What about your name?

[Quizeerascal]

I'm always curious about whether the questions and dilemmas people raise on baby name threads actually matter in adulthood. Does it bother you if you were one of three Sarah's in school for example and were always known as Sarah E? Does your name match with your siblings' names and if not does it bother you? Do you notice if your first name flows with your middle name or not? Does having a full name like Charlotte rather than a shortened name like Lottie matter to you?

I have a slightly old-fashioned name for my generation and I occasionally felt self conscious about this growing up but generally I liked having an unusual name for my peer group. I also like that it never gets shortened. Interested to hear others' views.

My name has been top 10 or 20 for years, but I weirdly don't know that many irl. One in primary in a different class, one my class at high school, and a good friend from uni. Never met one at work. However its a good solid name that's perfectly nice outty of options for diminutives.

The DS x 3 all have unusual names and I suspect they'll go through a phase of hating them but I hope they'll largely love them

Should have said any of the shortenings

My name is unusual in the UK, it’s never been top 100. I think I’ve met 2 others in my life.

It’s fine as a name though it is very distinctive!

I chose names that I liked for my dc. For dd that means that she has a name that I’d liked since childhood but it is now out of the top 100. Ds’s name was top 20 when is was born.

I often think that for some posters there is a determination to choose an unusual name over choosing a name that they really like. Why say “nothing in the top 100”, do you really not like any of them?

Oh just thought.

I worked in a care home (until signed off sick). I had lots and lots of compliments from the elderly residents about how lovely my name was. And how lucky I was to have such a classic, pretty name
(That and the fuss they made about my natural curls made me feel like I was really special )

My name is quite old fashioned for my generation. I was born in the early 80s and have quite a 60s name. I didn't used to be a fan, but later discovered that my birth mother had chosen it, so I treasure it now.

The diminutive form is the name always given to dolls or poodle dogs, which isn't so great, but hey!

I'm torn between an unusual name for my DC if it's a girl, or a more commonly heard one. Still can't make up my mind.

Similar to you, OP. My name was slightly old for my generation. Was one of only 2 in a secondary of 1200 kids.

Have mixed feelings about my name. It's always felt a little frumpy and not very feminine. (It gets absolutely murdered and sounds hideous if spoken in a Yorkshire/Humberside accent.)

On the other hand, there were 4 Lindsey's, 5 Claire's, 3 Joanne's, 3 Louises and 4 Sarah's in my year at school and I'm really glad I didn't have a really popular name because I would have hated to be confused with other kids constantly.

Mine was unusual at the time so I only ever met a couple of others growing up although it's more common now. I love it and have never had any issues with it. Am glad I wasn't one of multiple girls with the same name tbh.

@Rachelhaydenberk1 think along the lines of lady, princess etc!

@vampirethriller - gotcha! That is very random considering your siblings all have biblical names. Glad you could use your middle. I think these days people would find that pretty here in the US but I can see how in the UK and also during that time it was tough. Thank you for sharing!

I have a super common 80s name. My mum told me once that I was almost a Roberta . I'm grateful for my actual name!

I do like that I have a quite an unusual middle name though.

I like my name. Quite common where I grew up but not common elsewhere. I get a lot of compliments on it and I do like that my parents put thought into making sure that my names roll off the tongue well. I have sort of ruined that by hypenating my surname after marriage but it was nice for the first 25 years of my life

I totally agree with @Bigearringsbigsmile

My name is perfectly normal although perhaps a little dated for my age (early 30s). My parents chose an alternative spelling for it which, although I agree is prettier, is just annoying, especially as my surname was the same in being normal but with a slightly different spelling.

Was quite pleased to take my husband’s extremely common but very easy to spell surname when we married as it’s one less name to spell.

I have an unusual name that suggests something about my background. Lets say it is Cordelia (it isn't) - suggests a cultural and educational background.
I got teased about it at school. People made assumptions about my background when I was older or got it wrong, again and again.
I like my name and it seems more popular now, but at school, I think I would have prefered a more regular name.

To be fair, it wasn't the name's fault, but I didn't know how to stop the teasing.

