing wrong with the names, just the combination made you wonder if the parents had done it deliberately.

shortened not shortended

More and more large recruiters and businesses are anonymising CVs these days. Plus names are much more diverse in 2020 than they were 20 years ago.
Only 40% of parents now choose a top 100 name! 20 years ago that was 60% and the percentage continues to fall. So whilst the name “Fox” for example might raise a few eyebrows today, I really don’t think it will by the time the next generation are applying for jobs as names are just getting so much more unusual each and every year

To answer the op, I think an unusual name, one that is uncommon and outside the top 100, is an advantage!

It makes you more identifiable and makes it easier to remember your name!

We seem to forget why we name things and people: to identify them.

I was one of 4 in my class at school and hated it. At work I need to add a modifier to my name to distinguish myself from others with the same name. I'm hard to find on social media as there are so many with my name....

So imo a less popular, more unusual name is a big advantage!

“I'm hard to find on social media as there are so many with my name....”

Hmm, I’d rather that than if you google my name, you get me tbh...

I think it depends a lot on the name and the person.

An unusual name that seems to have been chosen just because it is unusual, that isn't actually very attractive in itself or isn't even a name but a word, says things about the child or at least their parents. I've known or heard of children in my area (not siblings) called Blade, Razor and Summer Storm. I could be entirely wrong about the parents, but I suspect that at some level they were trying to indicate how cool they were as parents.

But if it's rare but indisputably a name and has some history behind it, that gives me a different impression. I'm thinking of names like Aurelia, Rosalind, Bruno or Benedict. They show that the parents (and by extension probably the children) have a bit of individuality and maybe read more widely than the parents of another Jack or Chloe, but they don't feel as "look at me, I've chosen an unusual name!" to me.

It also depends on the child's personality, as some rather unconfident children could be mortified by having a name that makes them stand out, whereas a creative, outgoing child might positively welcome it. But you can't tell in advance which sort of child you're going to have, so that aspect of it is just pot luck really.

Another one saying it is better not to be the only person with that name.

If you google an unique name, all the available details of that person will show. I am far more likely to search for someone with an unusual name on SM then look at their contacts, than search directly for a name likely to being several matches. I did this to find a former colleague who's name was quite ordinary. Searching for her brother was much easier as her maiden name was unusual.

Yes, unusual in the sense of 'less common but still a normal name' is the ideal. A name people have heard of and can pronounce but that isn't in the top100.

There's literally thousands of such names. Lovely classic names that are used 10-20 times per year.

It depends on what unusual is.. unpronounceable, wrong spelling of a common name, or a straight up word they found on the way to register the poor mite... that’s where it’s a pain in the arse/disadvantage kind of.

Everyone thinks I’m Russian and throws extra letters into my name . I don’t know if it’s ever took me out of the job pool, who would. But I have spent half my life being called 6 different names.. I don’t always correct people though, who gives a shit if someone you’ll meet twice calls you the wrong name... and if it’s a power trip thing it pisses them off more.

My ds’s name is not unusual but he’s the only one his age locally, and my second (currently cooking) has a more unusual name but not Wolf/Daley/Rowman/a jumble of letters that we’ll pretend sounds like John

In business it can be an advantage to be easily found on social media. Many people with common names actually change their names to more memorable ones in order to be more easily identified online. It helps create their unique 'brand'.

You couldn’t buy tat with my name on it in the 90s and my name isn’t overly unusual. Now you can find my name on anything and everything. Trends change over the years. My DD’s name wasn’t even in the top 100 when she was born in 2011, now it’s in the top 20. I’m upset about it tbh, I named her that because it was fairly unusual and I didn’t want her to be one of 5 in her year group at school. There aren’t any in her year at school tbf because it wasn’t common when she was born but there are a couple in reception/year 1.

If you mean ‘unique’ basically made up names then yes, I do think they place someone at a disadvantage but less common names not so much. They usually end up becoming common eventually.

Can't believe people care about cheap tat with the most popular names printed on them...! Really?!

Yep, that metal water bottle with her name on it was very handy in infant school and never went missing! Lasted for years too.