I’m needing to name my third child, due any day and I’m unable to choose due to overthinking. Some backstory…
I gave my first child, age 10, an occupational, surname first name. At the time, it felt fresh/unique and I didn’t realize (or pay attention to) how “trendy” or popular it actually was. Didn’t know about nameberry lol. I don’t dislike his name now, but wish it wasn’t so popular (top 50 today) and it feels also dated to last decade when occupational names were trending.
Last year I gave my daughter a vintage, “old lady” name that also felt fresh but is climbing the charts super fast and has been labeled trendy. It’s in the 300s but not for long it seems. Damn.
I’m leaning toward a vintage name for this next baby bc I want it to match in style to her sister I guess but now I want to stay out of the top 500 (yet most of my easy to like names are top 100) and hesitate bc “old lady” names are trendy and I’m afraid I’ll feel the same about these names as I do about the name I chose for my first child 10+ years ago.
Why does it have to be so complicated for me? I want a name that stands out, but not too much, that’s stylish but not trendy so as to be traced to a certain decade. But my style is trendy it seems? 
100 years ago I’d pick a name from a book and be done. Now there is way too much to consider and it’s paralyzing me. If you read this far, thank you for being my therapist.
Hmm, well if it means anything, even if ‘‘old lady names’’ are trendy, as long as the specific name you want to use isn’t in the top 300, and it doesn’t sound similar to any of the trendy ‘‘old lady names’’ then it won’t feel dated! Occupational names all sound similar because most end in -er or -on sounds. Vintage names sound so different that it’s hard to just group them into one category and call them trendy.
You could always go for something that’s more classic than vintage, so it would be more timeless.
I’m going to suggest some names that are vintage or classsic, that are less popular (outside the top 250) and don’t sound similar to anything trendy at the moment (so [name_f]Ada[/name_f], which is close to [name_f]Ava[/name_f], would be out)
[name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Vera[/name_f], [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f], [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Leona[/name_f], [name_f]Leonie[/name_f], [name_f]Leonora[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Millicent[/name_f], [name_f]Philippa[/name_f], [name_f]Verity[/name_f], [name_f]Winifred[/name_f], [name_f]Bridget[/name_f], [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Etta[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_u]Honor[/name_u], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Maxine[/name_f], [name_f]Opal[/name_f], [name_f]Odette[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Fern[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Nell[/name_f]
You cant predict or control the future. Pick a name that you like in the current for your newest addition to the family. If other folks like the name too, it’s because it’s a nice name and someone else liked it, too, at least enough to help popularize it. This can happen with most any name. Try not to over think it! (I know, easoer said than done).
Some names that aren’t having their moment, at the moment, include:
- Trudy
- Samantha
- Beth
- Opal
- Nicole
- Harriet
- Laurel
- Mara
- Wendy
- Sandra
- Cassandra
- Cassidy
- Francesca
- Norma
- Winona
- Dorothy
- Deborah, Debra
- Vanessa
- Isadora
- Paula
- Gina
- Brenda
- Dana
Thank you, that’s a good point. [name_m]Can[/name_m]’t go wrong with classic. [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] is currently our first choice but I literally put it on our list like two weeks ago. I’ve probably passed by it on a hundred lists in the past (didn’t consider it two years ago) so it makes me anxious that now it’s maybe the one. It just checks boxes for me, it’s not that I LOVE it. But I guess I don’t love any name, except some fr the top 50. I didn’t love my daughters name but do now (just wish it wouldnt get more popular). Yesterday I saw an Instagramer I started to follow w a [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] and it made me nervous. My husband adores Ingrid and I’ve tried to love it over the last several months bc again, it’s fits w what I think I want in style but I’m not sold yet. Whyyy am I like this? Lol
I like several of those names, with [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] being a top choice with nn [name_f]Etta[/name_f]. Our surname makes things difficult for me also, it’s a flower. So while I’m drawn to nature names, other flower names, I can’t bring myself to use any or names that end in “ly” or start with “L”. Haha. I feel like I’m going to choose a name that fits into all my rules but that I don’t actually love on its own.
Bless you, I hope you find something that you love and feels right soon. Here are some ideas…
Annette
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f]
[name_f]Clarissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Coretta[/name_f]
[name_f]Darla[/name_f], [name_f]Dora[/name_f]
[name_f]Estee[/name_f]
[name_f]Evette[/name_f]
[name_f]Francine[/name_f]
[name_f]Hathaway[/name_f]
[name_f]Hilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Emer[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Jetta[/name_f], [name_u]Jean[/name_u], [name_u]Joan[/name_u], [name_u]Joni[/name_u]
[name_f]Marcella[/name_f], [name_f]Marcelina[/name_f], [name_u]Marian[/name_u], [name_f]Marianne[/name_f], [name_f]Morena[/name_f], [name_f]Morven[/name_f], [name_f]Muriel[/name_f]
[name_f]Sabina[/name_f]
[name_f]Theresa[/name_f]
Unfortunately you can’t control what’s going to happen in the future, which names are suddenly going to make a comeback, which ones are going to suddenly decline in popularity, which are going to shoot up. [name_f]My[/name_f] best advice is to choose one that you love instead of dwelling too much on where it’s ranking now or in the future - easier said than done, I know.
[name_f]Heather[/name_f]?
If you like [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] but are a bit worried about it, how about [name_f]Arietta[/name_f], [name_f]Odette[/name_f], [name_f]Alouette[/name_f], [name_f]Joliet[/name_f], [name_f]Claudette[/name_f] or [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f]? If you don’t love [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], which I adore, how about [name_f]Inga[/name_f], [name_f]Elka[/name_f], or [name_f]Irene[/name_f] (this last is vintage and underused).
I know you know this but I think you’re putting too much pressure on yourself to choose the most perfect name! Im a fan of [name_u]Beverly[/name_u] and [name_f]Ramona[/name_f]… (see the connection? 
) Im doubting either of those will be popular soon.
Thank you, haha. Great list, many of these gave me pause, especially [name_f]Francine[/name_f]. I’m liking that!
I agree with others, I think the most important thing is that you love your babies name, and I’d say the fact that your kids names have risen in popularity means that you’ve got good taste!
You’ve already gotten lots of suggestions so I’ll just add [name_f]Dinah[/name_f] & [name_f]Susannah[/name_f]. Both are familiar (so they’d match well with your daughters name) however neither rank in the top 1000
When I tell you I LOVE [name_f]Heather[/name_f]. If I had a child in the 80s, she’d be [name_f]Heather[/name_f]. [name_u]Love[/name_u] the soft H, the “er” ending. The nature vibes, all of it. Our hangup is that we have too many associations with the name.
I see where you’re going there, haha. I can see [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] climbing for that long o sound. I like [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] a lot for that sound but I’ve given it to a current pet. Sigh.
I try to choose a name that means something to me. I consider the meaning of the name, if there is anyone I want to honour using the name, and anyone in history who has had that name that has done something amazing. Then, I find the sound that I like. If I have all these things, and it becomes trendy, I won’t have regret, because it was a name that was important and still means something to me. 
I adore [name_f]Odette[/name_f], my daughter’s name is [name_f]Margot[/name_f] however, so I think that’s too much “oo”. We’ve considered [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] but hubs says it sounds like a villain? 
[name_f]Claudette[/name_f] could be a good compromise
I like your thinking, thank you. I’m so picky that whatever we choose will be perfect and future popularity is out of my control so I shouldn’t stress it so much.