Does the popularity of a name put you off using it?

[BubsMom17]

My son's name is Daniel. I know it is a mid-range popular name, but since we named him after DH and FIL I didn't have much say. I was just lucky that it happened to be a name I actually love! It seems Daniel isn't TOO popular now, because it isn't trendy, or so old that it is making a comeback, you know what I mean?

And I know what you mean about announcing a name and then it getting popular! I decided I loved the name Layla, and I check and it is climbing the charts (all the spelling variations, too!).

 

[missjennakate]

Jack and Oliver are popular but also classics! Classics don't put me off but trendy of the moment names do a little! I really like Noah but trying to not put myself off with its sudden popularity!

 

[MamaPerez]

Just wondered really... I've always loved the name Oliver, my husband's fave name is Jack- both of which really popular. Would it put you off using them? I kind of think it doesn't matter because our boy will make the name his own etc and if we love it who cares...but then it does bother me abit that it may be overly common! Opinions?

I have not met a single Jack in my life and the only Oliver I know is my father. I actually thought about Oliver as a name to take after my father, and searched if it was a popular name on polls and "Top 100s" and "Popular names of 2012"- Oliver was in no way popular. How are you gathering that it's popular? Then again, I'm in the US, so those names in a personal knowledge wouldn't matter. The online searches weren't exclusively US, but you maybe know a lot of Olivers and Jacks, haha.

My husband and I personally are not the type to use a name that is too popular, and with husband's pickiness, that narrows down a lot of choices anyway. Both are great names that you and hubby like- USE 'EM!

The Office of National Statistics data for England and Wales show Oliver is the most popular name for a baby boy (for the last 2 years I think) and Jack was number 1 for about 10 years prior to that. They are both extremely common in the country that the OP lives in.

Op, yes being overly popular does put me off, maybe as I was born in the 70s and my name is Clare!

Just wondered really... I've always loved the name Oliver, my husband's fave name is Jack- both of which really popular. Would it put you off using them? I kind of think it doesn't matter because our boy will make the name his own etc and if we love it who cares...but then it does bother me abit that it may be overly common! Opinions?

I have not met a single Jack in my life and the only Oliver I know is my father. I actually thought about Oliver as a name to take after my father, and searched if it was a popular name on polls and "Top 100s" and "Popular names of 2012"- Oliver was in no way popular. How are you gathering that it's popular? Then again, I'm in the US, so those names in a personal knowledge wouldn't matter. The online searches weren't exclusively US, but you maybe know a lot of Olivers and Jacks, haha.

My husband and I personally are not the type to use a name that is too popular, and with husband's pickiness, that narrows down a lot of choices anyway. Both are great names that you and hubby like- USE 'EM!

the US and UK do tend to vary on names (America seem to have more modern or exotic names while the UK tends to stay more classic English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh names)

over here there both supposed to be common (saying that i only know one Ollie/Oliver and one young person called jack who is my bother named after older family member and 1 Jackson) however i have over heard those names while out and about at parks or on buses (jack was number 1 for 6 years after my brother was born)

Haha, yeah I figured. That's why I stated that since I'm in the US, my personal knowledge of those names wouldn't matter in this case.
But thanks!

OP, I say go for it since you and OH love it so much!

 

[Kallie3000]

If there were two names I loved, and one was in the top ten and the other one wasn't, I would go with the less popular name. However, if I am crazy about a name I wouldn't avoid it because it is popular. This is the first time in history we have had such a variety of names. It used to be that 60% of people had the top 10 names, and now it is like 10% have the top ten!

 

[Annie77]

Our fave name (that we both agree on) is Emily and it is hugely popular. However I organise school uniforms for my daughters school of 400 children and there is only one Emily on the school roll which has helped keep things in perspective. There are numerous jack, Ellie, Sophie & Erin.

 

[liz1985]

It depends how popular. I always loved Noah but since I used it its become a lot more popular and is now in the top 20 boys names. But I only know one other in real life and its no one I'm close too so it never seemed that popular to me. I work with children so its more about association for me. There are a few names I'd never use even tho I like them as its just too popular, there was once 4 children of one name in my room of 16 children.

 

[GoldieLocs]

I would not use an overly popular name.

My oldest daughter's name is London. At the time I didn't think it would be that popular. Now, including my DD there are 3 at her school...one other at her ballet school...one at the school where I teach and 1 at my husbands school. Not to mention that we always seem to run into a London at a party or the mall.

I still love the name, but if I knew then what I know now...I think I may have selected a different name.

 

[JJKCB]

I would not use an overly popular name.

My oldest daughter's name is London. At the time I didn't think it would be that popular. Now, including my DD there are 3 at her school...one other at her ballet school...one at the school where I teach and 1 at my husbands school. Not to mention that we always seem to run into a London at a party or the mall.

I still love the name, but if I knew then what I know now...I think I may have selected a different name.

another one that dosnt seem like it should be common

I would of been called London if i was a boy but ive never met anyone called London before

only ever heard of two other people being called London (both children of rock stars)

 

[Eleanor ace]

Yep, I LOVE Isobel but we don't want a popular name . I loved not knowing anyone else with my name when I was growing up and felt really sorry for friends who were named Sarah, Natasha and other names which were very common. We might use Isobel if LO is a girl as it is a very special name to us but I just don't know!

 

[cupcakekate]

Yep, I LOVE Isobel but we don't want a popular name . I loved not knowing anyone else with my name when I was growing up and felt really sorry for friends who were named Sarah, Natasha and other names which were very common. We might use Isobel if LO is a girl as it is a very special name to us but I just don't know!

My daughters name is Isabelle Rose. Since I was 16 I always said I would have a daughter named Isabelle lol so when we found out we were having her hubby had to lump it haha, luckily he liked it. It is very popular but I don't know any other Isabelle's at the moment, probably will when she goes to school. I loved the name too much to let the popularity put me off. xx

 

[Eleanor ace]

Yep, I LOVE Isobel but we don't want a popular name . I loved not knowing anyone else with my name when I was growing up and felt really sorry for friends who were named Sarah, Natasha and other names which were very common. We might use Isobel if LO is a girl as it is a very special name to us but I just don't know!

My daughters name is Isabelle Rose. Since I was 16 I always said I would have a daughter named Isabelle lol so when we found out we were having her hubby had to lump it haha, luckily he liked it. It is very popular but I don't know any other Isabelle's at the moment, probably will when she goes to school. I loved the name too much to let the popularity put me off. xx

This is how I am, I've said I'd call my daughter Isobel since I was very young (its a family name and my confirmation name), and DH really likes it too- I just have to hope that if we do have a girl he'll be so proud of me for going through labour he'll relent

 

[littlejenx]

popularity bothers me so much i think im going to end up calling my baby a name i hardly like just to be different lol, sounds abit extreme i know and i wouldnt go for anything wierd but just a name pretty random or rarely heard.

 

[Kallie3000]

In that case, just get the top 100 list, scroll to the bottom, and only pick names from the bottom ten. Or, use names from literature that aren't popular but are recognizable, so people can spell them!

 

[Buttercup84]

Yeah i'd say so, for girls names at least. My taste in boys names is more traditional. However, I think even fairly unusual names can become popular if someone hears a name and decides to use it themselves then someone else does and so on. My DD is called Nancy and a parent and colleague at the nursery I work at have also used the name Nancy for babies born after my DD was and a friend of OH's mum was going to use it for her baby boy if he'd been a girl (in her case she actually said she was inspired by us!)