# Do you regret or love the popular baby name (top 5 SSA list) you chose?



## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

I am the child of a very unique name and all my (3) sibs are unpopular names as well with the same theme. My parents didn't have the internet, though managed to come up with some pretty good names.

My DH made the baby naming process particularly difficult for me while pregnant with my daughter in 2009. He vetoed every name I came up with and is doing it again this pregnancy.

I kept the secret that I really liked Isabella, I knew it was going to be very popular. I was in love with this name for several reasons. Most having to do with a silly trilogy of young adult novels. I thought it was a lovely name for a LONG time, I've always loved Isabella Rosellini. My married name is Spanish, it made sense. I finally told DH how much I loved this name and to not make fun of me, and guess what? The guy turns around and says: "I like that, lets go with that.".









Now I'm miffed a little about it because it's so popular. I already see and hear the name everywhere I go and feel like I made a mistake and should have thought it out. I even catch myself saying it in front of DD and that's just NOT ok. What's it going to be like when she's in school as the 5th Isabella? I did mange to give DD a very uniquely spelled middle name that would go with her first, (Bella Jean), but is this enough and will she even like it? Yes, she can go by Izzy, Ella, Bella, Bell etc. etc. and that will help, another reason why I loved the name.

DH is at it again and we are fighting about names. He says ONE name he likes and that's it. He wont even make a list. The name (Samantha) is another LOVELY name I really like. It's in the top 10 and climbing. I'm worried about the regrets with this one too.

What do ya'll think? I'm becoming a bit of a name nerd and in life, a name is a very important thing to me, so I'm going (a bit) crazy!


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## LilyKay (Jun 28, 2011)

I also always liked the name Isabella because of Isabella Rosellini and actually considered it. I've never read or watch the triology but yes, the name has become über popular even here.

I'm thinking like because I really want to use the name Mia if it is a girl but it seems to be on the top 5 list here in Germany.. so I'll be watching this thread...


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## thefreckledmama (Jun 1, 2007)

My oldest, born in 2002, is named Olivia. It's been in the top 5-10 names ever since-I had no idea until a couple years later how popular of a name it really was. I used my mom's baby name book from the early 80's she had used when looking for a name for me. While at times I think, "AH! Maybe I should have been more "original", I love her name, it suits her, and I don't know any other name that would have been "her". I'm currently pregnant with my 4th daughter, a little girl who will more than likely be named Sophia. While it goes against a few different "criteria" I have for selecting names (super popular, friends with kids of the same name, somewhat negative association), it's the only name that truly seems "right". If it weren't for the SSI name database, or Facebook, or all the exhaustive baby name forums and sites, I wouldn't be aware of the popularity or usage by others, and I would go solely on my preference of a name...which when it comes down to it, should really be the guiding factor.

A lady in my DDC also suggested the idea that there is a difference between popular and trendy-again, not that it truly matters, but Mary was the #1 girls' name for something like 30+ years, and I don't think anyone would every say that Mary is a trendy name. I think great, common names are common for a reason-either good/positive meaning, or positive association, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that-even though once upon a time I was quite a name snob, and thought that choosing anything popular was less than ideal.

I guess you could call me a reformed name snob...lol.

ETA: I have always made the "rule" if you veto a name, you have to suggest a name in return. And, as proof of pregnancy brain in full swing...I didn't even notice you were the OP, tillymonster...so you've heard me say most of this already...lol!


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## michelleepotter (Apr 8, 2013)

I have to say, I would be upset if my husband was only willing to consider ONE name. That's just obnoxious. That's basically saying that he's picked the name and you get no say in it.









However, I don't think a name has to be unusual to be perfect for your child. My oldest son's name became hugely popular four years after he was born, and just keeps getting more popular every year. It's still a good name for him, and he likes it. I grew up with a hugely popular name (always one of several Michelles), but my name is very special to me. My mom and I are both huge Beatles fans, and knowing that's where my name came from is awesome to me.


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *michelleepotter*
> 
> However, I don't think a name has to be unusual to be perfect for your child.












I like both of your name choices. I was born in the early 60's...Samantha was the name I wished I had because I loved Bewitched! Plus I like girl's names that can be nick-named a boy name.

I think the popularity might also depend upon the area you live. e.g. My children have known many children named Kaitlyn and Samuel/Sam even though neither name has been on the 10 most popular name list for the past 15 years. We know only few children with the 'top ten' names so they must be popular someplace else.

I regret my daughter's name a bit. Not because it is popular, but because I didn't go with my first choice.


