I’m not sure why everyone is so down on the name [name]Brooklyn[/name]. It’s in our top 3, I think it’s such a cool name. I feel like a lot of people right now are into the super girly names like [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Isabella[/name], etc. I’m just not into those names, but if someone asked what I thought about a middle name to go with their favorite first name, I would never put the name down and suggest new first names. (unless it was [name]Rudolph[/name] or something crazy like that) But that’s all I see over and over when [name]Brooklyn[/name] is brought up. It is a popular name for a reason. And there are also people who ask why we would want to name our daughters after a rat infested borough of New [name]York[/name]. I am in no way, shape, or form thinking of [name]Brooklyn[/name], NY when I chose that name. I also don’t believe it’s trendy. No, it’s not a classic name, but it’s been around since the early 90’s. In fact, a friend of ours dated a girl named [name]Brooklyn[/name] several years ago while they were both attending [name]West[/name] Point. That’s actually when we first heard the name and loved it. Ok I’ll get off my soap box now, just sick of [name]Brooklyn[/name] getting a bad rap! 
Well, this is why I don’t like [name]Brooklyn[/name] (can’t speak for anyone else):
- place name
- unisex
- [name]Beckham[/name] association
- lyn ending
- dated
I don’t think you should take it to heart so much, anyway. [name]Plenty[/name] of people on here hate the names that I like, and vice versa. And FWIW, I’d use [name]Brooklyn[/name] in a hearbeat before I’d use [name]Sloane[/name], [name]Greer[/name] or [name]Genevieve[/name] (which are adored across this board). 
Nothing is wrong with [name]Brooklyn[/name]! I actually really like it… but people do have their own opinion on it too. Sometimes I feel like the only names that aren’t really pulled down are the names from the turn of a century. Otherwise modern names are often consider a tad left of centre. I mean I have to admit I like [name]Taylor[/name] too; but hearing complaints about it all the time has made me decide only to use it as a middle name.
Well, I don’t get any appeal without the NYC thing. That was actually what I did understand about liking it.
Without that, it’s the “girly” but dated lyn suffix attached to [name]Brook[/name], which is more pleasant without it.
Though I prefer [name]River[/name] to [name]Brook[/name].
I’m not keen on [name]Isabella[/name]/[name]Sophia[/name] either, if its any comfort. And I know my names aren’t going to please everybody - no name is. When I like obscure historic names they are though “weird, and vaguely Amish” (or Children of the Corn, I was told) and when I like simple nature names like [name]Rain[/name], [name]Emerald[/name], [name]Hazel[/name] they are either “hippie” or “old” or “just a word, not a name.” You’re never going to please everybody.
I don’t think it is a bad name! I feel like people are always going to criticize any name. It isn’t my style for my own child, but I think it is cute and has character for someone else’s! I keep seeing so many of the same “unique” names on here over and over again. At least [name]Brooklyn[/name] isn’t on everyone’s list!
[name]Brooklyn[/name] is fine, ignore the haters. And to the poster who says its dated…how so? [name]Brooklyn[/name] is still in high use, I don’t think its falling on the charts. A name is only dated when its in high use and then people completely abandon it, as a result the abandoned name attaches itself to one time period and dates people with the name to that period. Examples…[name]Lisa[/name], [name]Michelle[/name], [name]Stacy[/name], [name]Jennifer[/name]…those names are all attached to one generation. Whereas a name like [name]Elizabeth[/name] is constant, no one has abandoned it ever…thus its a old name but not dated. People need to use the term dated in the proper context.
Everybody is not going to like everything. I’m glad most of my favorite names are not generally liked, means my future kid won’t be called [name]Lotus[/name] M. because there are three other girls in her class with the same name.
As for [name]Brooklyn[/name]…
I like [name]Brook[/name]. I like [name]Lyn[/name]. [name]Brooklyn[/name] sounds like you have something caught in your throat. Because it sounds so harsh, I’d prefer it on a boy
I like place names. Names like [name]Venice[/name], [name]Mali[/name], [name]London[/name], [name]Sicily[/name], and [name]Cairo[/name] evoke history and beauty. I generally think of NY as dirty and overcrowded (I’ve never been, that’s just what I picture). [name]Even[/name] if you aren’t naming your child after the place, that’s still the impression people get
[name]Brooklyn[/name] is falling on the charts, depending which charts you look at. I live in Australia, and [name]Brooklyn[/name] only because popular when [name]Brooklyn[/name] [name]Beckham[/name] was born - which was in 1999. It shot up for a few years, and has been in decline since then. If it’s not technically ‘dated’ yet, it will be in about 2 seconds.
I do understand what the term ‘dated’ means. I don’t really appreciate being called a ‘hater’, either. If you would like me to be less diplomatic, I’ll just say that I think it’s a tacky name.
