Name list stalwarts vs current faves

[Edenember]

Was just wondering... knowing myself and how my tastes continue to change and evolve over the years... is it better to go for one of the clutch of favourites that have always been on the list and while lovely don’t necessarily excite you greatly anymore, or one of your current favourites (not necessarily part of a ‘trend’) that you absolutely adore but you know would probably be one that were you not to choose it for you little one, it would naturally fall out of favour with the passage of time. I guess the duller and more reliable choices which no longer light a spark vs the ones you currently absolutely love.

I'm inclined to go with a stalwart but...sometimes it's nice to have something fresh. Too hard to decide!

Stalwart.
Your DC will have the name forever. Don't saddle them with a passing fancy.

My DD is called a name I fell in lust with.
I still really like it but I do look back nostalgically at the name I'd loved forever and wonder why the hell I didn't use it.
( If that makes sense)

This is really difficult. I have two boys and am now expecting a girl and there’s no way I’d call her either of the names we had lined up for the boys six years ago... My tastes have just changed. I think my instinct would be to go for what sparks for you now, as long as it wasn’t too trendy? Ps thanks for commenting on my post about girls’ names, seems we have similar taste 😀

Tastes change for sure!
Saying that if definitely go for the name you currently love.
They are your child, it’ll be your child name so I’m sure you’ll love it forever because it’ll be yours.

Neither!

I'd avoid popular/fashionable names as well as boring common ones.

I love names outside the top 100 that are not fashionable but that are classic, underused and imo beautiful.

One of my top names for a baby girl is the same name I called my doll when I was four.

I figure if I liked it then and I still like it now, I probably won't ever change my mind about it.

But I also hear new names I like, so who knows?

@Quercusrobur yeah it seems there’s quite a lot of crossover there ☺️

@Grufallosfriends I hear you and concur but it’s a different question to popular / trendy / common. More from a subjective POV, the ones you’ve loved for years to the point where you’ve bored yourself looking at them a bit, vs ones more recently discovered and Absolutely fallen in in love with. Separate to general popularity / commonality / trends. Like an old familiar comfortable long standing relationship which doesn’t have the same excitement as the heady days of a new fresh one 😂

I think there are two types of names that don’t date. Those which are popular in almost every generation, and those which have been too unusual to trend. Of course there’s no guarantee that an unusual name won’t trend in the future, become a consumer brand such as Lillet or Flora, or become associated with a murderer e.g. Myra.

I went with a name which is very popular in another country, but not as well known in the UK (although it is used here). If all else fails DD can fall back on her middle name - Rose.

@Grufallosfriends nb I wouldn’t say any of the names I like save for a couple I like despite their popularity, are very common or trendy, so the popularity thing is a non issue. It’s more an issue of worrying about whether your tastes will change with the ones you’re more new fangled with but absolutely adore, vs ones you’ve always liked but have bored yourself a bit with.

Yes, I see what you mean. Most names that I love today have been favourites for a long time. I guess because they've never become very fashionable.

@sweetnosugar I agree that you will probably always love one you’ve called your child so that kind of prevents it falling out of favour. I was denied use of my very favourite name for my daughter by my ex (one of my stalwarts) so the name we agreed on felt like more of a compromise for me than for him, but now Obviously I can’t imagine her being called anything else. Her name was definitely one that I may have eventually gone off though with changing tastes, had I not named her it.

@Spied yeah that makes total sense. I still hanker after the name I wasn’t allowed to call my daughter, I haven’t got to use it yet and adore it... so I totally get that feeling. However my head is being turned by some new kids on the block that I absolutely love too 😂 but if I chose one of those, I might kick myself again for not using the long-standing stalwart, having been given another chance to.

@Grufallosfriends example... a relatively new entry onto my list is Rowena or Rowenna. Absolutely love it. I wouldn’t say it’s trendy, more of a heritage name... but I haven’t always loved it, just hadn’t given it any thought previously. This means potentially I won’t always love it. I tend to like names that others may consider a bit ugly, dusty, clunky, strong, heritage... still commonly known, but not top 100 as you said.

Use the "one that got away" so to speak. You already have regrets that you didn't get to use it - now's your chance! We so rarely get second chances :-P

The stalwarts, without a doubt. Especially when pregnant because you go insane

I have had a few I've absolutely LOVED for a couple of years then gone off. Stick to the ones that have stuck.

@whatausername I think you’re probably right ☺️ It won’t set anyone’s world alight but thats ok .

Stalwart
I did this and no regrets

@FizzyGreenWater you’re right about the pregnancy hormones 😂 so glad the twins were boys ... for girls I wanted Esme and Blossom. Esme is nice enough although extremely well used now but Blossom... I still think it’s cute... on a little one or a pet rabbit. Tough gig to pull off as an adult. Pleased I didn’t get to go there 😂.

I don't like trendy or classic names. Something normal outside the top 100 for me.

My mum was discouraged from calling my sister her favourite “latest” name by her mother, and is so grateful she used it as a middle name instead. Her original choice was far more classic and she loves it still, whereas she’s completely gone off the other name and thinks she was just influenced by the trends at the time.

@notalwaysalondoner this illustrates the exact issue, although I think the act of actually naming your child it would cement it as more than a passing fad. Once it’s theirs it’s theirs isn’t it. I just wouldn’t feel excited by introducing my child by my longest standing favourite name when there’s newer shiner options, but there again it’s not really about my excitement I guess.