Names: do you choose popular or unusal?

[GillW]

Just wondered - how did you all choose your children's names? And did you take account of how popular that name was at the time when you made your choice?

I was reading yesterday that the list of popular names for 2002 has just been published, and that Jack has now been the most popular boys' name for the past eight years, and Chloe the top girls' name for the past six years.

Personally, knowing that, I'd avoid those names like the plague, because I'd hate my child to share a name with several classmates, but obviously that doesn't apply to a lot of people, hence their continuing popularity.

Now I can see some advantages in having a popular name, in that you'll always be able to buy personalised products, and most people will know how to spell it, but beyond that....?

Equally, would you choose a very unusual name?

Incidentally, if anyone's interested the lists for the last 5 years for England and Wales are here for boys , and for girls

For babies born in Scotland, they're here , and here for Northern Ireland .

[jasper]

I see Jasper is not on the list which as I have mentioned before I wanted to call my baby son but dh would not let me

[WideWebWitch]

Chardonnay, how cruel! (hope no-one here has one). My dad knew a woman who called her daughter Chablis because it was her favourite wine and I went to school with a Zillah. All these older names are coming back aren't they? Like Ruby and Stan and Archie all of which I would have considered old fashioned granny names when I was a child. Quite like them though. Interesting how names date us, can quite see why people go for classic names like James, William etc. Interesting to look at the list. Is Courtney because of Eastenders or Courtney Love or Courtney Pine or none of the above?

[chiarasmom]

DH and I obviously went for the "unusual," although it is common in Italy. My husband is Italian-American, so it seemed appropriate. Chiara (pronounced Kee-ah-rah) was the only name that DH and I agreed on. I really loved Sophia or Sophie, but we know 4 or 5 Sophies. Now that we have this extremely unusual name, I regret it. NO ONE except my mother (believe it or not) pronounces it correctly, and no one can spell it either. Plus, we don't have any nickname for her. It's really quite sad, although I still think it's a pretty name. . . I think the perfect name is one that is not too common, but really easy to pronounce and spell. If anyone has some suggestions on nicknames for Chiara, please let me know. DH really liked "Kia," but I keep thinking of that Kia car. My friend likes "Kiki" which is cute but hasn't caught on.

[suedonim]

Hey, Jasper, this names list is just for you!

[SoupDragon]

I'm delighted that for the year of his birth, DS2s name was less popular than Kai, Brandon and all of the 'Mohammed's. I'm glad that my choices for my mythical DS3 or DD1 are not in the list at all

We went to see Father Christmas and one of the boys in our group was called Wilbur (sp?). He was about 4.

I think pretty much all my school friends had the same middle name as me - must have been the name for the late 60's.

I too have not heard of any Chloes but have heard a number of Freyas, Phoebes and Abigails. Are they sure Chloe's top??

And Chiarasmom, I was pronouncing it properly

[SoupDragon]

Suedonim, I can't believe Chloe is one of the top names for dogs too!!

[CAM]

www I think Courtney comes from Friends Courtney Cox. I have come across many children called the Friends names, but more particularly their characters' names. What made me laugh a few years ago was hearing names like Paloma and Anastasia from the mouths of parents who spoke like Harry Enfield's character (as in Spudulika). Oh dear showing my snobbery. It is amazing how much we attach to names isn't it so that if we don't like someone we can go off the name forever. Just to make everyone whose children have popular names feel better, according to some research I've read children prefer not having very unusual names. I guess that is their natural desire not to stand out or be too different.

[Mines]

Mind you, at least we're all making an effort here - last time I looked, there were over 1000 children in the US called Baby.

And for those who are looking for something a little more, urm, unusual, there's always Utah Baby Names

(deep breath, crosses fingers and toes, hope link works)

Makes Chardonnay look rather commonplace, I think

[musica]

I have a theory about Jack and Chloe - Richard and Judy have twins called...Jack and Chloe, and particularly when they were doing this morning, would talk about their twins a LOT! So, if new parents were thinking "what's a good name", and they had been watching TM, then either of those names would spring to mind!

[oxocube]

Our d.d is called Eleanor (after the 60's song by The Turtles, although spelled differently) but unfortunately EVERYONE calls her Ellie. When she changed schools last year, she insisted that everone at her new school call her Eleanor! Go for it girl

[Enid]

Can I just ask, what is so terrible about having names in the top 100/50/10? I know lots of lovely Toms and Williams, and a Chloe and they are all individuals...so whats the problem? Why is it so important to be 'different', name-wise?