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dbsam*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Bewitched is so great right? I am liking Samantha more and more, but now that I discovered DH likes Penelope, everyone I bounce the idea off of, freaks out and says they love it! It goes well with my last which starts with a P. This is SUCH a hard decision.

I've met a few Isabella's, but not many. I wonder if what you say is true-- it really makes sense! I've not met one Samantha my entire life and can't think of any even in my class growing up. Seems impossible considering it's been in the top 10 for years!

Freckledmama-- Hi there! I decided to see what other mamas outside of the DDC would think. I'm obsessing over names right now and don't want to bring down the group with my craze! 

I adore Olivia omg. It's on my list but DH shot it down, a girl he knew had the name and he's not fond of her? I try not to put that negative spin on names but it can ruin one for you. I like your veto rule and will be enforcing that from now on.

Michelle-- DH is being obnoxious. I agree.









I have that Beatles song in my head now... love it. Our wedding dance was to "In My Life" so we are fans here too!


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## thefreckledmama (Jun 1, 2007)

I totally appreciate your name craziness. I'm the worst I've ever been this pregnancy. As much as I know we're settled on a name, I'm still obsessing and questioning it. I should probably cool it though, because the kids are already calling her by name.


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## easttowest (May 25, 2012)

You have to consider a name's trend in addition to its rank if you want to know its popularity. Samantha is 17, but it has been falling since the 90s (peaked at 4 in 93-95). Penelope, on the other hand, wasn't even on the top 1000 until 2001, and now it is 169. It has climbed leaps and bounds every year. So while you are far less likely to meet another Penelope than another Samantha, it may end up feeling trendy or dated. However, since it is a classic name, that is less likely. Both are lovely names, and for what it is worth, I have never met a baby Samantha OR Penelope, so depending on where you live, I don't really think popularity is so much of an issue. Either goes with Isabella nicely. Don't think you can go wrong!


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

I grew up in The Age of the Jessica's and my BFF was a Jessica, and no one, including her, seemed to care.

Also, keep in mind that these days, even the #1 names are only given to a TINY % of the population. It's not like 1950 anymore, where Tom, Dick and Harry were literally the names of everyone you knew.


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

BTW- Isabella has also on my top names list since I was a kiddo, but I don't know where I got it from other than the author Isabel Allende... But I didn't read her work till high school.


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## easttowest (May 25, 2012)

In case anyone else is a total name nerd, the SSA 2012 rankings are out today. FWIW, Samantha is down even further to 26, and Penelope is up quite a bit to 125, continuing both trends.

There is also not a single name that is given to 1 out of 25 babies, so any given person is statistically unlikely to share his or her name with another member of his or her kindergarten class. The top girl's name (Sophia) is given to slightly more than 1 out of every 100. Samantha, by contrast, is given to 3 out of every 1000 (and Penelope to 1 out of every 1000). Food for thought.


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## Escaping (Nov 13, 2012)

I love the name Isabella, it would be in my top name choices for a girl. I named my son a popular name and still happy with the choice. I hear people say so many times "finally, a name I can spell! no hyphens *or* apostrophes!"

Names are just names, they don't make us any less unique if someone else has the same one. I'd much rather be in a room with 7 other people with the same name than have one that no one could say or spell. People only notice your name when they first meet you, after that, it's just a word they use to get your attention. It isn't like they're going to be reminded what a unique and creative word your parents came up with every single time they use it.


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Escaping*
> 
> It isn't like they're going to be reminded what a unique and creative word your parents came up with every single time they use it.


Very true, and funny. It took me only a week of using it to feel like one particularly odd name was just a name.

However, it's very well documented that first impressions matter and are hard to overcome. If a name is very distinctive, in a good or bad way, it does have an impact.


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## Adaline'sMama (Apr 16, 2010)

It's such a great name! I think the only thing I dont like about people naming their kids really popular names is when they think that they are somehow going to make their kid stand out by spelling it differently. I went to high school with 30 Jessica's and there was ONE girl who was Yessica, not Jessica and it was ridiculous. And it was not a cultural difference, it was just that her mom liked the name, but thought it was "too popular" so she thought she'd spell it differently. Name her Isabella, you wont regret it. Just dont name her Izabela or something "just so she can be different."

*I say this, as I have an Adaline, not an Adeline  It was because we intended to call her "Ada" and it is spelled that way about 50% of the time.


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## Chloe'sMama (Oct 14, 2008)

My 3 kids all have names on the top 10 for their birth year... Chloe, Hannah and Liam.

