Choose a name even though it’s super popular

[Kilminchy123]

Hey guys,

Expecting a little girl March 2024. Emily has always been a name that I wanted for a little girl but it’s number 1 I believe in Ireland from resources I’ve looked at 😭😭 unsure to stay with it or will she have 10 Emily’s in her class . Hmmm what would you guys do? There aren’t a whole lot of girls name I like after that just one or two, I could name 1000 boys ☹️

Well it's a lovely name so will be popular!

What about something similar like Emilia, or Irish Eimear?

I wouldn't, however much you like it. You might as well call her Girl#24887, it'll be so generic.

You should give your child the name you love.

Honestly, if you like it, choose it.

School is such a tiny part of life. My name -let’s say Jane - was one of the most popular in the year I was born and for a few years after - there were three of us my cul-de-sac, and we all went to school at the same time, where there were another couple over the six years But then we went to separate senior schools, and there were only two or three Janes amongst almost a thousand of us.

in the many years since, because my work
and friendship groups span much wider age ranges, I’ve rarely even met another - the last time was 5 or so years back.

Personally, I would try to steer clear of the most popular names.

I have a very traditional but also very popular 80s name. There were 8 of us in my class at Primary, seven at secondary and there's also been several wherever i've worked.

Thankfully, it's a name that can have various shortened nn's so people can always differentiate which 'xxxx' they mean.

That wouldn't be the case with Emily, although it is a very pretty name.

What are the other names you like?

Also try to think baby may not look like an 'Emily' when they are born. I've known several people change the babies name a few weeks afer they've arrived, as it didn't 'suit' - so try to have a few on the list 'just incase' ;)

I usually find boys names so much harder! I'd love to kow what boys names you like - see if I can find any inspiration!!

Emily is a lovely name .

Amelie?

That’s much more common now

My DD is called that and she had one girl in her primary class with the same name and now none in her whole school year at secondary with the same name.

My ds had a super popular name top 3 name for years yet at his primary school there was 2 In his whole school and I have probably met 2 or 3 since . Just coz it's popular doesn't mean it will be in your local area. Yet you could call her something that isn't in the top 500 and there could be 2 in her class !
Call her the name you like.

People use a much wider range of names now than they did in the 70s or 80s, so the most popular names now are a lot less popular than their equivalents from past decades.

I don't know the stats, and occasionally particular names will be disproportionately popular in a particular area of the community, but while you might end of with another Emily in the same class, it is by no means a given (whereas in the past it was virtually guaranteed that there would be multiples of the most popular names). It is a beautiful name and remains popular for a reason.

The names that top the lists are being given to less children nowadays, as there's a wider mix of names in the UK.

www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/3852489/what-were-the-most-popular-baby-names-of-1981-1991-2001-and-2011/

This is Scotland admittedly but the same is seen elsewhere. Laura was top in 1981 and given to over 1000 girls whereas Sophie was top in 2011 only given to 659.

Personally, if you like it, I'd just pick it! My sons name is in the top 40 for 2022, but I've not met a baby with the same name yet

One of my sons has a very popular name he’s the only one on his year and there were also none in his brothers year (not sure about the others) but loads of slightly less popular ones

also doesn’t really matter if it’s a popular name all that matters is that you love it. Out of my 3 kids I only know one Emily on their years

Emilia or Amelia - maybe due a revival?

If you really love it then you should go for it, you might regret not using it if you end up only having one girl, personally the popularity wouldn't put me off a name

Go for what you love. Parents choose from such a wider pool of names these days that the names at the top of the charts are nowhere near as popular as the popular names when we were kids.

Days of 3 or more kids in the class with the same name are all but over, and if names are duplicated it can be any name. I've taught loads of kids with statistically popular names who have been the only one in the school let alone the class, yet sometimes the most random names can be duplicated!

You can never predict these things. If Emily is the name you love, I think you'll regret not using it, especially if there are no Emilys in her class.

Emily is so pretty

Honestly I wouldn't put too much thought into national databases. The top names nationally I don't know anyone whose child is named a top 5 girls name..not one under the age of 5!! But I know about a dozen Charlottes which is 25.

Noah is no 2 which I know loads of but other than that I think the top ten boys I maybe know of one or two but that's all

It's the name you love, and regardless of how many you'll encounter, she will always be your little Emily.

I have a DD with a name that hasn't been out of the top ten for probably two decades all over the English speaking world. She only had one other girl of that name in her year of 52 kids in school, and the other one used a different abbreviation

I have another DD with a name that isn't in the top 500 anywhere, and on the first day of kindergarten, we met the only other one we've ever met. They are firm friends, again with different abbreviations.

Emily is a family name for us and I love it (it was almost DD1’s name). I say pick the name you love.

I wouldn't worry about how popular a name is. You won't regret choosing a name you love.

It’s a nice name, use it if you like it. Personally I wanted names that were a bit less common. Our boys name ended up being around number 30 the year he was born, which is more common than I would have liked. Ours girls wasn’t even too 100. But top 10 names are common for a reason - a lot of people like them with good reason. I think a common name is preferable to a really out there one or one with an odd spelling.

Agree. There is not one Lily in my daughter’s school, only one Olivia, yet there are duplicates of Clara, Juliette, Ffion and other less common names.

I'm a Primary teacher. We don't have any Emilys in the school currently. One left Y6 last year. Popular names in the 'charts' don't always translate to your local area. Last year I had 3 girls with the same fairly unusual name in the class. You can't tell what will happen, so I say go with what you love, regardless.

Amelia got revived a few years back and has been done to death ever since.

I think as long as you avoid the filler middle names of Rose/May/Grace which every girl on the planet seems to currently have then you’ll be ok.