While talking to my DH about possible names, we got into a conversation about name popularity. Now, my DH does not care one ounce about how popular a name is. If he likes the name, he will use it no matter what. Over the years that I have been interested in names I have noticed that some posters on name boards are scared of name popularity, including myself at certain times. I do love unique names, but I have recently started to like names that are more popular.
My question is why are some name nerds(I am a name nerd too!) scared of picking a name that is popular or close to becoming popular? Or picking a name that will maybe hit top 1000 in popularity within the next few years? If you really like a name, does it really matter? I know I have fallen victim a few times and I don’t know why I felt that way.
I know this question has probably already been asked but I needed some fresh feedback. Also, this post isn’t aimed at anyone in particular. I was just wondering.
Thanks!
I truly do not understand the fear on here of a child having a “popular” name or even a top 500/1000 name. I see no reason for panic if your kid has a classmate with the same name - you clearly share the same good taste! If I loved a name, I would use it, regardless of popularity. And I like popular choices as well as uncommon choices. Choosing a top 10 name shouldn’t be something to be looked down upon and certainly doesn’t make your naming choice any less special/important; I feel like there is a bit of snobbery around concerning this.
Thanks for the reply lexikj! When I have acted like this in the past, my DH has told me that I was being very silly. He isn’t really into names as much as me and others on this site.
I wonder if celebrities and the media have caused us to want to be more unique? Celebrities sometimes choose unique names, so we see that and we also get inspired to look for unique names. I guess in today’s world, it is better to be unique compared to the past generations. I just get sad when names that are in the top 1000, like the name [name]Lucille[/name] (#454) are discarded because they are so popular. Others may not agree with me though.
(Hopefully no-one thinks I am being mean with asking the question. I don’t want anyone to feel offended.)
I wouldn’t discard a name just because it was in the top 1000, or even top 500. I admit I’d be leery if it was in the top 20 or so though, but if it was a name I loved it wouldn’t stop me. Most of my favorite names tend to be in the 300-200’s range, but there’s a few that are rather popular and some that are extremely obscure.
I for one love the name [name]Lucille[/name], it’s always been one of my favorites. [name]One[/name] of the reasons I am contemplating a double middle name is just so I can get it in there.
If I cross out a name from my list, it wouldn’t be just for popularity, there’d be other reasons as well [doesn’t flow well with the rest of the name for example]
[name]True[/name] about the name flow and other reasons disregarding popularity. I have had to throw out names that I love because it sounds horrible with my surname.
Anyway, it is good that not everyone wants to throw out names that are in the top 1000. I did see a girl recently on another name website that did not want any name from the top 1000, and wanted a name that practically no-one else has used. That to me seems like so much stress to try and find a name that barely anyone uses.
I love [name]Lucille[/name] as well. Thanks for the reply!
I have mixed feelings on this… I try to avoid the Top 50, because my own name, [name]Erin[/name], was in that range at the time of my birth and I always disliked going by my last initial, and having four other people answer when my name was called in class (my particular name problem being compounded by the boys named [name]Aaron[/name] as well). However, I think parents should use names they love, and try not to worry so much about the popularity (though I’m guilty of doing so at times).
My son’s name was in the 200’s when he was born and has risen about a hundred places since. My daughter’s name hasn’t been in the Top 1000 in twenty years. But I picked the names because I loved them.
When I named my eldest daughter [name]Elizabeth[/name] I was worried about the popularity of the name. It has always been, and I think always will be, a popular name. [name]Elizabeth[/name] was my Grandmothers name, I have loved it and wanted to name a daughter [name]Elizabeth[/name] since I was 7 years old. In the end my love for the name won out over fear of it being to common. In reality I have only met one other girl with the name [name]Elizabeth[/name] under the age of 20.
When I was naming my second daughter [name]Annabelle[/name], we were a little disheartened again that a family name we loved was popular. When we originally discussed the name it wasn’t in the top 200. We were worried again about there being to many [name]Annabelle[/name]'s and the fact that there are so many [name]Isabella[/name] at the moment did put us off. We ended up using it though as again love for the name won out over fear of it being popular. We have met other [name]Annabelle[/name]'s but they were all at least 5 years older and their names were spelt differently ([name]Anabel[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name])
I would never choose a name because it is popular but now I realise a name being popular won’t stop me using it.
