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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

JACK- is it too common? lovely name but there's hundreds of them..

39 replies

Clarabumps · 06/11/2008 21:45

considering jack for ds2 name. Think its lovely but there does seem to be loads of them..would this bother you? not that i'm part of the unusual name tribe but still..
your thoughts please...x

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Bicnod · 06/11/2008 21:46

Jack is lovely. I don't think you should be put off by names that are popular - if you like it go for it

littlelamb · 06/11/2008 21:47

It's one of those that everyone tells you is popular, but I've never actually met one. Dd was adament that ds was Jack before he was born but it doesn't really go with the surname so we compromised and gave it as a middle name

thirtysomething · 06/11/2008 21:47

agree it's lovely. always seems to be a cool name, never out of fashion and easy to spell. go for it! he'll be your one and only Jack, who cares about the others!!

aledad · 06/11/2008 21:51

I agree with Bicnod - if you like it go for it. It's not about the name, it's about your new child, a little human being with their own individuality.

Enjoy your new bundle of joy

noonki · 06/11/2008 21:53

who cares if it is popular, if you like it go for it

dinkymum · 06/11/2008 21:54

lovely name and I only know of one!

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 06/11/2008 21:54

There are four Jacks in DD2's class. I think you should go for it if you want it, but you need to take into account that he is likely never to be the only Jack in his school class. This also applies to Sam, Ben and Tom, around where we live anyway.

Lionstar · 06/11/2008 21:57

How about spelling it Jaques - or is that too poncey? (I know a grown up Jaques btw, pronounced Jack)

Liffey · 06/11/2008 22:12

Maybe it's peaked? There are two Jack's in my dd's year 1 and another few in the classes above and below.

Sam, Ben, Max, Tom all popular too, what about Gus, Greg, Guy or Vic?

LuLuBai · 07/11/2008 13:36

The reason it is popular is because it is a very good name. I like it very much. Solid, trustworthy and masculine works for a baby, an adult and an old man and is rare in that it spans the social divides in this country. Jack could be Prime Minister or a carpenter. The world is his oyster.

But it is popular. To illustrate: In my baby massage classes there were 8 babies and 4 were called Jack, two were of African origin and had African names and the other two were girls.

mabanana · 07/11/2008 13:55

I know I'm in a minority and it's my prejudice, but I don't think Jack is a proper name - it's a nickname for James! Now, James, that's a proper name

LuLuBai · 07/11/2008 14:03

I was always led to believe it was a nickname for John or Jonathan.

galwaygirl · 07/11/2008 14:04

I think it's a lovely name, if you like it you should go for it

ledodgy · 07/11/2008 14:08

Jack is derived from John not James. I have a Jack and only know one other.

LuLuBai · 07/11/2008 14:10

I know an adult Jack who was christened John.

mickeylou · 08/11/2008 08:59

my ds has jack as a middle name. i love it and would use it for another if it wasnt his middle name iykwim.

i dont actually think popularity matters with a strong boys name like jack. it will never date and its not a name you will look back and regret choosing. i dont think boys bother the same about knowing a few other people with the same name.

sugarbobbingapple · 08/11/2008 09:31

i have a jack and its a fab name!

scarletlilybug · 08/11/2008 09:53

I think Jack is a great name. I also thought its popularity had peaked, so there aren't quite so many around now.

Funny all this talk about the "problem" of there being lots of "Jack"s (or "Ruby"s or "Harry"s). When I was at school, I was the only one in the school with my name - and I hated that. I always envied the "Samantha"s and "Sharon"s and "Paul"s....

Besides which, choosing ales populr name is not gurantee of uniqueness. A friend chose "Woody", thinking that would be unusual. He is one of three "Woody"s in his class...

scarletlilybug · 08/11/2008 09:54

Sorry for all the typos.

mrswoolf · 08/11/2008 12:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

worzelgummidge · 08/11/2008 13:05

I haven't read the other replies, but had to pop in and say that our DS1 is named Jack. It was at the top of the boys name lists when he was born almost 8 years ago too, and we decided to go with it anyway as we didn't know any others.
He will be 8 very soon, and we have only come across another Jack in the last 12 months.
I say go for it, if you love it. It is a beautiful name. Our DS is named after DH's grandad, and we love it.

superloopy · 08/11/2008 13:09

My DS 11mo is Jack! I love his name (but admit I was influenced by my Jack Bauer-24 'thing') and it really suits him. DH suggested it and we both knew immediately that it was DS's name.

Being only 4 letters you will save money on the bedroom door name letters.

Plus when he starts writing his name he will have an easier time than others with longer names. It is so easy to spell.

If you like the name go for it.

BlackEyedDog · 08/11/2008 13:12

lol at money saving tip

Boyswillbeboys · 08/11/2008 13:33

I have a Jack and there is another in his class, plus about 4 more that I know of in his primary school! Had no idea it was so popular when we chose it but I don't think it would have put me off. Agree with Superloopy, it is nice and easy to spell, some of his friends with long and complicated names had real trouble when they started writing - and some also had trouble pronouncing their own names!

jellybeans · 08/11/2008 13:35

There are loads of Jacks in my kids school, it's popularity put me off using it. What about Jake instead? Still popular but not to the same extent.

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