My name is [name]Amanda[/name], I was born in the early 80s and I love my name to this day. My middle name is very unique and feminine and the combination of both my grandmother’s first names. So, it evened it out and looks/sounds beautiful together. I actually had never met another [name]Amanda[/name] until 6th grade, and even then there was only one other all the way through high school which was somewhere under 2,000 students and in one of the largest cities in the country. Of coarse, now I know of a hand full or two of other [name]Amanda[/name]'s but I never mind, its a neat bond. I love my name so much, and I like that its meaning is love. I took Latin in school and learned its an actual Latin word (passive periphrastic form of the root “amare”, to be precise). And it interested me even more to know that my initials AMO meant “I love” in Latin as well. For me, [name]Amanda[/name] is oh so feminine and my favorite name. Wish I could name my child [name]Amanda[/name], but that would be way too confusing. haha 
[name]Lauren[/name] is a dirt common name. To add further confusion is to lump in the similarities between [name]Laura[/name] and [name]Lauren[/name] and [name]Laura[/name]'s popularity as well. At the moment if someone says “[name]Laura[/name]” or “[name]Lauren[/name]” at my work four people turn around. This has been something I’ve had my whole life. As a result I answer to [name]Laura[/name] as well as to [name]Lauren[/name] and it really doesn’t bother me which one you call me.
Then there’s the pronunciation issue - is it Loh-rin, or [name]Law[/name]-rin or some other concoction…
A lot of people spell my name wrong, but it’s only wrong for me. For someone who spells it [name]Loren[/name], [name]Lauryn[/name], [name]Laurin[/name], [name]Lorrin[/name], etc it’s right. I don’t take offense since there are so many versions of the same name these days.
I’m a [name]Taylor[/name], and despite being born in the 90’s, I haven’t run into many others. There’s two Taylors in the grade ahead of me, and a “[name]Tahlor[/name]” in my grade.
I’ve always wished to have a less common, more girly name, though.
I just realized although I replied to this thread earlier it was only a comment on something Jesba said.
So my name is [name]Chelsea[/name], and being born in the mid 80’s I was slightly ahead of the popularity bubble in the name but experienced it too. What makes my experience very different I think from everyone else’s so far is that being a guy, it doesn’t feel the same. It wasn’t until I moved to the states half way through middle school that I even met a [name]Chelsea[/name] and there was one girl in my year. This changed in HS and we had 3-4 Chelseas and I also knew some people who had sisters with that name too.
I did experience the [name]Chelsea[/name] A, [name]Chelsea[/name] B kind of calling, but for the most part people would call me Chels’ rather than [name]Chelsea[/name] and so that distinguished me as did my gender. And even when I did get called on as [name]Chelsea[/name] A it’s not like I identified with the other girls so strongly that I felt my identity was lost in that. Rather it was almost like my name was very unique even though others had it and of course on any list separated by gender I was also not on the same list as the other Chelseas too. So all in all, a shared experience but different too for me.
My first name was reasonably popular but in a nice way, and I always felt happy with my name, just not the nn.
rollo
My name is [name]Lindsay[/name]. I was born in 1985.
It’s a pretty popular name which dates me since I was named (probably with the rest of the girls) after [name]Lindsay[/name] [name]Wagner[/name] of Bionic Woman fame.
Surprisingly enough, I was saved from a boring first name by the fact my family pronounced it differently. They’ve always called me “[name]Lind[/name]-zai” so I ended up feeling unique. [name]Even[/name] today, people I work with (who don’t know my family’s pronunciation) tell me I don’t seem like a [name]Lindsey[/name].
[name]Emma[/name] was the most popular in 2008… i am the only emma in my school and happy about it. There are at least 6 Jennas at in my grade and if u just say jenna in a sentence… Afterwards theres always that awkward jenna…? etc. And im so happy that hasnt happened to me but… In 4 grade one girl named emmanuelle shudder was like call me emma! And i got so mad i was like listen thats my name and u cant steal it. K its not really ur name so shut up. Then i had to go to guidence with her cuz she was such a drama queen. But then she moved to wisconsin haha 
I’m going to say both. It was uncommon in its spelling and pronounciation but was similar enough to common/popular names at the time that I’d always end up getting called the wrong name. I hated it. So I legally changed it at 18.
I was born in 1986 and was the only [name]Karen[/name] in my primary school. In high school there was only one other [name]Karen[/name] in the year below me so I think it was pretty uncommon for my generation. I don’t like my name much but at least I wasn’t one of the many Katies and Sarahs. In university and ever since, I’ve gone by just [name]Ren[/name] and I’ve never met any other Rens. : )
I’ve had a similar experience with my name. I’m [name]Lauren[/name] and it was in the top 20 on the SSA list for my birth year, but I’ve only ever met one other [name]Lauren[/name] and it was at camp years ago. I never saw her after that so it was never confusing. I might have gotten called [name]Lauren[/name] D but I don’t remember; if I did I didn’t mind. As far as I know I’m the only one in my high school of 1600+ people with my name. But I live in [name]Canada[/name] (don’t know the Canadian version of the SSA list) so that might make a difference?