I like my name but I was one of several in my school, it's a typical 80s name. It's had a surge of popularity recently so I hear it often in classrooms. I'm known by a diminutive of it which is more unusual. I think my name suits me, I wouldn't change it, but it did make me extremely aware of how popular names were when I chose them for my DC. They're classic, timeless names, not at all unusual but not popular. They're the only ones in their school with the names, which I much prefer, although in our wider circle I know of two other DC1-name of a similar age.

I had a very unusual maiden name and my married name is just as unusual, so my kids never stood a chance of blending in with the crowd.

I have a very unusual name and have always loved it! It's unusual but easy to say and pronounce and people tell me it's beautiful.

I have a very, very common name. Was number one for the year I was born and there was 5 in my class and there's 4 of us at work.

Fucking hate it.

I was one of five in my year! I don't mind. It's a pretty name regardless of decade.

I hate my name tbh. It’s an old woman’s name and not in a good way. There weren’t any at school, and I only know one other at the moment (a friend of mine). I quite like the diminutive but I’ve never been called it really- it doesn’t suit me at all!

I didn't like my name growing up as there was always another one in my class and in secondary school there were five of us in one class at one point. (Common 80's name).

I now like it, although it's not used nowadays.

My children have extremely unusual names as I didn't want them to be one of many in their class. DS1 has a name that is now in the top 100, but there are only 3 of them in his school but I think it's highly unlikely the others will come across someone with their name.

I don’t mind it. It’s a very 1980s name and there were loads of us in school. I don’t dislike it but it is quite a bland blah name and I wish my parents had chosen something a bit more interesting. Not necessarily unusual, just less bland and run of the mill.

No siblings and no middle name. A classic name but spelt differently so always have to spell it although only called it by a small handful of people now and the common diminutive version is a bit nothingy! It's Ok and I cant say I have ever thought that I dislike it but oh how desperate was I for a middle name as a child. Literally the only person in the family without one.

I really like my name. It's half English, half Welsh, grew up in England with a Welsh name. I think it's pretty but not frilly and I like not being one of many with my name.

It's actually very easy to say, short and contains sounds which exist in the English language. Part of it spells a common English word, and it's pronounced the same way as the English word. That's the part of it which people always get wrong

I'd say 70% of people I know pronounce it wrong. The 30% who get it right are close friends and family. I've stopped telling people the English version of my name as too many people say 'oh great, that's much better, I'll call you that instead'. I used to correct pronunciation, but when I was 5 a teacher told me I was rude to correct adults who mispronounced my name so I find correcting people quite hard to do. I usually give up after 3 attempts!

I'm in my early 30s and have only met one other person with my name and that was in Wales (I think I was 27) Tbh I was a bit gutted to meet another one, although it was quite nice in a way.

I've had some rude comments about my name over the years. One was at school 'if your parents loved you they'd have given you a better name' (the person had a name I've never seen suggested here, whereas I've seen mine a few times, win). Another was at work 'when you have children, don't give them a ghastly name like your parents gave you' and my inlaws, who find explaining my name awkward 'you mustn't do what your parents did to you and give your poor children a Welsh name, it's very irresponsible'

Most comments are lovely though 'oh what a pretty name's and it's a great ice breaker. I'm olive skinned with dark hair so do get a few surprised faces when I explain my name is Welsh, most people think it will be something far more exotic and interesting

I wouldn't change it for the world, and I hope DH will agree to Welsh names for our kids. I certainly wouldn't pick a common name for them, ideally I'd pick a name I'd never met someone with.

I have a perfectly normal, not overly common name. Always hated it though because it was one of the ways I was bullied at school. Also the 1 other girl in my year at secondary with my name was a bitch. I wanted to go by my middle name but my DM refused to use it as it would be too confusing (my aunts name).
Sadly I saddled my DD's with names that are commonly misspelled. Didnt realise that would be the case while I was pregnant! Hope they'll still like their names though. They do at the moment but they're only 5 and 2....

I never knew anyone with the same name as me until I was a late teen (apart from someone who had it as a middle name), it is timeless and I love it now, different shortenings, the one I hated is now a very popular name/shortened version!!
XH also had a name that was classic but not really used back then, it's also now a very popular name.
We chose a classic, yet virtually unknown name for DD, or so we thought!! She isn't the only one ....