How did you know your name was right?

[RunningWild82]

I had my baby earlier this week a little earlier than planned. Me and my DP had previously discussed names - identifying a short list. Since our baby has been born we've been using one of the shortlist with friends and family. However I'm still unsure about whether it is 'her' name.

I think my concern stems from the fact that the name we are currently using is a top 20 name and I'd always imagined if I'd had a daughter that she would have an 'usual but not completely out there' name (if not actually identifying a candidate). I think mentally I'd planned to use the 2 months extra I thought I had pregnant to continue to think about her name.

Since I can't decide if I'm being silly or not I thought I'd ask how did you know that you had picked the 'right' name for your baby, particularly if you had concern initially?

Secondly, if anyone has any ideas about an 'unusual but not completely out there name' send them my way!

Don't worry about picking an "unusual but not completely out there" name - they tend to fluctuate in and out anyway but do choose something you like.

To be honest, sometimes I hear a name and think I wish I'd used that but it's a fleeting thing. Mine are 7 and 14 and for their names fine!

Girls names I liked;
Amber
Alyssa
Allanah
Beth
Becca
Cara
Cassie
Erin
Francesca
Hanna
Leah
Zoe

Oh, and congratulations!

Hope you and DD are well following her earlier than planned arrival 💐

I had 75% decided on my baby's name, then I heard someone say it on the tv and it gave me butterflies and I knew then that it was definitely his name!

Congratulations
Like you, I also found that when you first start using a name on a baby it doesn’t feel right for a couple of weeks as it’s a baby and calling it a sensible name just feels a bit weird!

Just remember that no name is perfect, especially if you’re a bit indecisive (like me). You could give you baby girl a name that’s say number 80 in the chart only to find that that name is suddenly fastest rising name and in two years time it’s in the top 5.

Would you be able to tell us what the name is?

Congratulations! It took me a couple of months to feel like my ds was ‘his’ name I wasn’t a massive fan of it but only name me and Dh agreed on! But now his 16months and it fits him perfectly
I would give it time once everyone starts calling her the name it will probably help her fit into it but if it’s not working change it while she is little!
No help with suggestions All the names I like have soared in popularity recently!

Congratulations! Hope little miss is doing well.
Names I love that I think are a little unusual but not "out there" include:

Leah
Thea
Lila
Clara
Aria
Clemmie (clementine)
Eliza
Zara
Órla
Seren
Ottilie

Well, I decided on his name two weeks before the birth and I can't say I had a revelation that it was "his" name and no other. I don't think there's only one name for your baby, just as I don't believe there's only one partner out there that is destined to be your partner - there are several suitable candidates and which you choose doesn't matter, so long as you're happy with your choice. Don't be so afraid of missing out that you can't choose at all !

I also don't think names "suit" babies. Babies are essentially a blank slate. As they grow they develop a personality, of course. But personally I believe the names fits the baby, not the other way around. Like a worn shoe becomes right for your specific feet.

I gave my ds a very popular name which has not been a problem. He has always been the only one with that name in his class at school but there are others with the name in his school. Maybe there will be more when he goes to secondary school next year.

A friend gave her ds what she thought was an unusual name. There was another with that name in his nursery class and another lived in same street. She was disappointed.

I just went with a name I really liked. I remember it felt strange using the name in the first few weeks. Ds loves his name.

I really struggled with my youngest DD’s name. We called her Charlotte and it just felt like such a mature name for a little baby. I had a big wobble about it when she was about a week old and we trialled a few other names but none of them felt right either. We went back to the name Charlotte and I’ll admit that it didn’t feel like her name until she was around 6 months old. She’s 5.5 now and suits her name perfectly, I’m so glad we stuck with it.

The midwives asked me during labour if we had a name picked out so I told them the one we’d decided on. Then when I heard them referring to her as that name before she was born I was unsure about it! But as soon as I laid eyes on her I knew it was the perfect name and I fell in love with it even more 😍

Congratulations on your little one!

My DS is 13 weeks old and I still sometimes wonder if his name is 'his name' ifyswim. However, I think it's because he is a chubby, smiley baby and, to me, his name is best suited to an older child / grown up. I still love it, I just feel like it will suit him better the more he grows.
I think names that end in -ie like Charlie or Frankie work well for a baby but I like then less for adults so I made a compromise!

Congratulations! I think it's tough if you like lots of names but luckily in each pregnancy DH and I have only agreed on one name anyway (we have 2 boys). If you've been calling her a name already it might feel odd to change it now.

As pp have said, name popularity fluctuates and even if you chose the most popular name in the country, she could still end up being the only one in her school! Equally, you could find a more unusual name but end up with 3 of the same in her class (my 2 examples here are that I have taught two girls called Ursula at my current school - what are the odds? It's so unusual! And also my friend had a baby just as the name Arthur peaked in popularity but she had no idea. She thought she'd chosen such an unusual name but now knows tons of them the same age along with one who even has the same surname!).