Like [name]Natalie[/name] I’ve had to deal with many misspellings- [name]Loren[/name], [name]Lauran[/name], etc. I always say I never knew there were so many ways to spell it until people started getting it wrong! I don’t mind much as long as people make an effort to remember when they’ve been corrected.
My name is [name]Jennifer[/name] and I was born in 1979. As you can see by my signature, I did not want my children to have flas in the pan top ten names due to my experience growing up…which was that I really hated having my last initial tacked on to the end. Its all about perspective though, my mom is named [name]Stephanie[/name] and was born in 1956 and her name then was not common and most people did not know how to say or spell it. Its all about personality though, she has always been one who does not rock the boat or want to be “different” where as I am more unique then most people as far as my likes and things I enjoy etc. I have no problem putting a purple streak in my hair for fun or getting a half sleeve once we are done having kids (because I see tats as art and want mine to have symbolism of my kids and DH) and it will not bother me what others think, kwim? Obviously I have chosen more unique names for my own children (and DH who is named [name]Andrew[/name] loves unusual names thankfully but like me, likes unusual within reason) But, I have come to terms with my given name and embraced it…even if many times at the “mom and kids” coffee shop where Vio and I go once a week there seems to be many other [name]Jen[/name]'s/[name]Jennifer[/name]'s (when orders are ready to be picked up) that is just what I am used to and the way it is.
[name_m]Hi[/name_m]! [name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_u]Lorrin[/name_u] [name_f]Joy[/name_f]. I’m a woman in my late twenties now. I have never liked my name. As I was growing up my name was pronounced LUR-[name_f]RIN[/name_f], with the emphasis on the last syllable. I was constantly having to explain to everyone I met how my name was spelled and pronounced. Believe me, it gets annoying fast. I was never mistaken for a boy, probably because there were no boy Lorrins in my classes at school, but if I was, I definitely would have been irritated by that ([name_f]My[/name_f] mom liked to keep my hair cut very short when I was young). [name_f]My[/name_f] name didn’t sound cute or feminine like the Sarahs or Angelas in my class.
I also felt that I was frequently overlooked by teachers because I didn’t have a “normal” name and therefore didn’t get the attention I needed in class. I’m not going to lie, I had some definite social difficulties growing up and my elementary and high school days are not something I look back on fondly. The name I was given may not have been the whole reason why I had such a poor childhood but I believe it played a part in it from the beginning.
When I moved away from home (seeking a fresh start away from everyone I knew) I told everyone I met from then on that my name was [name_f]Lauren[/name_f]. It wasn’t a huge stretch but it was more common, recognized as a girl’s name and nobody ever asked me how it was spelled or pronounced. I intend to change it to this name officially once I get married.
(I’m still totally against gender-neutral names. Nobody should have to guess whether you are a girl or a boy. Seriously, spare that child some future awkwardness and go gender appropriate!)
P.S. Ironically, I am currently dating a man who was born with an extremely common name which he hated so much, he legally changed it to a unique name.
I guess there’s difficulties at both ends of the spectrum (common or unique), but don’t make it harder on your kids by giving them “trendy” names just so you can sound cool. I always thought that if I had a child, I would give him/her a good, strong, gender-appropriate name that has stood the test of time. However, after meeting my boyfriend, I’ve changed my opinion slightly. I would still give the child a classic first name and have him choose a more original middle name so the child has a choice of which they would prefer.
I’m an [name_f]Amy[/name_f] from the early 80’s…but it was never really an issue in school. I had a girl named [name_f]Amy[/name_f] in my kindergarten class (earning me the [name_f]Amy[/name_f] R moniker on my apple for the attendance chart) but she moved after that year. I had another [name_f]Amy[/name_f] in 4th or 5th grade but we weren’t friends or in the same class. After she moved, I was the only [name_f]Amy[/name_f] in my grade until I was a freshman…then the [name_f]Amy[/name_f] ([name_f]Amy[/name_f] C.) from kindergarten came back. We only had one class together in four years of high school (smaller school…graduating class of about 120) so it really was a non issue. There were a few [name_f]Amy[/name_f]'s in the grades ahead of me and one two grades after me. But considering where it was at in the popularity chart at the time…it wasn’t too bad. Since hs I’ve had one [name_f]Amy[/name_f] coworker and ex stepmother number 3 was named [name_f]Aimee[/name_f].
