How popular is too popular?

[MissYogi]

DH and I had pretty much settled on our names for a boy or girl, but then he started having second thoughts about the boy name. Now we've got a few new ideas that we like but some of them are quite a bit more popular than the old one. We tend to go for names that we think are normal but unique so that they will almost definitely be the only one in their class, but people will still recognize and understand the name. So how popular do you think is too popular? One of the ones we really like now is in ranked around #40 in the US. Is that too popular?

 

[staralfur]

I've never thought of popularity as being a problem, I have a common name (though spelled differently) and I usually had at least another girl in my classes with the same name. It never bothered me.

But my LO's name was #7 in Canada the year she was born and she has yet to be in a class or activity with another kid named Abigail, so even if it's popular there's no guarantee you'll run into the "being one of many" problem directly. On the flip side, she has three friends named Logan and they're all girls. That is not at all a common name for girls here according to the lists. So even if you pick something uncommon you might still run into what you were trying to avoid.

I think you should pick the name you like best and not worry about how many other people have chosen the same name.

 

[aidensxmomma]

Popularity isn't as straightforward as you think it would be.

My son is named Aiden, which was ranked in the top 5 the year he was born. We have only actually known one other Aiden, my OH's nephew. My son hasn't had another Aiden in his class since he started school and he's now in the 4th grade.

My daughter is named Madalynn, which (including various spellings) was ranked fairly low in popularity for the year she was born. However, we have come across a ton of Madalynns and Madys (although most spelled differently). She went to school in a really rural area where there were only 16 kids in her class - there was another Mady. We moved to the city and there was another Mady in her class there. We've moved again recently and there's another Mady in our apartment complex, about the same age as my daughter.

So in my experience, popularity hasn't been a good indication at all of how many kids we'll actually run into with the same name. I'd focus on names you love, rather than their popularity

 

[ClairAye]

I agree! The year my daughter was born her name was numer 7 (I just had to see and had no idea it was so high) but I've not encountered another child her age with her name yet, between baby groups and two pre-schools.

 

[Weebles]

A name in the top 100 might seem like you'd find a small herd of children sharing it, such as in the Jennifer and Jessica days. That's just not the case anymore because there are so many more names in use now!

This is my favorite blog post about name popularity. Please give it a read before you stop considering a name you love simply because it's in the top 100!

https://www.babynamewizard.com/arch...baby-name-hint-there-are-fewer-than-you-think

At first when considering names for DD I decided that anything in the top 1000 was too popular but that post gave me some real perspective and kept me from crossing off the name we loved most for a silly reason.

Also, my son's name was in the top 20 the year he was born and I was horrified since I wanted something "uncommon". Over the years there have been times when we've met others with his name but he is the only one in his entire grade.

 

[minties]

We just chose names we liked, and didn't care if they were popular or commonly used. I think all 3 were in the top 10-20 for year born, but Thomas was the only Thomas at his school for the first year and a half. I've only met a Zophia, no Sophie's, but do meet (adult) Emma's all the time.

I'm glad my kids have solid, average, common easy to spell and say names!

 

[Bonnie11]

Like the others said, I would just judge it on the number in the charts. For instance Mohammed was number 2-3 but I haven't come across one. Same with Isabelle, it wasn't so high in the chart but I knew 5-8 kids that were named that within a year! Same with Isla. Names come in and out of fashion so quickly that it's hard to judge... names that are rare now may be chosen by a celebrity tomm and then it will be everywhere! Look at the kids around you and see if you know any others with that name.

 

[misspriss]

My name was ranked #15 the year I was born. I was homeschooled, so I didn't know any other students who shared my name. But at my first job (entry level, so a lot of people around my age) I worked directly with at least 3 other people with the same first name.

I only know as an adult now one other woman with the same name.

 

[Sarahcake]

I named my son Logan which wasn't too high on the popularity list back in 2012. Up north, where I had him, I never met a single person with the name Logan, down south where we are now, my hometown, and his school class is 20 children, 4 of them are Logan's.

I think it's a geographical thing as well as a general popularity thing tbh. Some names just are more popular in certain areas than others.

Baby girl's name will be Harley, I know of one other Harley down here but it was super popular (for boys) where I used to live up north.

In short, go for whatever name you like the sound of. Somewhere, at some point, it's going to be popular but don't let that put you off

 

[sunnydee]

I'm having this issue too, the only name that DH and I can agree on is #3 on last year's list! I really didn't even know it was that popular until I checked online I don't really know anyone with the name.
I don't mind a popular name but I was thinking more like #20 😯

 

[WackyMumof2]

My father named me Natasha when I was born in 84' and in hubby's family his cousin and sister are Natasha also. We have no contact with his sister due to circumstances she's created but she goes my Tali while I have always called his cousin Nashi. And I prefer Tash. For me personally, it's annoying and I have come across so many other Natasha's over the years. At high school I was in a class with another Natasha and as much as I HATE my full legal first name, I went by Natasha-Marie so we weren't confused.

My eldest is Christopher and youngest is Alexander. I'm in NZ but I think both their names were in the top 100 for the USA. In saying that, I have never come across another child who goes by their full first name. Christopher was named after hubby's cousin who goes by Chris and Alexander was named because I liked it although I work with an Alex who likes to think (even though he knows he was named because I wanted it only because I like it) he was named after him. My middle son is Brayden-Lee and for YEARS never met another until recently. This baby is Sebastian and again, in the top 100 and I've never met one. Chances are, after this baby is born I will.

 

[Sasha92]

I hate popular names I wouldn't chose anything that's in the top 100 as I don't really even want to meet anybody with the ad name as my child. I think the name I've chosen is currently ranked #500 or something but it's been gaining alot of popularity lately however I doubt it will ever fall under 100 x

 

[MissYogi]

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts! We have settled on our names now and I love them! We ended up finding a great boys one that was a little less common, and the girls one is around #70 currently although I've never met anybody with the name where we live. You are all right though, as long as we love the names, it shouldn't matter how many other people also love them.

 

[pippi_89]

I wouldn't worry about it. Both Amelia and Oliver were the #1 name in U.K. for a few years and Isabella was top 5 (after we named them! All were 10-20 when we chose) yet we've only come across one Oliver and two or three Amelias and Isabellas. We then chose Eleanor because it was 40s in popularity tables but within the last year it's shot to top five too. Still only met one other though.