All that being said, some of my favourite girls' names are: Celeste, Penelope, Isadora, Vivienne and Hermione.

Like you, I also found that when you first start using a name on a baby it doesn’t feel right for a couple of weeks as it’s a baby and calling it a sensible name just feels a bit weird!

Yes, so weird! I was kind of embarrassed (ridiculously) calling my children their names as it seemed just ludicrous to give such big people names to tiny babies.
I’m not sure when that goes.. certainly there comes a time when they just start to look like themselves and not just generic babies anymore and it seems less silly

We only had one name lined up but we weren't sure about it. The nurses asked the name during labor, started calling her it and it stuck. Reckon the same will happen this time, only one name lined up for DD2. Usual right now but not out there names:
Louise
Rachel
Helen
Claire

Congrats OP.

For my first and second babies we had a definite name and they were very much the name. But for the third we had a list with a favourite, but the baby came out with very different coloured hair than then first two, and that made the favourite and some of the shortlist not right. So we drew in other names that suited the baby better.

My second dd did not suit the name we had chosen at all. I had imagined she would look like my other 2 dcs but she totally didn't and dh ended up suggesting the name she has and it's girlier and a little frillier than our original choice. Perfect for her.

Congratulations! I hope both you and your earlier than planned arrival are OK.

It was literally the only name DH and I could agree on for him, it suits him, he sort of grew into it over the first couple of months, but we didn't have any other names we agreed on, so it stuck.
Usually DH and I call him Buddy or Moo, we very rarely use his actual name 🤦‍♀️

Top 20 names are nothing like as common as the top 20 names were 30 years ago. They are very unlikely to be in a class with 4 others of the same name, no matter what it is. Usual but not out there is completely fine. I wouldn't be worrying about that. If you like the name, use it.

Firstly- congratulations! I just 'knew' not helpful I know! Even though I knew they were right it still took weeks to get used to saying my eldest's name, my youngest not so much. If you aren't happy with your name you have plenty of time to change, but if you love the name and are just concerned about popularity that changes all the time and you can't guarantee another name you choose won't rise. My daughters have unusual but not ridiculous names. I found searching websited/books and looking at themes and names from different countries helped. I wrote a LONG shortlist and my husband vetoed a lot. Then each time one 'grew' on me until I just knew!

I love baby names!

A top-80 name as mentioned above is really likely to still be a very popular and familiar name. It’s perfectly possible to find really familiar names well outside the top 1,000.

As an example, in 2018 names around the top 80 were names like Anna at 85, Beatrice at 84, Iris at 82, Abigail at 77.

In contrast here are some names outside the top 1,000 for 2018. I’m pretty sure you’ll have heard of them all!

Caroline, Claire, Julie, June, Lisa, Tess, Monica, Tina, Jane, Jenny, Judy, Kelly, Karen.

well outside the top 1,500 are more you’ll know!

Gemma, Jean, Irene, Lucinda, Nadine, Stacey....

I think it’s hard to imagine a baby with any name. They grow into them! But I could name an army!

Dd2 was Eleanor for the first 24 hours.....then I just sat cuddling her and thought nope I don't think it's right! We have new baby cards with 'welcome baby Eleanor' that are in her baby box ..... only we don't have an Eleanor we have a Sophie 😂

Congratulations!

I had a name that I liked towards the beginning of pregnancy, then had some reservations about it... Then it went on the short list for middle names... Then I felt I loved it too much not to use it! I still waited to meet her and felt it was right, as much as any name felt right on this little mewling creature.

I wouldn't worry about "popular" much - I've been going to groups and classes all year, and I've yet to meet two babies with the same name.

My DD has a name that wasn’t even in the top 100 when she was born but is now somehow in the top 20 almost 9 years later. I’m actually gutted about it, I purposely chose a rarer name and now it’s blown up . My point is that name trends constantly change so I really wouldn’t worry about choosing a top 20 name.

My DD's name is within the top 100 but not hugely popular where we are. I am a little glad it's not a name you hear very often because I didn't want to use a name that is very popular, e.g. Sophia, Amelia, as nice as they are.

It was the only name DH and I agreed on, even years before we actually started TTC. She was always going to be called that. We thought about a few other names but she suits her name, we love it and I can't imagine her being anything else now.

How about Lucy or Clara?

Thank you all both for your explanations and potential name. I think the name we were thinking is growing on me and is slowly becoming her name.

The name btw is Florence.
Other names on the short list at various points were Cassandra, Saskia, Ottilie and Catriona.

I found it very interesting what people were saying about trends changing. It's something I'd not really thought about.