What are some names you love but would never use because of how popular they are? Or does popularity not affect your choice?
I love but not sure I’ll use:
[name_f]Abigail[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Isabel[/name_f] (because of all the Isabellas/Isabelles)
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_m]Elijah[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
Popularity plays a huge factor in names to me, I get sick of hearing/seeing the same names over & over so I’d really struggle to name a child something popular, especially if I, surrounding by others with that name.
Some names I like but won’t use because of popularity:
[name_f]Mia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lola[/name_f]
[name_f]Poppy[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Sophia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elsie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] / [name_f]Lottie[/name_f]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u]
[name_m]Joshua[/name_m]
[name_m]Samuel[/name_m]
[name_u]Theo[/name_u]
[name_u]Parker[/name_u]
[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]
[name_m]Elijah[/name_m] / [name_m]Eli[/name_m]
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u]
I absolutely love the name [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], on either sex, but it’s far to popular for me to comfortably use it on a child. I do also love [name_m]Gavriel[/name_m] however, and it’s far less common so l’ll probably end up using it as at least a middle name.
Considering I had a girl say “No, not another [name_u]Abby[/name_u]?!” today when I introduced myself, I’m giving my kids uncommon names.
Therefore, I love but cannot use:
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_m]Leo[/name_m]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Sophia[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_f]Zoe[/name_f]
[name_m]Adrian[/name_m]
[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]
[name_m]Jack[/name_m]
[name_u]Charlie[/name_u]
It matters to an extent, but I don’t really pay attention to the SSA lists too much. I moreso go by what I hear in the town we live in, and those nearby. It does get tiresome to hear the same names swirling around. Honestly, though, if I truly loved a name then I wouldn’t get too held up on it. For example, I really love the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. It’s popular both on the charts and on the playgrounds. Would I let that, or people’s sentiments that it is unimaginative or boring, stop me from using it? Heck no.
Same goes for me. That’s why I wouldn’t use the name [name_u]Aidan[/name_u]. I feel like I hear it everywhere, and always in the worst contexts… like mothers shouting it in a scolding tone out in public -_-
Popularity doesn’t discourage me very much. I’m an [name_f]Emilie[/name_f] (uncommon spelling of a super common name) and almost everywhere I go, there’s another [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. But you know what? It doesn’t bother me. If I had grown up as a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] in the 50’s or a [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] in the 80’s, I might have a different view, but I’ve never hated having a popular name.
I won’t stop loving my favorite names just because they’re popular. Besides, having an uncommon name does NOT guarantee that you’ll be the only one in your school or workplace with that name. For example, there could be three girls named [name_f]Miah[/name_f] in a class of 250 and only one [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] or [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. You just never know. Besides, even the number 1 name is only given to about 10,000 babies now as opposed to 50,000+. The days of every classroom having a [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] H, [name_m]John[/name_m] T and [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] M are coming to a close.
As an [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] who really doesn’t mind the popularity of her name (I dislike other aspects of it, but not that it was number two the year I was born, haha), I’m not too fussed by popularity. I am not sure I’d use a number 1 name, but I could easily see myself using a number three name, maybe even number 2, depending on what it was. Also, I might use [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], although not [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], but it’s not because it seems less popular–I just love the spunk of [name_f]Sofia[/name_f]. [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] isn’t anywhere near as lovely to me, even though it is a beautiful name. If [name_f]Claire[/name_f] was number 1 and [name_u]Clare[/name_u] at about number 18, I would totally use [name_f]Claire[/name_f] above [name_u]Clare[/name_u]–I just prefer [name_f]Claire[/name_f]'s spelling.
Popularity wouldn’t stop me from using a name I love! No one can pronounce or spell my name, so I definitely want to give my children names that people can easily pronounce and spell.
Thanks all! My feelings have changed on this over the years, especially as some of my favorites have risen thru the charts. I would probably still use [name_m]Henry[/name_m] even though I’m sure it’s popular in my area. I’m also an [name_f]Emily[/name_f] 
and I actually didn’t have other [name_f]Emily[/name_f]'s in my class until college, I think! It wasn’t as common where I grew up, I guess!
