Is Arlo too popular?

[EmiliaGeorge]

We had written off Arlo as an option for a baby name early on. The main reason for this is my sister in law has always loved the name, and she was also pregnant with a baby boy when we fell pregnant - so we assumed she would use the name. They have recently had their little boy and did not use the name.

The other reason we did not consider it is because of its popularity. I know it’s risen steeply and it’s now in the top 20 (England). Our daughter has a name which isn’t very common but also not unheard of, it’s between 200 and 250 in popularity.

My husband has recently told me that Arlo is probably his favourite boy name. My favourite boy name is fairly similar to Arlo, it could possibly be used as a nickname, but it is considerably less popular (not in the top 500). My husband says he doesn’t mind my favourite name, but definitely seems hesitant when he talks about it. He’s also expressed that he feels like it’s not a real name. I’m not sharing it because it’s not really relevant to what I am asking, so I don’t want opinions on that instead. I don’t hate the name Arlo so I am considering whether to just agree to Arlo, but I am concerned about the popularity.

How many Arlo’s do you know? Do you think he would grow up and get sick of being one of many Arlo’s at school/work etc?

Also, we had originally planned to use the middle name James as it is a family name. If I were to agree to Arlo I would not want to use the middle name James, I don’t like the nickname AJ and I think it’s two very popular names together. Do you have any suggestions for a more unique middle name?

Never heard of it.

I genuinely know four or five of primary age. Arlo James is nice though.

You don't need to use AJ as a nickname just because they are initials - that's a bizarre assumption imo!

I think it's fairly popular, but it mostly depends on areas where you live in. How about Ansel?
Ideas for Arlo's middle
Arlo Cedric
Arlo Dwyn
Arlo Jory
Arlo Ilyas
Arlo Val
Arlo Peter
Arlo Eliant
Arlo Hamelin
Arlo Valerian
Arlo Dimitri
Arlo Florian
Arlo Dorian
Arlo Lucian
Arlo Keir
Arlo Sylvan
Arlo Cornelius

I know just one. None in my DCs classes.

It's the sort of name chav footballers or reality tv stars in OK magazine give their children.

Thank you for letting me know! It’s strange because I haven’t met any but I feel anyone I mention the name to seems to know quite a few.

I wouldn’t use it as a nickname, but there would be potential for it to happen at school age and I’m just not a fan of it. Someone who I went to school with became “CJ” - he was called Cameron James and was always known as Cam until he went to secondary. My friends son also became AJ (not Arlo James, his name is Adam Jackson) despite them never calling him it, so it’s just something I am conscious of. Plus, I also don’t like that it is two very popular names together so it wasn’t just the potential for AJ that put me off.

It is popular, but I’ve heard way fewer Arlos than Arthurs or Alfies (if you like A names!) If you love Arlo use Arlo - he’ll be yours and he’ll be wonderful and unique to you :)

I know a couple of primary aged Arlos, an under 1 (all boys) plus a girl Arlo aged 2 or 3 (American)

Oh and I love James! Gorgeous name and even more lovely that it’s a family name too. I don’t know any Arlos (I have a 3.5 year old) so absolutely use Arlo James if you love it. They’re lovely names

I have met about 20-25 and they are all 15 and under.

I work with youth groups so meet a lot but if I had to guess a name on approach, Arlo for a boy and Isla for a girl would turn several heads if I shouted them in any group.

I wouldn’t consider a top 20 name (or a top 500 name) just because for me it fails at the primary purpose of a name - to identify and differentiate you from everyone else.

It's awful

I don't know any and really don't like the name either.

Jeremy Clarkson has a grandDAUGHTER named Arlo

You know a name is popular when the ‘celebs’ start using it for the opposite gender to normal people

I’m not particularly bothered how much people like it, ultimately everyone has different tastes and there won’t be a name that is universally liked by everyone :) I am more bothered about how many of them are about, so thank you to those who have answered that question.

@KThnxBye I had originally said I wouldn’t choose anything within the top 200. My husband and I quickly realised we couldn’t agree on any of the more unusual boy names unfortunately. All of the more unusual ones I have suggested I have had the response of “that’s not a real name” which is how we’ve ended up here.

Alfie is also a lovely name, it was always on my baby name list before I got pregnant!

The problem in my opinion is not just that it's relatively popular, but that it's risen so fast. Names that climb fast usually fall very fast too.

It obviously doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it is a name that is going to date massively - in 30, 40 years, it will very much be a 'man of a certain age' name, like Gary or Darren.

This is what would put me off it - not how much it's used, but that trendy pretty much always becomes untrendy.

I work with children I'd say it's second tier in popularity. So the very popular boys names are Archie, Alfie, Oliver, Harry, Charlie, Noah. There's usually at least four or five in a school year. I'd say arlo is the second group along with Arthur, luca, Lucas, Luke, Kyle. There's usually a couple of these each year.

Too popular is hard to define, as we all have different tastes and experiences. What is 'too' popular for some will be fine for others. Some will even find top 100 'too' popular whereas others wouldn't think twice to pick a top 10 name, especially if they don't already know lots themselves as, despite what the stats suggest, it doesn't feel overly popular to them (I am one of those people).

Personally, popularity doesn't bother me too much as days of 3 in a class with the same name are all but gone. People pick from such a wide pool of names now that top 20 now receive less registrations per year than names just scraping in the top 50 use to get when we were kids. Plus there are pockets of popularity, so some names are hardly used in some areas despite being one of the most popular names in others.

However, I do personally try to steer clear of the rapidly rising names rather than those that are steadily popular as they do tend to fall as quickly as they rose and then become synonymous with that era. I do feel Arlo will be one of those. It's come out of nowhere in the last 8 years or so after being used in a Disney film and by a few z list celebrities, rising ridiculously quickly. Will people still be choosing it in their droves in the next 10 years? I doubt it. Whereas names like Thomas, William, James etc will still be up there, as they are classically popular. Nobody could instantly guess the age of your child if you told them he was called one of those names, whereas everyone would know he's a late 2010s or 2020s baby if he's called Arlo. It will date him somewhat. Think 'Charlene' of the late 80s/early 90s.

Arlo is one of those names which many still won't see as overly popular if they don't know many kids under 5s, as that's the age group they're mostly found in currently. If you work with under 5s though, they are ten a penny.

Personally I'm not keen. It just sounds like someone who drops their aitches pronouncing Harlow, which is a real dump. "She's from 'Arlo". Not for me.

I don’t know any! Maybe it’s quite region specific?

I’ve never met an Arlo, it certainly isn’t a popular name in my area. It is a hugely popular brand of home security system though, which is what I thought this thread was about when I saw it in trending.

These are some of the funniest names I've ever read. Arlo Valerian. Brilliant.

I know too many Arlos, sorry.

Others like it ..
Carlos
Charles
Heartly
Miles
Arristos
Walter
Wilbur
Arthur

I know one age 5 and one age 14.
I really like it and Arlo James is lovely.

Don't really get what wrong with being popular tho, it generally means people like it.

It depends what you mean by "too popular". There are only a couple of thousand out of 300000 baby boys born every year, so probably I per primary school.....