Why do people give such basic names that will be an administrative nightmare?

[ThatFraggle]

If you have a 'bog standard' surname, why would you give your child a bog standard first AND middle name?

I'm not saying you have to call them Fifi-Tinkerbelle, but why put the person in a position that there will be dozens of people with the same name and date of birth. E.g. A name from the most popular names, (Chloe, Liam, Jack, etc.) plus common surnames (Smith etc.)

At least go for a middle name like Esmeralda, or Phoenix or whatever you feel like. You can have two middle names if you really want granddad Henry to be honoured in the name.

Bailiffs 🤣

We don’t have them around our way thank goodness.

why would people see wedding photos?
on facebook?
lock down your privacy
have slightly different name on facebook

People can call their children whatever they like. Perhaps they are worried that if they choose 'different' names, their child will get bullied for it.

I used to work in an area where it was essential individuals could be uniquely identified. We used full names plus address to achieve this.

the only area I remember where this was an issue was a part of Scotland that had a traditional, fishing community where there were unwritten rules about what boy babies could be called. And extended families lived in the same house

so you might have several James Martin Donaldson at the same address.

the way this was dealt with was by giving each man a “boat name”. This was literally the name of his boat. So you got ”James Martin “Seabreeze” Donaldson.

girl babies unfortunately used to get a male name with “ina” tacked on to the end. And the resulting name was pronounced “male name +eye-na”. No attempt to say it differently

We’re all familiar with so Jamesina and Georgina (although pronounced differently) but there were more unusual ones like Ianina, Hughina and Hamishina.

I’m not sorry this tradition died out

Because I'd be thoroughly embarrassed to tell people my daughters daft made up/alternative spelling name. I cringe when I hear lots of names these days.

I'm not going to say the name here but he was given a name that was an aged relatives, I think the parents thought money was on the cards. Think something like Eustace. We all, horrid kids, thought it hilarious. His first name was typical of the time, so Stephen, Paul, Mark, that sort of thing. Later in life I met a Lancelot! He called himself Lance!

Because people have different opinions on names and different way of looking at and choosing a name.

I got married and had a relatively common last name - I didn't know and neither did my parents that was going to happen, but when I divorced reverted back to my own name

I did get mixed up with someone with the same name

think Sam Hemingway dob 16/09/1976

and Sam Hemingway dob 19/07/1962

the bank mixed us up

I know a family where every baby boy is given the same first name. They then have a very complicated system about who uses eg: James, Jimmy, Jamie, middle names, Old James, Young James etc. There are currently 4 generations living in the same town. Each generation has 2 or 3 boys, who all have 2 or 3 boys. It's mad, they are constantly getting each other's dentist appointments!

*there is no administrative nightmare

Do people just pop into posts and share their opinions without even reading a couple of posts?

My dd has a fairly common first and surname, not massively common but common enough. I have never thought of the issues you mention! Luckily she does have two fairly unusual middle names.

As for why people do it, I imagine it’s because they like that first name and think it’s the best choice for them, and the surname is mostly fixed.

What a very weird OP.

Also I was told by a hospital that they had another patient who not only had the same name as me (and my surname is not a commonly used one) but who also had the same date of birth! I am not sure I believe this or if it was just excuses for muddling up the admin.

Just to repeat. There is a middle ground between top twenty any Younique. I never said make up a name.

Well, I've had some interesting stories...

Realistically the chances of you being barged in on by bailiffs in your Lancashire home because was born on the same day and is also called Jenna Smith is really unlikely. And if it did happen it is very simple to explain ‘that isn’t me.’

Personally I chose in the middle type names. Not very popular ones just because I work with kids and hear some names day in day out. But you’ll never win with everyone. Call your daughter Kendall and people will whinge ‘why did you choose a boy’s name!’ Choose Gracie-Mae and people on here will cry ‘she will never be a doctor with that chavvy name!’ Pick Ottilie and people will say you’re ‘try hard.’ Choose Emily and you’re boring. Best thing to do is just choose whatever name you like.

*because someone born in London on the same day had the same name I mean! The chances of it happening are so small it’s really not worth worrying over.

Yep. I read the thread. I still think you're a bit mad.

The likelihood of the exact example YOU gave isn't particularly likely - ie/the bailiff thing. There are millions of people in this country who have common names who have never been accused of being someone else by a bailiff. It's vanishingly uncommon. Yes, it can happen but requires a very specific set of circumstances and failures to occur. And anyway, if that DOES happen, it's easy to disprove.

I have a common name, particularly the shortened version. Never had an issue.

As it happens, I didn't give my DC particularly common names - but the idea that I should avoid common names just in case at some point in the future a bailiff might mix them up with someone else is utterly bonkers.

FFS

Oh FFS - that was supposed to be replying to @ThatFraggle 😅

@SurferRona - yes, it's a mad story, isn't it? The bacterial infection is only a theory, but the fizzy drink seems to be the trigger. There are quite a lot of sources online, including medical sources from hepatology and gastroenterology journals. But for an easier to read version, try this link - https://nypost.com/2021/09/24/chinese-man-dies-after-guzzling-1-5-liters-of-coca-cola/#

@SpidersAreShitheads

You say the bailiff example is unlikely, and you say you've read the thread, but there are at least two people who have said the bailiff things happened to them personally.

Two in a random two hours window on Mumsnet. How much more frequently then in the real world, over a lifetime?

Two anecdotal stories on a social media forum does not in any way prove your point. I didn't say it was impossible, I said it was unlikely - because the bailiffs would have to fail to carry out a series of other checks to make sure they had the right person. And it's easy enough to complain about them if they don't rectify the problem, same as energy firms etc.

Also, let's say I agree with you, theoretically. The common names change every season - so I might think I was giving my child an uncommon name and then boom! A million kids in the same class with identical names. It happened the year my DD was born - this was quite a few years ago now. Lily is her middle name, and I'd been planning to use it for her first name. Then all of a sudden, a ton of Lily's started springing up everywhere. There were four girls called Lily in her nursery class! If I had given birth six months before, I would have called her Lily and then she'd be in a sea of other Lilys!

It would just be an absolute ball ache to try and figure out exactly what names to avoid because it will constantly change. And in my opinion, totally unnecessary as any "admin difficulties" will be a) pretty rare, and b) easily rectified.

The only time I concede you've got a point is for multiple generations living at the same address with the same name - grandfather/father/son. Creditors might not spot the DOB difference if the name/address matches.

Also, we're discussing a very Anglicised version of names - there are some communities where it's much more common for people to have identical/family names. I don't see oodles of complaints about incorrect bailiffs, admin errors etc.

The whole idea that someone might avoid a name because of some potential admin cock-up in the future is honestly quite amusing. But I don't mean that unkindly, genuinely! I mean, everyone picks the names for their own DC - so just use whatever criteria you want. I don't know what went through some of the celebrities' minds when they picked names like bloody Apple, North, or Brooklyn - so you know, horses for courses and all that!

I would so much rather have a traditional bog standard name than one of the ridiculous made up names that some people suggest on Mumsnet. There were a couple of children in my daughter's class at primary school with really unusual silly names and they were teased mercilessly. I've also never understood the point of having middle names.

I get what OP is saying.
I have a common first name and my maiden name is uncommon.
Then I got married and ended up with a very common surname.

I share the exact same name with someone in my department, overtime was claimed by myself and she got paid for it instead of me.

Why do people seem to think I'm saying the only alternative to John Smith is a Younique name?

I'm just saying it seems prudent to avoid top ten names.