We picked them because we love them. I am fine with the popularity although it played no part in us picking the names...I do wish they were not. We did have 2 of the names picked for years before they were popular.... and hannah has been one of my favorites since I was in grade school. I love the names. Pick what name sounds good and feels right!

Congrats


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

Out of six kids I only have one that is in the top ten and two of them aren't on there at all. At church at times we've had 5 with the same name, small congregation, but it seems there are so many variable nick names that they mostly went by something different.

For my year, Nicole was in the top ten, so it always seemed to be that there was one in my class that went by Nikki, but my name is actually just Nickey and spelled weird at that.


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## Amila (Apr 4, 2006)

I have an Ava, and have no regrets  And, by some miracle, after 2 years of preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade- she has been the only Ava!


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

I went through this with my daughter's name (Amelia) even though it's only top 30 or so. I wanted something less popular. But eventually I didn't find anything and decided I would rather pick the name I really liked than spend her whole life knowing I picked the second-best name. And I definitely don't regret it. I have crossed paths with another little Amelia or two, but it's not like they grow on trees. I've probably met one or two Isabellas and one or two Olivias.

I have the same problem with my husband that a lot of you do... he's basically wedded to either Alexis or Fiona, both of which I really dislike. I finally twisted his arm into branching out a little, but he still tends to have a knee-jerk "no" to a lot of names.


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

Amelia is SO pretty. I also love Ava but I like long names that can become shorter nicknames. Like Samantha, Alexandra, Amelia, Jacqueline. DH only really likes Samantha but I feel like it's not feminine enough to be in the same vein as Isabella.

Can you really tell/feel different names for a newborn once you see her? I wonder if it'll work out that way...


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## devilish (Sep 23, 2012)

Some people *cough* me *cough* chose the name of their children LONG before they've even conceived. (I had DD1's name picked out since I was 12. I was 30 when I had her.)

Some people have a short list of names that they refer to and wait until the baby is born to see her/him and give her/him the right name. (One couple did this, and their second didn't get any names on the short list, but instead went with Emma, which the mother did not know at the time exactly how popular it was. She does regret choosing such a popular name, but it really does suit her.)

Some couples have fun debating over their future children's names and make a decision before again, they've conceived.

Everyone's different and no one is wrong. It's just what is most comfortable for you.


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

You gotta tell me... I'm so curious now. What did you name your kiddo? If you don't mind me asking.

So tonight I just decided I still love Amelia. But man... I'm seeing it EVERYWHERE. It's not in the top 10 even for my state.


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## skj2011 (Jul 19, 2011)

My dd is Maia. That spelling is in the 600-700's on the SSA list. Otoh. Maya is in the 60's. we go to a home daycare run by an Israeli woman. Of the 8 kids in her care, there are 2 Maya's and my Maia. Another maya was there when we started. There is also another maya in dd's gymnastics class. So, it really depends a lot on the small circle you travel in. I'm Sarah and I didn't want her to have such a popular name, but oh well. I'll be curious to see how popular her name is when she starts school.


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

Amelia was also the #1 name in the UK for 2011. I suspect partly because one of the main characters in the then-current season of Dr Who is named Amelia (though she goes by Amy). I don't care. I still love the name and feel like it really suits my daughter (although to be fair, most people seem to think their kids' names suit them) .


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## devilish (Sep 23, 2012)

If you're talking to me, Tilly, DD1's name is Talia.

From the 90s Batman animated series. I loved that character.


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## Chloe'sMama (Oct 14, 2008)

I should add that while in a baby sign class, there were 3 Chloes (mine and 2 others), but since then, I have only seen Chloe's of different ages, not the same as mine. I have never met another Hannah in her age group and we have met one baby with the name Liam, but that was at a doc appt, and none in our group. We no longer do baby classes, so we are not around a large group of other kids the same ages, but I don't think it is a super big problem. Growing up there were always 3 Sarah's and 2 Susanne's (and one Susanna) in our class. I don't know if it was irritating for the kids, but I have a unique name and it was ALWAYS mispronounced, which drove me CRAZY.


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## Banana731 (Aug 4, 2006)

So... I've met a ton of little Amelias, Mias, Olivias. I named my dd Penelope, and then much to my horror found out that famous people are naming their kids that left and right, and also met a Penelope the same age as my daughter not long ago. I've never met a little Samantha.