My boyfriend is the exact same, couldn’t care less about popularity and its why I love bouncing names off him. After going through a million names and reading way too much into how popular or “trendy” I think they are, his opinion is so refreshing.
I think anything outside the top 20 is fair game and even inside that if it was a name we both truly loved I’d still use it. Popularity on the playground isn’t what bothers me, I wouldn’t mind so much if more than one child shared a name that I love, it’s more about there being plenty of names to go around. There are just SO MANY names that I love, I’d probably just move down my extended list if, or when, say [name]Hazel[/name] reaches the top 20 I no longer find it fresh. I don’t know if I’m getting my point across? With no children yet, all this is hypothetical.
I personally pay attention to popularity when picking my children’s names but it is by no means a deal breaker for “the” name. I myself am [name]Katherine[/name], nickname [name]Katie[/name]. I was always one of five Katies in school and had to go by “[name]Katie[/name] K.” There was one year when there was even another [name]Katie[/name] K.! My best friend in high school was also [name]Katie[/name], and my roommate freshman year in college was [name]Katie[/name] too. I never really hated this, but I have been mindful of this when picking out my own kids’ names. It wasn’t awful being one of several, but it would have been nice to avoid it too.
My daughter’s name ([name]Louisa[/name]) we chose because we absolutely love it. The fact that it hasn’t been in the top 1000 since the 1960s was an added bonus but by no means the reason we picked it.
We’re still trying to figure out what to name our son, but so far our top choice ([name]Nicholas[/name] nn [name]Nico[/name]) is in the top 50. [name]Nico[/name] is in the top 500. This doesn’t put me off at all.
Anyway, I guess I wouldn’t want my child to be one of several Jacobs or Isabellas, but I don’t personally have a problem with them having classmates with the same names. But this, like everything, is a personal preference!
[name]EDIT[/name]: I will say, however, I am not a fan of trendy names (ala [name]Madison[/name] and [name]Brayden[/name]). These names, in my opinion, are not only popular but also will not age well. Popular classics are perfectly okay for me! But again, personal preference.
The reason that I see touted around the most is that people don’t want their child to become [name]Jennifer[/name] plus initial in class. I named my daughter [name]Jacquelyn[/name] only to find that one of the mothers that I was friendly with had chosen the same name and then when my [name]Jacquelyn[/name] got to school there was another [name]Jacqueline[/name] in her class. Ick you are thinking by now, but it wasn’t a problem at all and they didn’t go by their surname initials either, and not only that once they hit high school and further my daughter has seldom met another [name]Jacquelyn[/name] but if she does it is a pleasant surprise not a boor to her. So, I can’t understand all the angst that I hear from the Jessicas, Jennifers and Sarahs of this world, maybe they had a bad experience?
As a died in the wool name nerd I love a very popular girls name in fact it is in the top five of names and it is [name]Ava[/name]. So here I am trying to run for cover for loving such a popular name which when all said and done is ridiculous and I should be more like your DH.
To summarise go with your heart and if it is a popular name don’t fear it isn’t the end of the world.
I used to be very opposed to popular names, I think it might be related to age. When you’re a teenager, being special and the only one seems more important.
I try to stay away from names in the top 200, but to be honest it’s quite pointless since I live in Norway and probably won’t get to use most of the names I truly love like Betony and [name]Alasdair[/name].
In Norway, only the top 40 is listed by rank, the rest is alphabetical so figuring out how high a name ranks is difficult. I try to stay away from names given to more than 100 babies a year (top names are given to around 500, number 40 to around 150-200). Some names are exceptions though, I adore [name]Anna[/name] and she’s number 16, [name]Alma[/name] is 39, [name]Philip[/name] is 6 (but mostly spelled [name]Filip[/name]), [name]Isak[/name] ([name]Isaac[/name]) is at 26 and [name]Henrik[/name] at 18. I also love [name]Nora[/name], but she’s all the way at 2!
I try to avoid popular names to a certain extent. The way I see it, a name is kind of like a tattoo in that it is an accessory you can never remove. If you had to wear the same necklace every day of your life, do you really want it to be the same one everyone else is wearing everyday of their lives? It’s even worse with names because it is something you identify yourself with. A popular name just translates as boring to me. I can’t stand hearing the same thing over and over. Why pick a name that has already been taken by so many people when there are so many beautiful undiscovered names out there? It might be different for me because I love so many names all across the board. It would be different if the only name I really loved was [name]Sophia[/name], but since I also love [name]Sophronia[/name] and so many other ones, it’s easier for me to just avoid super popular names.