My top choices right now, which my fiance also miraculously loves, are [name_f]Winifred[/name_f] and [name_m]Casper[/name_m]. Neither are in the top 1000! I think we like the idea of something out of the ordinary but also on trend (geeky, vintage, sweet). But now I’m thinking…are they TOO out of the ordinary? Who knows, lol
Popularity is a big factor to me. My name was #1 the year I was born and that’s one of the reasons I’ve always hated it and plan on changing my name. I do like plenty of names in the top 100, and I even like some of the top 10 names (such as [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]), but the name I would use on a kid if I had one doesn’t rank in the top 1000.
[name_f]Winifred[/name_f] is such a cute name!
I’ve always been of the mindset ‘just not the top 10!’ but lately I’m thinking more like ‘but do I personally KNOW anybody with that name?’ so I feel like popularity isn’t too much of an issue to me…
I can never use [name_f]Emma[/name_f] bc my grandma named her (late) poodle that, and I can never use [name_m]Jacob[/name_m]/[name_m]Jake[/name_m] bc it’s my sister’s boyfriend’s name. Otherwise I do really like those names and would have seriously considered them despite their popularity.
Your thread has perfect timing, as there is an article/post on nameberry just now by [name_u]Abby[/name_u] about the true popularity of top ten names and etc! 
Popularity is a big factor to me because we have a very common last name, so it’s not simply the possibility of our child being [name_f]Emma[/name_f] R. vs. [name_f]Emma[/name_f] B. but instead the very real risk that they will share the exact same first and last name combination with someone even in a very small classroom/workplace. I personally know three people with the exact same first and last name as my husband.
Ironically this doesn’t seem to matter much to DH at all.
To me, popularity is a big issue when it comes to choosing a name. I know I don’t want it to be so popular that I hear other mums yelling it left, right and centre though. I try to shy away from anything in the top 100 but since there are so many lovely names in the UK list, it’s hard.
I grew up with a name that ensured I’d stick out like a sore thumb so although I’d like to give my children names that won’t be tremendously popular, I wouldn’t ever pull a complete 180’ and name them something so obscure in the hopes of being labelled unique or different. But at the end of the day, I’d like to hope that I’d use any name that I fell in love with and not give in to the thought of hearing other mums yelling my choice in the playground as a reason to go back to the drawing board.
I don’t want my future children always going by their last initial if I can help it, so names too popular I do cut off my list. Some names I love but are too popular for me to use include [name_u]Noah[/name_u], [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]William[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] and [name_f]Lily[/name_f] are just on the border of too popular. As you may be able to tell, it’s more of a problem with boys’ names than girls for me.
I try to avoid the top 100 nationally and in our state, but if the only name we agreed on were to fall inside the top 100 but below the top 50, I would probably just use it. I was one of many growing up and often went by my last name. So, I don’t want that for my children. Names tend to lose their appeal the more I hear them. So, when I see any of my favorites inch up the chart, I rule them out.
I try to avoid names that are in the top 100 for my state - and I particularly try to avoid names used by friends/relatives/that I hear around my area a lot, and names that are peaking in popularity or on a upward trajectory. I’m expecting a baby girl, so I think about girls names quite a bit! I’ve heard names like [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] around so much that they’ve lost appeal to me. I like [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] and [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], for example, but wouldn’t use them as they’re all top 50 and peaking - and they’d tie the child to a particular generation. I’d use a name like [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], which is in the top 100 where I live, but it’s mid-80’s and has been in the same spot for over 30 years.
Popularity would affect my choices to a degree, but at the same time, I’d like to think a name’s popularity wouldn’t sway me from using it if it’s one I really love. I do like a lot of really popular names because I love classics, so names like [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_m]Henry[/name_m], etc.
I think the spelling of a name also plays a part. I wouldn’t use [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] but I would use [name_f]Isobel[/name_f].
For me it just comes down to how I feel about that one particular name.