Also, I tend to travel in very liberal/crunchy circles. I live in a very liberal town, full of hipster old lady baby names. Mayas, Sophias, Graces, Hazels, Violets, Oscars all over the place. When I lived in more diverse places the numbers of Katlins, Chloes, and Madelines was astounding. (I still meet a lot of them from the surrounding areas, funny enough) So I think a lot the commonness of names depends in where you live.


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## michelleepotter (Apr 8, 2013)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *devilish*
> 
> Some people *cough* me *cough* chose the name of their children LONG before they've even conceived. (I had DD1's name picked out since I was 12. I was 30 when I had her.)
> 
> ...


That's sweet.







My mom told me that she picked my name the first time she heard the Beatles' song _Michelle_. She would have been 7 or 8 years old then.


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *devilish*
> 
> If you're talking to me, Tilly, DD1's name is Talia.
> 
> From the 90s Batman animated series. I loved that character.


Yes I meant you! I totally love your inspiration. Talia is lovely. I'm seriously considering something like Adora or Ilora from He-Man. Both DH and I are watching with DD because the local station here added it to the nighttime lineup and we have fond memories of watching the show with our parents or on Saturday mornings. I just wish my DH would go for it. He laughs about how it'd be cool to do that, then won't commit. Arg.

Amelia is so lovely. I've always liked the name. I guess Dr. Who is huge in the UK? I really still thought it wasn't that popular! I love the show too so that's an added plus. Speaking of-- Clara is another character who I just ADORE and I love the name too. Not too high on the list and the main character in my favorite ballet-- Nutcracker Suite. DH vetoed. Hates it. I wanted to cry.

Devilish-- did you have trouble convincing your partner on this name choice?


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## devilish (Sep 23, 2012)

The conversation went something like this:

"Ever since I was 12, if I had a daughter, I always wanted to call her Talia." *Crazy Intense EyES*

DH: "Okay."

We never had a problem agreeing to girl names. It was always boys' names we had difficulty with. Good thing we're having a second girl.


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## Lovesong (Jul 30, 2011)

I think when it comes to names you will grow to love the person, and therefore the name no matter if it is the most common or the most unusual. It is not the name that makes a person, but a person that makes the name. As long as you love the name to begin with, all will be fine. And even if you don't love-love the name all will be fine since you will love the person wearing it.

Sometimes I think parents make life unnecessary difficult for their children giving them unique names, or even worse common names with unique spellings. I don't know if you remember the kid in class with the unique name that always had to spell it out? Or the kid with the name that no one could pronounce correctly? Yeah, there is that consideration too.

I have a fairly common first name, but an unusual (but really rather straightforward) surname. With my first name people do sometimes ask if I spell it with a "C" or a "K" which I find funny since I've never seen it spelled with "K" ever. My last name, however...thankfully, it is short, and have no hyphens or anything in it.

In the end, that you love the little person will be all that matters. Well, that and that the name you choose does not rhyme with anything obviously rude.


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## llwr (Feb 24, 2009)

My DD1's name was about 25 on the list when she was born. I've been disappointed that they seem to be EVERYWHERE! It's still not in the top 10. But I hear it all the time and hardly ever my other's who's about #14 and rising. She's had the same name in her class, and whenever we go to a store or public place, I seem to hear someone being called that. However, I do still like the name. And while I didn't want her to need the last initial after it, I do feel like it works for her. I'm hoping it's classic rather than trendy. It's really trendy rather than common that I wanted to avoid.


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## philothea (Jun 14, 2012)

I think you should name your baby whatever you think is best, but my name is Jessica and I absolutely hate it. I don't hate the name specifically, in fact I may have really liked it, but because Its so popular I hate It...I have ALWAYS been 1 of at least 3 in any given group it drives me crazy. I was always Jessica C. And my classmates were jessica k. And jessica L. In sports, same thing. I even lied in middle school sports and registered under a different name! The whole season everyone knew me under this unique name and I loved it. Haha. I know! Crazy! In my neighborhood there were 4 jessicas and I was so honored to be called "Big jessica" for years! There was little jessica, baby jessica, and mom jessica. But I got "Big Jessica" since I was older than little jessica and no joke, everyone called me that! Even the mailman. I always wished that I had a name that was unique and one of a kind so people just associated it with me. So of course I named my dd a completely unique name that as far as I can tell, no one in the world has. And dh and I plan to do that with all our kids. I'm not saying what you should do I'm just giving you some food for thought. Do what feels right.