Wow. [name]Way[/name] to take a stand & get upset about people critcizing a NAME while spouting off harsh criticism (dirty, rat infested) of a place some people (myself included) call home. [name]Brooklyn[/name] happens to be a well cultured part of the city with awesome history, restuarants, art and shopping. Also, naming your daughter [name]Brooklyn[/name] [name]WILL[/name] invoke images of the “rat infested” city. It’s a place name. [name]Do[/name] with that what you will.
To me, it feels like dated '80s name [name]Brooke[/name] + dated '80s middle name [name]Lynn[/name] + current trendy factor (which means that it will date your child… take this from someone with a trendy '80s name). I love [name]Brooklyn[/name], NY, so that’s the only possible appeal that I could see, but in my experience, no one naming their kid this is actually naming them after the borough, so it’s really hard for me to see any appeal at all. I mean, I don’t know any [name]Park[/name] Slope moms with little Brooklyns. They would probably think that it was tacky.
These are all the reasons I dislike the name [name]Brooklyn[/name] too. But I too think it shouldn’t matter so much what people think. I plan to name my daughter [name]Edith[/name], and I know a lot of folks on here would think I’m crazy for doing that.
I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with [name]Brooklyn[/name]. It’s cute. I just think that most nameberries (including myself) prefer names that are a bit more upmarket. It’s just a matter of different tastes.
Okay, SHE didn’t call [name]Brooklyn[/name] ‘rat infested’, she said that OTHER PEOPLE say that to her regarding the name.
Anyways-
I know an absolutely adorable little girl named [name]Brooklyn[/name], she is tough and princess-like at the same time. Ilove that name! When I see people on Nameberry talk crap on my chosen baby girl name, I just remind myself that most people aren’t anywhere near as obsessed with names as us Berries, most people won’t have such strong opinions about names.
I find the concept of a name ‘dating’ a child (as mentioned earlier) to be…interesting. Lets face the awful truth - the very first thing that ‘dates’ us is our face!! I have, by definition, a very dated name. It peaked in popularity the decade I was born and then fell sharply away, but even if my name was [name]Madyson[/name], [name]Kaylee[/name] or [name]Nevaeh[/name], no one in their right mind would think I was born post-2000 based on that name. So what if my name is consistent with my actual age, does it really matter?
My sister’s name is ‘classic and timeless’ but I can guarantee that people can still tell which decade she dates from.
[name]Do[/name] I like [name]Brooklyn[/name]? - probably wouldn’t use it myself, but am not anti-[name]Brooklyn[/name]. [name]Brooke[/name] on its own is probably more my style.
[name]Brooklyn[/name] has never been my style, but I understand the appeal of the name. [name]One[/name] name that I do like is [name]Brooke[/name], I’m just not a fan of the -lyn ending. I think many on this site don’t show much support for [name]Brooklyn[/name] simply because it’s a bit popular. My impression of a lot of the people on this site (including myself) is that they gravitate to more unusual/less popular names.
If you like the name, you should use it. As you said, it’s popular for a reason :).
This. Its fairly obvious that us berries have a different style of naming than the general population. Most of the time there is nothing “right” or “wrong” with a name choice.
Personally, I don’t like word names, so I don’t like [name]Brooklyn[/name] (Not only is it itself a word, but [name]Brook[/name] is in their as well). I also think of the city, and I don’t like NY. If it wasn’t for the city, I’d like it a little more. It sounds pretty, at least.
Personally, it feels down-market.
[name]Brooklyn[/name] is a city and that’s my reasoning. I hate city names. It also reminds me of [name]Brooklyn[/name] Heights, which is a neighborhood in [name]Brooklyn[/name]. If anything you can name her [name]Brooke[/name] which is more of a name, but it is dated. The whole name sounds dated. It my be common now, but it just sounds like a name that belongs on a cheerleader in the 80’s…
However, these are all opinions, and you don’t have to listen to them…
I’m right up there on that soap box with you!..
I love [name]Brooklyn[/name], I personally like [name]Brooklyn[/name] as a girls name better. But I do know a few boys named [name]Brooklyn[/name], it suits them perfectly and they’re lovely natured little men…
What I don’t get is why people relate each and every name they hear to as many things as they can before they decide if they like it or not… I personally look at how a name looks written down, typed, how it sounds out loud, decide if I like it… THEN I check it out online, see what it reminds me of, meanings, popularity, come up with possible nick names, etc. If those results aren’t catastrophically horrible it stays on the list…
Which is why I love Michigan for a boy… I love how it looks and sounds… Its not that I have a thing for place names at all, which makes it really frustrating when all people do when I mention it is suggest other U.S location names that are nothing like Michigan because ‘they’re more like real names’. To me [name]Arizona[/name], [name]Dallas[/name] and [name]York[/name] are not ‘more like real names’ they’re just more common words… I’m convinced I might be the only person on earth who looks at a name as a word first and the rest second… 
rant over…