[name_f]My[/name_f] issues with my name never had anything to do with popularity…when I was young I hated that it was sooo short and had no real nickname. I now appreciate the simplicity of my name. It’s no nonsense and to the point…kind of like me. It baffles me how often it’s misspelled though. I do wish she had been more creative with my middle name though. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]…really mom?
[name_f]My[/name_f] mother almost named me [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] but decided against it because she didn’t want me called [name_f]Mandy[/name_f]. I’m glad I dodged that bullet…[name_f]Amanda[/name_f]'s were everywhere in my school. She also considered [name_u]Allison[/name_u]. I always wished she had gone with that one.
If I had been a boy…[name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] would be my name…because that’s what the 80’s needed…another [name_u]Michael[/name_u] (especially with [name_u]James[/name_u] in the mn spot but that’s my dad’s mn).
Popularity wasn’t really a factor when naming my girls (I just happened to like things out off the top of the popularity chart). [name_u]Delaney[/name_u] was #190 the year she was born she has already encountered four other Delaneys. So you never know how that’s going to play out.
I’m another [name_f]Aimee[/name_f] born in the 80s, but my spelling made it quite unusual compared with all the Amys in my school. I was known as [name_f]Aimee[/name_f] [surname] most of my childhood because there was always at least one other [name_f]Amy[/name_f]/[name_f]Aimee[/name_f] in my class - at one point there were 4 of us!
[name_f]My[/name_f] grandad chose my name, after the heroine in Dickens’ [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_f]Dorrit[/name_f], not knowing how popular it was. The [name_m]French[/name_m] spelling came about because we lived over there when I was younger. [name_f]My[/name_f] mum wanted to call me [name_u]Leigh[/name_u] or [name_f]Naomi[/name_f], two names I love and would have rather had, but my dad hated both of them so [name_f]Aimee[/name_f] was a compromise.
Another coincidence with the poster above - I too would have been [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] if I’d been a boy!
I grew up with an uncommon name ([name_f]Eleni[/name_f]) and even though I like my name, it has posed some problems for me. Of course I could never find anything with my name on it. But the worst thing is most people can’t pronounce my name, which bothers me a lot. Overall I like my name, and think it suits me, but I wish it was easier to pronounce.
I’m a [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] that was born in the early 90’s.
Despite the fact I was, at one point, in the same class as 3 others (I think there was 6/7 in the year in total) I don’t resent having a popular name. I find it hard to imagine myself as being named something else and I like history of my name too. Also, I was never in the same friendship circles as the other [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]'s so I never felt annoyed, especially as the issue only came up during registration and, alphabetically, I came first.
Perhaps it does give away my age, but I think the name itself ages with me very well and I appreciate that.
In short, no, my name’s popularity didn’t, and still doesn’t, bother me.
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and I was born in 1991. I’ve never met another person with my name and I love it!
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is well known enough that people know how to pronounce it and aren’t shocked, but I never had to worry about having 2 people in my class with my name. I am very thankful that my parents chose me the name [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], not only because I love it, but also because I had a VERY common maiden name.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] if my future kids have more common names, at least they’ll have a more unique last name- our family and in laws are the only ones with our last name in our state!
I’m only just now beginning to appreciate my name, [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] nn [name_f]Maggie[/name_f]. I used to hate it, mostly because every other [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] I’ve known is forty to sixty years older than me. I never had the same name as someone in my class, but I’ve had the same name as the teacher, the receptionist and the cleaner. 
I do like the fact that my name is timeless with a hint of vintage flair - it doesn’t tie me to any particular decade, which I’m sure I’ll be glad of when I’m older.
I am [name_f]Crystal[/name_f] and I was born in 1983. So you can tell my name is dated from the 80s’. It doesn’t help that the main character in a tv show in the 80s’ called [name_u]Dallas[/name_u] had a [name_f]Crystal[/name_f]. I always hated my name because half of the girls in my class was named [name_f]Crystal[/name_f]. I have thought about changing my name several times. I would most likely change it to [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] or even [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. I love the old names the seem more fitting than [name_f]Crystal[/name_f].
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is definitely on the unusual side, or was when I was growing up ([name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] was almost the lowest it’s been in a century in 1993, when I was born.) I love that about my name, and wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve met exactly one other [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], and one [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], in my lifetime so far. Most of the Gwens and Gwendolyns/Gwendolens I’ve heard of are historical or literary, which I really like, too. Yeah, my name is never on souvenir mugs, but I think I’d be a lot less content with it if it was [name_u]Lindsay[/name_u] or [name_f]Britney[/name_f] or [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], and I had to share it with so many other people.