Cloud threatens downpour of Imogens

[name]Hi[/name] All. So I’m head-over-heels in love with [name]Imogen[/name]. I live in the US, where it’s not a popular name, but I’m wondering… Is [name]Imogen[/name] poised for a surge? I know there’s a boom of girls named [name]Imogen[/name] in the UK. Did some British royal name a child [name]Imogen[/name] and rocket it to the top of the charts? Is that why literally every time I look at the Nameberry cloud, [name]Imogen[/name] is up there? It has a slightly challenging awkwardness that I find beautiful, but that seems like a quality that would not lead to trendiness here in the US. Am I wrong? Please advise!

No royalty no. We’ve got [name]Imogen[/name] Heap, [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Thomas[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] Poots and so on who keeps the name in the spotlight. And it’s [name]Shakespeare[/name] name, and we (the English) love us some [name]Shakespeare[/name]. I don’t think you should overthink the cloud… as for popularity, it’s only ranked at #32, under 2000 babies. I’ve heard of two little [name]Imogen[/name]'s and I live in a trendy young part of [name]London[/name]. [name]Imogen[/name] is perfect for you!

There probably will be more Imogens in the future, and chances are it will probably be pretty popular in a few years, but for now, you could definitely use it.

I have an [name]Imogen[/name] who is almost 4. I live in [name]New[/name] Zealand, which has similar naming styles to the UK, but it’s not as popular here. It made place 100 in 2005, jumped to 56 in 2009 and then back to 100 in 2010 and hasn’t featured for the last 2 years, so it’s not a name that’s obviously on the rise here. It’s a fabulous name that is uncommon enough to have a point of difference within the sea of [name]Isabella[/name]'s, [name]Olivia[/name]'s and [name]Ruby[/name]'s here, but people still recognise it and pronounce it correctly. Gorgeous name in my opinion - but of course I would say that :slight_smile:

I doubt it. I think you’re right that [name]America[/name] does follow some of [name]Britain[/name]'s naming trends, but I don’t think [name]Imogen[/name] will be one of those names. It just doesn’t have the same kind of sounds that are so popular here (A and L, for example).

Thanks guys!
[name]Ottilie[/name], I’ve never heard of [name]Imogen[/name] Poots, but could there be a more British-sounding name? Ha!
Bkmapps, I love the idea of your little 4-year old scampering around the green hills of [name]New[/name] Zealand. Yes, it’s really the best name. :slight_smile:
Elrock13, Thank you. I’m so curious how you’re getting that hunch. [name]Do[/name] you see typical patterns of name trends moving from UK to US?
[name]Garnet[/name], thanks - I do hope so. It would be interesting to know which names have made the leap, and which ones have fallen away.

I think [name]Imogen[/name] is very beautiful and you could definately use it in the US. I think garnet is correct about it not having the trendy A or L or even the y/ie sound that seems to be trending here.

I don’t think you need to worry. It won’t surprise me if [name]Imogen[/name] becomes more popular in the US, simply because it has a great pedigree and people are becoming more interested in uncommon names, but it has a looooong way to go before it could ever be called trendy. The number of Imogens born in the most recent year of record will have to more than double before it has a chance of even cracking the top 1000. That’s a rare name!

I personally love [name]Imogen[/name], but there are a couple factors that I believe work against its popularity in the US. Some people mispronounce it like the unpopular [name]Imogene[/name]. A lot of people think it’s too close to “imaging” (or, rather “imagin’”). I’ve seen comments that it sounds more like a name for a biotech/genetics lab than for a person. I don’t agree with these ideas, but I think they hold [name]Imogen[/name] back here…which is not a bad thing, if popularity is a concern for you.

[name]Imogen[/name] Poots isn’t super famous, but she’s been in a few movies. Seen the latest [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eyre[/name] one? Anyway, her face and name pops up every now and then. Pretty English name, I agree.

ayce1983, yeah the A, L, and IE are everywhere. It kind of put me off [name]Celia[/name], actually. I still love [name]Celia[/name], but she’s got those liquid sounds that are all the rage. It’s not that having a one-of-a-kind name is the most important thing to me, but I don’t want to be smack in the middle of a trend.

Goodhope, you make some good points about people’s objections - “[name]Imogene[/name]” is icky. And the “imagine” thing… the genetics lab comment is a new one to me, but so funny. Hey, it is totally fine by me if people find [name]Imogen[/name] objectionable!

Otter, nope haven’t seen the new [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eyre[/name]. I’m a sucker for a bad costume drama though. Looked at her picture- pretty. A little blah… looks like she’s had her teeth straightened.

I am in [name]Canada[/name] and I’ve never met an [name]Imogen[/name] in my life, although it does seem to be more popular in the UK. The Nameberry cloud is deceiving as it only shows what people are searching for (not what they’re naming their kids). If a name comes up in a forum post (like yours), a lot of people will click on the link so that’s why it’s being searched a lot. Plus, people see an odd name in the [name]Cloud[/name] to check it out. [name]Just[/name] now I checked and the [name]Cloud[/name] featured such names as [name]Laszlo[/name], [name]Iphigenia[/name], and [name]Katniss[/name], none of which I can see making a jump into popularity any time soon!

Thanks [name]Maggie[/name]. Yes, I suppose it’s true about the [name]Cloud[/name]. I just see [name]Imogen[/name] there constantly. [name]Ah[/name] well. [name]Emmanuelle[/name] is gorgeous btw. [name]One[/name] of the best [name]Em[/name] names.

Another thing about [name]Imogen[/name]: Parents who chooses this names for their daughters are smart, intellectual, cultural beings. For the most part anyway. The two Immis I know of have parents who are: a) gallery owner (don’t know what the wife does) b) writer and art dealer.

There have never been more than 4 baby girls named [name]Imogen[/name] in any given year in the US (which is why it never appears on even the extended SSA list).

For as much as we share, appropriate, shamelessly steal, etc from each other, the US and the UK really are different places. Can you ever imagine an American man being named something like [name]Neville[/name] or [name]Clive[/name] or [name]Gareth[/name]? Or a girl named [name]Philippa[/name] (maybe- maybe- Ms Middleton will be the force pushing it over), [name]Edwina[/name], [name]Davina[/name], or even [name]Poppy[/name]? Without the big emphasis on WW1 and the poppies, here everyone just thinks ‘opium’ and ‘nickname for my grandfather.’

[name]Long[/name] diversion aside, I think [name]Imogen[/name] is a gorgeous name that will continue to be undiscovered and underused Stateside. It feels too Celtic, too British, too ‘foreign,’ and its secret power is that nothing else is like it.

My grandma is an [name]Imogen[/name] and she is the only one I know here in the US (though if my cousin has a daughter, she will be [name]Imogen[/name] too). I think it’s an absolute gem; but I am biased because my grandma is an amazing woman. :slight_smile:

I wouldn’t worry at all about the name cloud. I look up a lot of names that I consider interesting but would be unlikely to use.

Otter- Good point! I can counterbalance my slackjawed, culturally-impoverished image with a child whose name breathes depth and intelligence. :-b

[name]Blade[/name]- Thank you. You have set my mind at ease. “[name]Secret[/name] power” really sealed it for me.

[name]Jessamyn[/name]- An [name]Imogen[/name] and a [name]Jessamyn[/name]! Wonderful.

I am closing the thread, and tucking [name]Imogen[/name] back behind the curtain until future use. Thanks again to you all!