**Edited for privacy
So, I’m in [name_f]Canada[/name_f], and in my province they release a top twenty for boys and girls born each year.
2017’s top 20 for girls looks like this;
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Abigail[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_u]Avery[/name_u], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Isla[/name_f], [name_f]Sofia[/name_f].
My favourites list has 16/20 on it, and one of the 16 is actually my niece’s name, so I can’t use it lol.
I still adore the names, regardless of how much I’ll hear them (especially working in childcare). So I’d 100% still use [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] - our #1 girls name, if it were my #1 top favourite when I have kids, despite it being #1 here for the last 4 years.
I tend to not let popularity get to me too much - I’d rather use [name_f]Ella[/name_f] because I adore it, than use something like [name_f]Rosamond[/name_f], even though I don’t like it, just to have something different.
Also, I don’t think [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] will get that popular in Australia, I mean, sure it might crack the top 100, but I don’t see it going into the top 10 or anything. It’s really 90s everywhere else that I know of, and I don’t think it’d experience that kind of resurgance now.
If it still really bugs you, maybe something similar in sound could work? [name_f]Chiara[/name_f] (key-ar-ah) or [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] (keer-ah)?
I’ve known two Sierras: one in her thirties and one in her twenties. Granted I’m in the US. But I understand what you mean. I’ve had unusual favorites ruined by that one person with the name I just HAD to meet…
Hello! First of all, I definitely understand where you’re coming from. I’ve had my favorites ruined by unpleasant people I’ve met with the name, and it sucks. However, I really don’t see [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] rising to huge popularity in Australia, as it goes against the two big trends in the Top 100: Either short (two or fewer syllables) or vintage revival. Because it’s an honor name for you, I think that positive association will ultimately end up outweighing the others. [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] is a really gorgeous name, and for me it has a connection with a beautiful mountain range.
I understand how you feel. I can’t really comment on [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] since I don’t know enough about Australian trends, but it’s true that a name can be “dated” in one country but “trendy” in another. In general I think we just have to accept that no name is truly unique (unless you’re willing to make up a name, or choose something that’s really, really obscure) so there’s always a risk the name you love might get more exposure or you might meet an unpleasant person with that name.
I don’t find [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] to be dated at all. I know a few who are around my age but I think her similarity to [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] actually helps keep her fresh.
That aside, I completely understand what you mean about popularity. I’ve hated having a popular name so much that I would honestly rather use a name I like slightly less that’s more uncommon than risk having my child dislike their name because every other person they meet will share it with them. I don’t know about naming trends in Australia but in the US, I think [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] is in a sweet spot right now where everyone recognizes it but it isn’t overused. You may also find that this name is special and won’t be ruined when you meet someone who shares it. I feel that way with [name_f]Mila[/name_f]. One of my favorites, way too popular for me to use right now, but I still love her despite her popularity (although I’ve only met 2 girls with the name).
I know how you feel, when I like a name, I just don’t want anyone else using it and when I do see it, I feel a little discouraged. It makes me feel a little selfish and greedy to be honest haha! So don’t worry, you’re not alone on this. For me, how I decided if a name would become super popular was to google search questions that people asked about the name like on name forums, for example, “What do you think of the name [name_u]Sierra[/name_u]?”, and I would gain insight on how the overall general population of people felt towards the name. If everyone seems to love the name, then maybe I wouldn’t want to use it. For me, I wanted it to be 50/50 positive and negative responses for my name, I didn’t want people to hate it or associate it with something bad but at the same time I didn’t want everyone to love it. I know this doesn’t guarantee my name to be rare forever as online users don’t represent the whole world of people who might use the name, but it was still helpful knowing how people felt towards it and hopefully indicate its chance of popularity.
Also, not sure if you already done this, but if you guys have a baby name database in Australia, you could check if [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] is going to be top baby name if it isn’t already. And if there is the option to view its usage per year, check if the name has been rising over the past few years, that’s a good indicator too. Anyway, sorry for the long response, but hopefully that was some what helpful to you.