From a discussion with my husband this morning…
Would you rather be named a super popular name for your generation or an old lady/old man name that hasn’t made it back to cool yet (just makes you look like you’re 30/40/50 years older than you are)?
And, as a second question, do you think the answer might differ for boys and girls?
It would depend on the name! There are some super popular names that are perennially classic and wouldn’t date, but I’m guessing that’s not what you meant. Hmmm. I’d have to go with the old name, because I love old names and think it’s pretty cool whenever I meet a child that changes my perception of a “dated” name!
Hmm depends on the name? My own name is on the top 10 for generations and counted as an old lady name at the same but, plot twist it’s actually a boy’s name 
I agree that it depends on what it is. I agree on trendy vs classic, but also the sound of the name itself can date it. I’d rather be a [name_f]Marie[/name_f] than a [name_f]Mildred[/name_f].
On the thought of sound, I think it depends on if it fits into current name trends. [name_f]Bertha[/name_f] was #8 in 1885, and [name_f]Ida[/name_f] was #9. I’d rather be an [name_f]Ida[/name_f] than a [name_f]Bertha[/name_f], because [name_f]Ida[/name_f] sounds similar to names that are popular right now.
It’s different for boys vs girls because boys’ names don’t go in and out of style the way girls’ names do. On the other hand, boys’ names that do go out of style are usually names that would be much harder to live with (in my opinion) than girls’ names, because they sound way more dated and have more era-specific sounds, like [name_m]Ronald[/name_m] or [name_u]Gary[/name_u].
I agree: it does depend on the name. It’s purely down to personal preference for me.
My name, [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], was #21 in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m] the year I was born and I don’t mind it at all. I suppose you mean something a bit more popular than that? #1 that year was [name_f]Emily[/name_f], which I dislike due to personal association and thus would hate to be named. In fact, I dislike all the top 10 names for my birth year bar one ([name_f]Lucy[/name_f] - #7). I really love old-fashioned names, though, and wouldn’t mind having one.
A name I go by online often is [name_u]James[/name_u], which is what I’d want to be named if I were a guy (#4 in my birth year). I also love [name_m]Jack[/name_m] (#1) and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] (#3). In that case, I think I’d prefer a popular name, just because my favourites and preferred names for myself were all - and still are - popular.
However, I’m more likely to meet a [name_m]Jack[/name_m] my age (with 9037 births) than an [name_f]Emily[/name_f] (5423), so that could be something to take into account in terms of name popularity based on gender.
In general I’d rather be [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] or [name_f]Emily[/name_f] than [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] or [name_f]Karen[/name_f]. Of course it descends on the name but if I had to take my chances with either age, I’d go with my own as even if I don’t like my names would still fit in.
I’m surprised you put [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] with [name_f]Karen[/name_f], because to me [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], and [name_f]Emily[/name_f] all sound like regular names of lots of people I know (I was born in 1998) and I wouldn’t be surprised to meet a [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f], whereas I would put [name_f]Karen[/name_f] with [name_f]Linda[/name_f] and [name_f]Barbara[/name_f]. I know born-in-the-90s people named those, but it’s a little odd sounding.
I’d have to go popular. I’d rather be a [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] than an [name_f]Ethel[/name_f].
As for the second question, yeah, I think most guys would definitely choose the popular option. In general, guys are less bothered by popularity and would probably prefer sounding like an average guy their age to a dusty old man. With women, you’re probably going to get more of a 50/50 answer.
I tried finding names that were popular in Germany but also in the USA around similar times, though it was still popular in the States, with my mjixed associations [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] is at least 15 to 20 years older than me.
I agree it does depend on the name
And a child’s view of unique/uncommon names has probably changed since I was young because people do use a wider range of names nowadays…
But I feel like when I was little, I totally didn’t mind or even think about having the same name as some other girls in my grade… but I knew some kids that had more uncommon or “older” names that hated them. As I’ve grown up I’ve realized my name was pretty common… but never wished for a more unique name.