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 ☹️

Looking at the report for last year, in Ireland it looks like 1.25% of baby girls were named Emily. Not even that likely that there will be another in her year group. Not like in 1980 when something like 8% of girls in the UK were called Jennifer.
It's a pretty name, that kind of popularity wouldn't put me off at all.

It's a lovely, traditional name and I'd rather that than some of the daft names that no one will know how to spell that some parents saddle their poor children with.

I came on to say what Sandysandwich has said.
I’d use it.

I think you’re likely to regret it if you don’t use a name you really love on popularity grounds. We nearly talked ourselves out of DD’s name as we thought maybe it was too popular, but we didn’t like anything else nearly as much so we went for it. I still love it, as does she, and she ended up being the only one in her whole primary school and her secondary school year of 250. You could easily pick something supposedly more unusual and still end up with overlap - which really doesn’t matter, but would be a shame if you’d sacrificed a name you preferred to avoid that happening!

Thanks so much guys some great advice and I think a lot of you are right I would regret it by choosing a more unusual name just for the sake of it!! Thank you so much for your responses. @Sandysandwich that is very interesting thank you I just saw number 1 and was like no way 😭 as I have a little boy and have never looked for girls names as I always had my heart set on Emily! Also I spoke to my sister who currently has a little girl in primary school and a daughter in preschool and she said she has never heard Emily either so perhaps it’s not as popular in our area! Thanks again 😃😍

Honestly just pick a name you like. You don't know what will be popular in 5-10 years so don't worry about it.

I know so many people who called their kid things like Noah and Arthur thinking they were being really unusual and not knowing everyone else was thinking the same. Just go for a name you actually like and then you won't regret it, whether there are 10 in the class or 10 in the country.

If it helps too, with the quantity of Emilys born in Ireland last year and the quantity of Primary schools there, when those kids go to school only 1 in 10 of their year groups will have an Emily in it.
So even though its the most popular name, it isn't that common, it averages at less than 1 Emily per Primary school.

Emily is a lovely name, and although it’s popular I think it falls into the ‘classic’ rather than ‘trendy’ category. If you love it, I’d use it! My daughter’s name was 90th or so in the rankings, but we’ve met quite a lot of children with the same one - whereas I don’t think we know a single baby/child Emily.