How do you determine when a name is too "out there" / rare to be used?

I tend to be more into names that aren’t all that common. While that’s just my taste, I do wonder sometimes what’s a good measure for figuring out if something is too outside the box to be wearable in real life. Are there any ways you have of deciding that? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you look at popularity charts and past a certain ranking is too rare, or are there other methods?

Thanks! As kids becomes a closer reality, I worry about this more and more, and I’d really like to try and pare my lists down to realistic options…

I tend to like more uncommon names too. Personally, I imagine myself with that name and try to see how I would like to go through my life named that. If it’s something I’d be fine with or even maybe prefer, then it’s not too outthere for me.

Also, I imagine saying my child’s name or other people saying it in different ways. [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name [name_f]Genie[/name_f] has a Name Test Drive so you can test different names to see how they look or would sound in some situations.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that helped!

I like somewhat uncommon names too and have struggled with this, as well.

@loujohnson’s suggestion of the [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name [name_f]Genie[/name_f]'s Name Test Drive is great! That tool really helps you to get an idea of how the child’s name will sound in real life! I’ve heard of others using similar methods, such as using the name when getting Starbucks, but I think the premise is the same.

I don’t think that we can 100% gauge how our children will like their names. However, I try to be realistic about it and not just blindly put my desires in place of my child. My husband is really good at keeping me grounded with names. He does like uncommon names, too, but not to the extent that I do lol. I run a name by him and he will tell me if he thinks it is too much or too weird. Likewise, I do the same for him. Partners can offer great perspective!!

I usually ask myself, if it’s a name I’d like to be called myself, and if the answer is NO, or if I can’t make my mind up either way, then I begin to question the usability of the name.

One example I can think of is [name_f]Bluebell[/name_f], I went through a phase of loving the name, but when I thought how I’d feel if I had to introduce myself as ‘[name_f]Bluebell[/name_f]’, I soon realized it wasn’t something I’d want to use.

I love a lot of out-there, trendy names, so I often look at the names of children I know of and see if what I like fits in remotely at all, or sticks out like a sore thumb.

For example, [name_f]Bryleigh[/name_f] fits in well with the Brytens, Brookelynns, and Braydens i know, while [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u] on a girl seems to stand out pretty far. I haven’t totally ruled it out though, but, I’m definitely weary of it, as it does seem a little out there.

Statistics usually help too - since [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u] is #260 for a girl, that makes me feel like it’s probably not as out there as I think. However, I love the name [name_f]Tinsley[/name_f], and that’s below the top 1000, so I do wonder if that may be a little out there.

I agree with @namergirl3 though - it’s really hard to tell whether or not your child will love or hate their name. In my opinion the best you can do is choose a name that YOU love, so when your child asks you one day why you picked it, you can give them a reason, other than “it was all we could agree on” or “I don’t know, I just picked it”.

I hated my name growing up, but as I got older I realised that my mother chose it because she and my dad both loved it - they liked how it felt unique at the time, but feminine and cute, it couldn’t be shortened but it rolled off the tongue nicely, and seemed very versatile.

I began to appreciate my name as I got older and now at 21/22 - I love my name.

I like to look at how it fits in with popular names. For example, a name like [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] or [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] could fit in with [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], and [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], but a name like [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f] or [name_f]Evgenia[/name_f], though beautiful, does not seem like it might fit in with any girl’s names today. That’s not to say any of those names are particularly usable or unusable. I just think a more unique name should ease into the crowd, not stick out like a sore thumb. [name_f]Edith[/name_f] could be the next [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but [name_f]Doris[/name_f] is not likely to be the new [name_u]Madison[/name_u]. That’s just how I feel.

I am also closer to having children & my list is a lot more realistic than it used to be years ago. So I’ve thought about this a lot! For one, I think that this is entirely personal. What might be too out there for one person might feel like a normal name to the next. I think this all depends on where you live, your family, & the people you surround yourself with.

Someone else mentioned this already but I always ask myself if I would want to be named that. If the answer is no then I won’t consider it for my children. I also imagine saying it out loud over & over again. If I enjoy saying it & if it rolls of the tongue then it’s a winner. I also have strong connections to my heritage so names that don’t fit that are unusable to me. A name like [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f], for example, isn’t unusable because how unpopular it is it’s because it would be ridiculous ([name_f]IMO[/name_f]) on a child of Italian & [name_m]German[/name_m] heritage.

Overall, I don’t focus on a number [name_f]Evelina[/name_f], [name_f]Callista[/name_f], [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f], [name_f]Serafina[/name_f], [name_f]Alessia[/name_f], [name_m]Caius[/name_m], & [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] do not even rank in top 1,000 SSA name list in the US. [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m] & [name_m]Lucian[/name_m] rank out of the top 300 while [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] is at number 35. I just pick the names the feel right for me & my family!