Why is it so important for our chosen names to be 'original'?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I have only ever met one person who truly had an original name; that's because her parents made it up.

99% of us share a name with lots of other people around the world, and we all know this, don't we? So it baffles me when people get possessive over their chosen names or reject a great name because it's 'popular'. No name is unique! Why do we try to fool ourselves?!

I think that people who want to call their children a "unique" name, particularly a "unique" name with a completely off the wall spelling should change their own name to it, and not saddle their children with a source of, at the least, inconvenience ans irritation for the rest of their lives.

This has been bothering me for ages. I think it's a fear of your child not belonging to you properly - sounds bonkers but the reason I'd hate to give my child the same name as next door's baby is that it would seem impersonal and a product of his generation rather than a gift from his mother.

It almost implies giving our children up too soon, as custodians of them and not their owners I think a little self delusion is sometimes necessary to forstall the inevitable grief.

I'm probably talking bollocks.

Hmmm ... I quite like it when I hear of other children with the same name as DS (but it makes me cross when it's spelled wrong ) but I wouldn't like it if one of my group of friends gave their child the same name.

I have a very common first name and I've always hated the fact that it is so common and that people always have to use my surname or at least the initial. It makes me feel like my parents didn't put very much effort into naming me (which I'm sure isn't true really) but that's really at the root of why I wanted a name for DS which wasn't in the top 50 (but not made up either - I think that's slightly absurd).

I like it too Spice, but only if it's not that popular that there are 7 in his class!

In fact ds1 has a VERY popular name but it's not popular in little boys iyswim, just hairy old blokes

I chose 'original' names as i come from such a large family and didn't wants ds or dd to be forever known as 'little xxx' or 'young xxx'.

Ds is Brennan, and dd is Brogan, and although they are unusual, i don't think they are too outlandish or stupid. Although many others may disagree

I was one of 4 with the same name at school, & meet people with the same name as me everywhere I go. I did at times dislike always being refered to by my initial as well as my first name. Hence both dd's have names outside the top 50, dd2's is way more popular than dd1 though...

I wouldn't be upset at other people naming their children the same as my dd's I'd just think they had great taste ;)

My dd's have related new agey have meanings to their names but not new age names iyswim

If you usse anything that can be identified as 'a name' than it will by definition not be original. If you want anything truly original it must be either 'a word that is not a name' or 'a made-up name', up until the point at which you use it.

My children all have common names that can't be shortened or picked on, quite deliberately. I hate my name because people assume I want it shortened (which I don't) and we have a surname that they will always have to spell!
It's great when you have to give their names in somewhere and people just write them down without having to ask spelling

People give their children original names because they think it is a gateway to sophistication and a life of glamour. It is the same reason people used to name their children after Hollywood stars.
People that go for traditional names want stability and sense of family and tradition.

The result is often horrendous and the very opposite ofthe intended effect.You really don't help a child when they have to explain the most basic thing about them everywhere they go in life. A few adults will embrace and be enhanced by it. Many more would rather not have that challenge I think

But it is ALWAYS aspirational and that is the way people are. And that is not a bad thing - we all want better for our children.

I don't care if a name is 'taditional' or 'original' or whatever. But I do want to ensure that my child has a name that is as unique as possible to him/her. In my opinion, that is the point of 'NAMING' someone/something. That is because:

I hated being one of several Clares at school, especially as we had a common surname. And, as an earlier poster stated, you're likely to share a name with many people, including criminals and that can lead to confusion. A less popular name will be remembered more easily and help identify a particular person better.

I also think that very popular names get associated with certain periods. So, the Jacks and Emilys of the 2000s may be like the Sharon and Stephen's of the 1970s.

rubbish, nookie.

i have THE most stereotypical 70's girls name

i have never been mistaken for a criminal on the loose - and as it happens, although i hear the name around and about - nay ...nay - my best friend has the name name as me - it has rarely led to confusion.

about the same confusion as "how do you say that girls name over there" from a mum who thought that she was chosing a unique name.

i think 'unique' names are in the main - daft. usually show a certain class of people who desperately want to be better than their peers - but have no other way of doing it other than to be terribly gauche about it. its all very try hard, chav, nouveau riche.

its the 'look at me' statement thats just not done - its akin to the shiny porche or the gold chains

its another vulgar facet - in general.

I always wanted a dd called Emily. All my DC's have 'normal' names, although I do wish I'd stuck to my guns and called DD2 Tamzin as I still like it but Dh does not.

Custardo, choosing a unique name for a child does not imly choosing a "daft" or "gauche" name.

There are thousands of names to choose from. Assuming I love a name, it goes well with our surname and, in our case, works in several languages/cultures (in our case 3), I would rather choose a name outside of the top 50 than one in the top 10.

Simple as that. Nothing "try hard", "chav" or "nouveau riche" about that!

I didn't go for an original name, for either ds,or dd... but the names we eventually chose, after so much bloody agonising are unusual, but old-ish names, linked to our culture and with good meanings and good names in mythology.....

I have an unusual name, never met anyone with my name, as do my brothers, my parents had hippy leanings, our names are not odd and suit us, but we are definitely not mc... pretentious or otherwise...

I don't feel particularly judgey about names... odd or "unique, or "common".

Who wants to have the same name as 5 other children in their class? IMO (it does sound mean I know) when I hear a baby given a very popular name I think it shows rather a lack of imagination. On the other hand utterly bizarre and made up names probably not a good idea either.

My father sits on an appeal panel for local schools and there was recently an upsetting and stressful case for both sets of parents regarding school allocation because both girls had exactly the same name.

theres a stark diference between calling someone a common name and calling someone a daft name becuase you want to be 'unique'

there are plenty of names out there.

I am very relieved that I have a very ordinary name and my parents didn't feel the need to be individual. I agree with seeker-if they feel the need they should choose something for themselves-not saddle their poor DC! Unfortunately they don't know at the baby stage whether they have produced a strong enough character to cope with it.
A lot of DCs with strange names have actually changed them when older.(Pop stars DCs etc).

Agree custardo. Too unique easiily lapses into cringeworthy.

My personal preference is names that have fallen out of the top 10 but are still "proper" names. A friend recently called her baby Doug which I thought was great - a good proper solid name that wasn't Jack, Tom or Ben (all nice names just every other boy round here called one of these).

My children have very ordinary classic names. My ds is 8, and has not yet met another one in this country (Ireland is a different matter!) in school, football club, anywhere. My dd is now 13, and in her school of 1440 girls there are only 4. You don't have to call your child Dweezwel MoonUnit to be pretty sure they'll be the only one in their class!

But who would seriously consider calling their child Dweezwel ??? Or anything else equally ridiculous or made up??

I understood 'unique' meaning less common (certainly outside current top 50) but not ridiculous!

Classic does not have to equal popular though. I adore the name Mary, very classic and plain but hardly any under 10s with this name. I have not come across one. Sounds much more original than say Olivia or Grace of which there seem to be hundreds.

Sorry Nooki, that was a typo. I meant Dweezel MoonUnit, and I think David Bowie did!

Aha - Kerala - guess what my dd is called!!!!!

come and join me on my The mathematics of names for the hard of thinking thread. It's very interesting.