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## CourtBChase (Sep 11, 2006)

My girl is Eleanor, which is currently 135ish, and has been rising. This shouldn't be *that* common, but we know tons of little Eleanors. I think it is true that it is regional, and local, and difficult to predict. If you love a not yet highly ranked name there are probably a lot of other people who are a lot like you who feel the same way. We try to avoid the top 100, but really, I think any name you love is going to be lovely. Whoever said Clara, that is one of our top choices this time around, so given past history, I bet it is a name on the way up ;-)


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

I love Clara right now mostly due to Dr. Who but-- Ive loved that name since I was a kid. I am obsessed with The Nutcracker Suite!

Eleanor is also on the list! I love the name but DH thinks it sounds old and we sort of agree the name can be associated with a gothy-girl stereotype. Though I've never met any? I'm not sure why that name makes me think anything of the sort. I love the nn Elly and would use that for sure!


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## CourtBChase (Sep 11, 2006)

Eleanor does sound old, but I bet that feeling is changing, with more little girls being given the name. I really wanted a name I could see her in as an adult in addition to a cute little girl. We call her Nell, but at preschool they call her Eleanor. It will be interesting to see what nickname she goes with as she gets older. I like Elly too, and our friend with a little Eleanor plans to call her Nora. It' a good nickname name!


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## Banana731 (Aug 4, 2006)

My DH is really pushing for Eleanor because of Eleanor Roosevelt. He's big on her human rights contributions....


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## IsaFrench (Mar 22, 2008)

am so surprised to see how popular Isabella is in the anglo-saxon world ...

am 49, in France, there's no "a" at the end, it's an "e" (something my British in-laws don't seem to understand ...) and most of the Isabelle i know are aged between 45 and 60 => it was ever SO popular in the 60's over here (in grade school there were 7 Isabelle in a class of 35 children, i think that was grade 3 or 4 ...)

so nowadays very few french parents would name their baby Isabelle

now, i meet up with quite a number of Expats in parks for playgoups ... i think i already know 7 or 8 Isabella and none of them is older than 10 ....

for DD1 it didn't cross our mind to look at lists that ranked names by popularity, we made many long lists and took out time discussing which ones from the other's lists we liked very much,were maybes or vetoed, so it was truly "our" choice, we are happy about it, ... just rather surprised when realising within a year that all 3 names seclected were in the top ten for that year

as a result, DS has 4 names (each parent gets to choose one name from their own culture + one name from the other culture and then we only have to discuss which one of the 4 will be top of the list and used for every day ...) that are rather un-usual, am hoping that he won't be too upset about our choices as he grows up ..


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## devilish (Sep 23, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *IsaFrench*
> 
> am so surprised to see how popular Isabella is in the anglo-saxon world ...


*cough* Twilight *cough*


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## Lidamama84 (Apr 12, 2011)

Me and DH really liked Ella when I was pregnant with DD2, but I vetoed it because it was/is so popular. So I came up with Elanora, and we mostly call her Ella. I really like the name Elinor too, but I like names that end in "a" for girls...and I don't regret not calling her Elanora, because there are already 2 Ellies at her daycare centre, and I've come across a lot of other Ellas.

Personally, all the names I like need to be classical, but not too trendy. Some names that we are mulling over now are Emaleigh (but I'm worried its too close to Elanora), Cora-Rose (but I don't like hyphenated names, but love the way it sounds), and Clara (but seems short compared to our other DDs names which are 3 or 4 syllables long, and have shortened nicknames.

And we don't even know if we're having a boy or a girl!!!


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *devilish*
> 
> *cough* Twilight *cough*


Haha. Well, I thought so too and did some google searching about it. Apparently a lot of women who are huge fans, hated the "Bella" character so that's not the reason? I loved her character but I also love Hermione, and Harry Potter is a much larger success when it comes down to it.

I read a blog post saying the name SHOT UP in popularity suddenly for no other reason then classic "grandma" names being chic. I also read something saying that Nicole Kidman (who many women admire) named her adopted daughter Isabella and that's how it all started? Such an interesting subject, isn't?

I've still not met more then one or two Isabella's but I'm sure will soon enough. Oh well. I still adore the name!

I love Eleanora oh! My DH will never go for it. He's all about classic/traditional. We are loving Lillian right now but since I go by Tilly (loooooong story there!) we are worried Lilly and Tilly and Izzy might be a little much...


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

According to Laura Wattenberg, who wrote the Baby Name Wizard book and blog, Twilight influenced naming because names were picked that fit into current trends, not the other way around. The names in Harry Potter were chosen for other reasons.

I don't really mind Isabella, but we had a cat named Isabelle when I was growing up, so it's always a cat name to me.


