Does popularity matter to you?

[starfire88]

So, my partner and I are discussing girls names we like. I suggested a name that I have loved since I was a teenager, and he likes it too (huzzah!) I told a friend this name, who pulled a face and told me that it's really popular at the moment and said I should avoid it.

I look online to see how popular it is and it was just outside the top ten in 2019.

I've never really been to fussed about popularity to be honest. If you like a name, I say go for it. But after my friends reaction, I have conflicting feelings now towards whether to use the name now.

What are your thoughts?

We called our boy George.

Apparently very popular, I suppose it’ll be like the ‘Jessica’ or ‘Rebecca’ of my era in school. There were at least 3 in each class of each.

If it's a name you and your dh love them go for it I say, don't worry what other people think! Anyway they soon grow to love the name once they get to know the little person it is attached to.

It mattered to me. We went for something not on trend but not bizarre either

The popular names of today are less popular than the popular names of past generations were in their day. There is greater variety now. It's less likely that there will be five children in one class with the same name.

So, I'm not that bothered. I probably wouldn't pick a top 10 name, but there are benefits to having a recognisable, likeable, easy to wear name. I don't like flash-in-the-pan names though. I'd rather choose Grace, say, which is #14 but reasonably timeless, than (for example) Myla, which is #93 and not unpleasant but newfangled and similar to lots of "now" names. Similarly, I'd rather George than Harley.

I also think any name becomes more special once it is on your special child, no matter how many times you've heard it before.

Not at all! Lots of people like to be unique and quirky so don’t take your friends reaction to heart; it’s a common opinion but we wouldn’t have thousands of Oliver’s and Amelia’s every year if everyone thought the same.

It mattered a lot to me. I am a teacher and have taught many many children named Jack / Josh / Jake / Emily etc. My own children have traditional but relatively uncommon Biblical names because I didn't want to encounter multiple namesakes for them over the next twenty years.

However, that's just me, and it certainly doesn't mean that you should be bothered about popularity if it has never been an issue before. Just don't discuss potential names with anyone except your partner until baby is safely here and you can announce his / her name.

It would bother me

Didn't bother me

It mattered to me. I’m a teacher and didn’t like the associations with certain pupils I had taught or would go on to teach that had the same name as my daughter 🤷‍♀️ The more popular the name, the more likelihood of that happening!

It bothered me. I had a name picked out for baby and when I realised how popular it was I went right off it. I also worked in a boarding school so some names are just a big no no! But it doesn't bother everyone, names are popular for a reason. I was one of 4 in my class at school so maybe I'm jaded!

I purposely chose names that were traditional but low in the top 100. I like my children being the only one in their class with that name

We liked Noah, was top 10 everywhere, literally around the globe. Never met one his age. Friend of a friend has one a year older a bloke at work used it 6 months later. I'm sometimes sad we didn't go with it. It suits him

Our kids’ names were both in the top ten the years they were born, but I had no idea. I never thought about looking it up! Doesn’t bother me at all.

I know children who I would say have uncommon names but there’s often more than one in my class. So perhaps not that uncommon...

Choose a name you both like.

Bothered me as I have a common boring popular name myself. My initial choice for dd1 (Olivia) was no 1 the year she was born thank god I realised this a week before she was born and found a brilliant name.

There are so many lovely “normal” names that are underused so strange the majority pick the same few names. If it’s Eve Olivia Grace or an Isabel name don’t do it!

I though it mattered but in the end it didn’t. There were 5 of my name in my year at school and it really didn’t bother me.
My children have quite classic well known names. I like that people will be able to spell it and pronounce it. They can also usually find key rings/toys etc with their names on it which they all really like.

There are so many names used that if you look at how many babies are born and how many have the name you like, it’s really not that many after all.

If you both like the name, then use it. As someone who has a name that not many/any others had as a child growing up, it’s nice when people can pronounce and spell your name.

I think a name is an identity and it’s purpose is to differentiate you. So if you are Jane smith, to me your name isn’t really doing that

Also I would hate for my child to be ‘big sarah’ or ‘naughty sarah’ or whatever differentiating factors, or have a nn or description forced so she could be told apart from all the other Sarah’s in her year (/work place as she gets older)

Additionally you don’t want to be on the end of a trend as it really dates you. I would presume a Sandra to be much older than 30 for example.

However I see the perks of classic easy names and many of them are very nice names. I would probably pick them over some of the more modern ‘unusual’ names that are not actually unusual.

Oh, to add, my DC have always been the only one with their name in their year group throughout primary and also at clubs. I think there are another one or two with my eldest’s name now they’re at secondary.

Picking a name is hard enough if you've found one you both like I don't think it matters how popular it is

I was one of 5 people with my name in my year at school 3 of us were in the same class but it didn't bother me one bit

What @Toffeefee23 said.
Not top 100 but not crazy where people raise eyebrows.

Didn't bother us, our DS has a 'top 5' name ... he never met anyone in his close circle with the same name at the (3) primary schools & secondary school he attended, or at any scouting, sports activities etc ... he is now at Uni and has a 'best mate' - with the same name - they are just amused by it !

It would bother me if it came from being really unusual to being super popular quickly as I would think it would date badly but there are lots of names that have been top 100 for a long time so if it was just currently a bit more popular then fine.

Popular wouldn’t bother me, but if it felt like a very of the moment name that would rapidly drop like a stone I might avoid that. Classic is good though.

People say popular now is actually less popular than 30 years ago, but I’d double check that is really true for the top ten if it is bothering you.

I have a name that was never on keyrings and things, which made me think my name was a bit frumpy, but it meant that I wasn't given tat.

My name is fashionable now.