I am intrigued to hear people’s opinion on popularity. It’s a common topic of discussion when it comes to baby names as it influences so many peoples decision (myself included!)
A few names at the very top of my love list are very popular… so I tend to rule them out to seek a name I equally like that is less popular, but am I therefore dismissing a name I love just because others love it too? Am I settling for a name I don’t love as much just because it’s further down in the charts?
A few examples:
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
[name_u]Jack[/name_u]
[name_u]Benjamin[/name_u]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] / [name_u]Penny[/name_u]
I am drawn to classic elegant names. But so many of these are in the top 100!
Should I let popularity influence my naming decisions?
I totally feel you! All of my favorite names are classic, elegant, and (for better or for worse) top 100 names! Theodore, Jack, and Penelope are all on my list, as well as Henry, Peter, Elizabeth, Alice, Abigail, etc.
I don’t think popularity should influence your naming decisions. These names are just so good! If you love them, I say fo for it! Better to use a more popular name than one you don’t truly love!!
I’m not really deterred by the popularity of a name unless I personally know or have known people with that popular name. I’ve had friends of mine with the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f], and I don’t feel I want to use it anymore even tho I love the name, I just don’t feel as connected to the name now that I’ve used it so many times with other people.
Popularity definitely influences me. I grew up being the only one with my name in my classes. All my friends who had more common names hated it because they were just one of many.
I have a hard time figuring out how popular is TOO popular though. Is a name in the 200s too popular? The 400s too popular?
That being said, I think if you really love a name you should go for it. If your love of the name out weighs not wanting other kids to have the name then you should use it.
I do love some popular names (Charlotte, [name_u]Henry[/name_u], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], Phoebe) but I do admit the popularity puts me off. I guess it might come down to working with kids and teens and meeting a lot of kids with these names.
Still, the names are popular for a reason. You can’t really go wrong with them and being so well used, they feel versatile and able to suit different types of people. If you love them, I’d say don’t take them out of the running.
I love [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], they are some of my favorite names!
As someone with a rare spelling of a common name, I love the idea of giving my child a more popular name. To me it would be easier to spell, instantly recognizable, and they would always be able to find it on a souvenir keychain
I don’t often let popularity influence my naming decisions, unless I know a lot of people with the name. If you love the name, I say go for it! You could always pair it a more unique middle to help it stand out.
I don’t care about popularity, I think there are enough ways for a child to stand out beyond having a unique name and I find that every person puts a unique spin on their name, no matter how popular.
However, if I were to choose a popular name for my kid, I would make sure there’d be a nickname they could go by as to not end up, say [name_f]Emma[/name_f] P., as I always find that to sound a lot like names that are used in not-so-great news stories.
For me it depends on how many people I know with that name. I feel like I know a lot of Williams, so even though I think it’s a lovely name I probably won’t go for it since I associate it with so many people. Other names, like my darling Emma, have remained mostly pure from associations, so I would still use it even though it is super popular.
If you love it, use it! That’s honestly my opinion! Also, some names aren’t popular at all depending on the area. I’m in the U.S. and I’ve never met a [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u], or [name_f]Penelope[/name_f].
Though if the last name in question was common too, I might want something more unique as the first name to distinguish my child a little. And if the name I like is popular within my family or social circle, that would be a first name dealbreaker for me.
A name feels less special to me when it’s popular so, yes, it’s a dealbreaker to me. No one will ever tell me that I have a cool name and almost always, people have associations already, sometimes good and sometimes not. But I also tend to dislike classic names.
It honestly depends. If a name like [name_f]Emma[/name_f] or [name_f]Ava[/name_f] was my all time favorite name, then I would probably disregard it’s popularity. But if I liked other, less popular names better, then I would use those. I don’t see why being one of two Emma’s in a class every so often is such a big problem. I actually have problems with sharing a name with a classmate, but it’s a fairly minor problem for me. It’s not as if your kid will be in school forever. Once they work at a job, there will be a wider age range of people that they are around, so names will be more unique in that space (unless it’s a name like [name_u]John[/name_u] or something). I think that, while it is more fun to choose a unique name for your kids (that’s the concept of Nameberry), there isn’t much wrong with naming your kid something like [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] or [name_u]Noah[/name_u].
Hopefully this makes sense! I’m not great at typing out long paragraphs like this.
For me personally it is a dealbreaker. But I’d look at how many times I come across the name in my daily life rather than the official popularity rankings.
I am not deterred by a top 100 or even top 30 name, but I tend to move my loves from the top 20 into the middle spot. For example, I love [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], so I added it to my list as [name_u]Reese[/name_u] [name_f]Amelia[/name_f].
I am not sure why top 20 names give me pause, actually. I was born in the 90s, and my name is [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]. It was number two in the US and number one in my state the year I was born. Nevertheless, I like my name. Actually, one of the things I like MOST about it is meeting other people named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]. It is an instant connection, and it is so fun!
Most of my favorites naturally fall between about 50 and 250, and that suits me just fine.
I feel you! I really love some top 10 names. Over top 50 wouldn’t be that big of a deal to me but top 10 feels way too popular!
The practical point of view is that I don’t want my child to be lost in the mass or have to go by Name+Initial.
Then there’s the feeling that I want to give my child something personal and individual. Name is such a huge part of identity. Then again this stark individualism is just neoliberal propaganda that tells us we always need to stand out and be the best. Maybe your child would love to be a part of group of namesakes or so on. Or maybe giving a more popular name gives a chance for the actual personality to shine through.
I really don’t know the answer even for myself. I think I’m leaning towards thinking that if you really love the name and nothing else comes close, go for it.
Wow, people see popularity so differently… I come from a small country of 5,5 m people where only the top 50 is ranked. To me only the top 20 or top 30 feels actually popular. In bigger countries they rank up to 1000 and I can’t help but feel that the names beyond top 200 really aren’t that popular even though there are a lot of people.
No popularity isn’t a dealbreaker if you truly love a name go for it. Ultimately there’s a reason why these names are popular! Personally I wouldn’t use a name in the top 10 for example I wouldn’t have daughter called [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] but no way would I dissuade someone from using [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] because of popularity if they truly loved the name
Thank you everyone, some really interesting perspectives to think about! I love the train of thought of whether I / we personally know someone with the name rather than it’s popularity in the charts… that rules [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_u]Penny[/name_u] back in as I don’t actually know anyone with those names!
I wish I didn’t care so much, but I absolutely have to use uncommon, but recognizable, names for my child(ren).
and almost always, people have associations already, sometimes good and sometimes not. But I also tend to dislike classic names.