[EmmaTMG]

Hi Mines,
i've just a few words on the utah baby names site: MAD MAD MAD!
These were far form unusual, in my opinion they were absurd!

[Tinker]

They're fantastic! Next daugter is to be called Lovie Angel.

[PamT]

The Utah baby names have some right stonkers. There's a whole section for odd names including this sub section:

In a class of their own (In fact, I'm not sure I believe these but we asked for details and a confirmation and got convincing replies, so here they are): NaLa'DeLuhRay, Phakelikaydenicia, Zaragrunudgeyon ("Zarg," for short), Jennyfivetina, Tiarrhea, Nudity, VulvaMae, DaLinda LaDale, Tugdick, Saunsceneyouray, and, yes... Clitoris.

Imagine standing on the doorstep and shouting for your Clitoris to come home for tea! Where do some people get their ideas from? (maybe I shouldn't ask )

[sueanna]

Claireandrich - my SIL has a 16mth DD called Molly and said that if she'd had a DS she would have called him Oliver too.... spooky!

My DH went to college with a girl called Nancy. She loves her name. She said it was excellent at school as nobody else had the same name.

My DH and I had Caitlin on the top of our list.... that was, until the morning our little dd was born, when we changed our minds. Hum Ho!

[GillW]

Those Utah names are a hoot, aren't they? Even the shorter ones are, well, weird! Can you really imagine calling a girl "Trauma", or a Boy "Bucket"?

There's an American list (its under the popularity lists link) which gives the names grouped into similar names (so Caitlyn = Kaitlyn = Katelyn etc) and gives the actual numbers of each name registered (for the top 1800 or so name groups) which is quite interesting reading too - if only because it points out some of the cultural differences from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

[susanmt]

I was one of 4 Susans in my primary school class (born 1970) and I hated having a name the same as everyone else. My parents than picked a totally unique name for my sister (she has never met another one!) and she loves it - I think Susan is fine these days but have always though it was a bit 'boring'.
My ds is fairly high up in the 2002 list, my dd (born 2000) is down near the bottom. One of Ds's middle names is there, the other isnt, and dd's middle name isn't so I feel a BIT exclusive.
I have a friend who is a speech therapist in Glasgow and has in the past treated a Pochahontas (the poor child had a stammer!) and she has heard a (possible urban myth) about twins from one of the roughest parts of the city called Armani and Versace. Can you imagine that in a broad Glasgow accent!
What I always find strange is that people call their child by the diminutive. In one class I taught in Edinburgh there was a Rikki. That was his name on his birth certificate! I have chosen names for my children which can be shortened but so they still have something a bit more dignified to fall back on should they ever need it. As it turns out, we haven't shortened either of their names, and dd objects strongly if you try to.
Loved looking at the lists though. Off to look at Utah now!

[SoupDragon]

Oooh! My Utah daughter is going to be called Truelove, Truann, Trudena or Trulene. SB34 will know why that's so ridiculous.

For a boy, Tork and Trace Denzel have a certain ring to them. But Tugdick??? This has to be a wind up!

[EmmaTMG]

Soupdragon,
I was actually going to mention 'Tugdick' too but then I read 'Clitoris' and descided I couldn't trust myself to type something sensible.
They are truelly bizarre!

[Alibubbles]

Chloe seems to be quite common In Herts. I know several all about 8 years old.

My DD got all ther names incase I didn't have another girl, Harriet Sophie Charlotte, she hasn't met another Harriet until a new girl came to the 6th form this year, and that girl had never met another.

DS would have been Georgina Emily Rose, but ended up as Henry Wynford Lyon, but he has changed it to Henry William Paris (Paris is where he was conceived!)

Just as well DD didn't decide to use Preston!

[SoupDragon]

Just looked at the American list for DS1's year and I'm pleased to see there was only one more of him than there were boys called Stetson.

[Tinker]

pamina I'm flattered.

[GillW]

On those American lists, I presume that all those just registered as "Baby" and the 82 "Babyboy"'s and 85 "Babygirl"'s there were in 1999 are those where the parents hadn't yet chosen a name when they registered the birth.

I believe you can do that there - I saw an article about Picabo Street (a US ski racer) which said that she was named 'Little Girl' for the first two years of her life, and it was only when the passport office wouldn't issue a passport in that name that they came up with something else.