I thought I would also quickly add that there is a world of difference between compiling a list of names you love and selecting a name for an actual child (and future adult)! It becomes a whole different ballgame when you’re expecting a baby and trying to pick out “the” name. There are plenty of uncommon names that I think are great, but I probably wouldn’t saddle a child with them. [name]Just[/name] my two cents.
Popularity doesn’t matter to everyone, but me having a really popular name, [name]Jessica[/name], I honestly hate it. I get soo tired of being just “another [name]Jessica[/name]” or “the other [name]Jessica[/name]” or [name]Jessica[/name] C. I have had friends with unpopular/unusual names and people would complement their names and tell them how great it was, while I was just standing there being completely overlooked. Idk about everyone but when I hear a name over and over again it loses its “sparkle”. I used to think the name [name]Isabella[/name] was soo pretty when I first heard it! but now I honestly can’t stand it after hearing it so much. Having such a popular name, I just feel like one person lost in a HUGE crowd of [name]Jessica[/name]'s. A little popularity is completely fine with me! but not the overwhelming popularity names like [name]Jessica[/name] have. Years from now when I eventually get around to having kids, I don’t want any of them to have an overwhelmingly popular name like [name]Jessica[/name], [name]Emma[/name], [name]Isabella[/name], etc.
I can honestly say, for those who don’t like the idea of their children having to use the initial of their last name, I have a name that i NEVER knew ANYONE with until I was an adult. My name is not THAT unusual, but in my area, it’s not used a lot at all. I felt really left out as a kid, and for a child, not fitting in is really a big deal. I am totally over it now, and [name]LOVE[/name] that I am not one of 100 but it is something to consider when naming a child. I personally don’t find popularity to be a bad thing. They are popular for a reason.
I.think to a certain degree people are too invested in making sure a child stands out by using a name they’re unlikely to share with anyone else instead of making sure their child stands out because of their own merits and personality regardless of name. I’m unlikely to choose a top 50 or even 100 name but if any of the names I really loved like [name]Josephine[/name] hit the top 10 I’d still use it.
Popularity has no power over my opinion of it. I know what i’m looking for in a name. Always think, would this be a name I’d like for myself? Would I like having the name [name]Juniper[/name] or [name]Juliet[/name]? [name]Clarissa[/name] or [name]Calliope[/name]? What I always disliked about my name wasn’t that it was unpopular/outside the top 1000 --and still is-- it was that it had no style to it. I always hate when nameberries seem to choose the most outrageous name recommendations because it sometimes sounds insincere, like their trying too hard to be different. I personally believe if you love a name then go for it by all means. Choose A name that fits your tastes regardless of popularity or lack thereof.
I think it’s kind of funny that people here actually think a name that is in the top 500 (sometimes even 1000) is too popular. A name that is on number 200 isn’t popular, a name in the top 50 is.
I don’t like popular names, because let’s all think about the names that were popular in our generation. Does anyone ever meet a [name]Jennifer[/name] or [name]Jessica[/name] or [name]Ashley[/name] and think “Oh wow, that is a pretty name!”. I don’t say these names aren’t pretty, but I feel like once a name is very popular, you don’t even notice it anymore. Sometimes when I try to remember a name of someone I met I just remember that it was a “normal” name, cause that’s all I notice about them.
I personally am not a fan of super popular names b/c I myself grew up with a name that wasn’t even in the top 1000. I loved being the only person in my entire school to have my name, and in an odd sense, I felt rather unique. I want my children to have names that stand out without being too crazy, and I prefer names that are more on the “unusual” side anyway. All of my top girl names are not even in the top 1000, and the most popular boy name I have isn’t in the top 100 (thought it is fairly popular than most of my other names).
If I loved a name, I would use it, regardless of popularity. And I like popular choices as well as uncommon choices. Choosing a top 10 name shouldn’t be something to be looked down upon and certainly doesn’t make your naming choice any less special/important; I feel like there is a bit of snobbery around concerning this.
Thanks for the reply!