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## Lidamama84 (Apr 12, 2011)

Haha, I HATE when I hear a pet called by a person name, especially a name I like!!


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## PrimordialMind (May 4, 2013)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lidamama84*
> 
> Haha, I HATE when I hear a pet called by a person name, especially a name I like!!


Yeah that bugs me, too! It feels almost disrespectful towards people with that name. It also seems a little ridiculous, like this guy i knew who named his cat George. I almost laughed when i met his cat the first time and i learned his name.

Also, my 2-year-old DD's name is Isabella. We didnt name her after the Twilight character (although plenty of people have asked us that). We simply love the name and I'm also Italian so it fits with our family. We were neither discouraged nor persuaded to name her that simply because its popular.

Yeah, there will be plenty of other girls at school with the same name, but the name fits her and that is enough for us. I dont think a child needs a unique name to be proud of that name and being around other kids with the same name doesnt make her and her name any less special. I would actually feel delighted when there was another little girl in my class with my name (Laura). It felt like i had a special buddy


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

I like people names for pets! And most of the pets in our family have had people names throughout the years. A pet gives you a chance to use that name that you like but is hopelessly out of fashion or the same name as a cartoon character or doesn't go with your last name or has a suboptimal nickname or whatever, because a pet will not care about their name so you can pick whatever you want. Though throughout the years we may have lost a couple of people names to pets. My mom idly considered Emily for me until my grandmother adopted a cat and named her Emily, and I would never consider Isabelle or variations. The other names our cats have had aren't really anything I'd be inclined to use for a child anyway.


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## Sphinxy (Oct 4, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *erigeron*
> 
> I like people names for pets! And most of the pets in our family have had people names throughout the years. A pet gives you a chance to use that name that you like but is hopelessly out of fashion...


Exactly! Two of my three pets have "people" names, Winston and Ernie, which I personally would never name a child but still really enjoy. It never occurred to me that someone might cringe or find my pets' names "disrespectful" but wow... I don't even know what to say to that, so I guess I'll just leave it at LOL!


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## JenVose (Jun 17, 2013)

Our little one is Ryleigh. When we decided on the name (which we planned to use, boy or girl, though obviously not a boy with that spelling!), I did have a few moments doubt about its popularity. Then, I realized that I grew up as a Jennifer and never really felt any dislike about it (other than I've simply never liked the nickname "Jenny" and since I knew a "Jenna" in kindergarten that I disliked, I didn't like that as a nickname, either). I guess it will depend more on personality and what experiences your little one has with meeting others who share the same name, and that's something that simply can't be determined before birth. So I say go with what you really like, and at least your little one will have the positive experiences at first about how you feel about the name. And if there's a reason for the name, then share that with your little one from an early age, too. In our case, Ryleigh was chosen not because it was a popular name but because Riley is the first name of B.B. King. She responded a whole lot to music during my pregnancy and still shows a musical inclination, so we decided to make a choice and name her after a musical great. We hope we'll be able to take her to see BB King perform someday, too, whether or not she's old enough to remember.


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## tiggernorton04 (Oct 27, 2008)

My dd is named Emma and it was the number one name the year she was born! But that was the name I loved for years! There is one other Emma in her class but I don't know any others. I really do like a lot of the classic names that are back in fashion these days! I think you should just go with a name you like!


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## Voondrop (Oct 31, 2012)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tillymonster*
> 
> I'm seriously considering something like Adora or Ilora from He-Man. Both DH and I are watching with DD because the local station here added it to the nighttime lineup and we have fond memories of watching the show with our parents or on Sat. mornings.


I'm jumping on this late, but this made me laugh as I remember being a huge She-Ra fan. I named our daughter after my grandmother, Leora. When I looked it up, I was tickled to see a variation of it was Elora, like the baby girl in Willow. Gotta love 80's fantasy.

My first girl has a first & middle name that were both (unknowingly) in the top 10 for her year, named after husbands grandmother, but we've never met another girl w/ either name where we're at, so it's no big deal.


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lidamama84*
> 
> Haha, I HATE when I hear a pet called by a person name, especially a name I like!!


lol My husband always wanted to use Sarah as a baby name, but for some reason I would never consider it. I threatened to name our dog Sarah when we got one so that he couldn't name our child after the dog. *hides head* But we adopted a dog named Sophie instead! Of course we ended up with boys, so it was never an issue. Now this time around, I'm totally in love with the name, Sarah. We both instantly agreed that if we have a girl, her name would be Sarah Faith. Normally, I agonize for months and months on which names to choose, going through every list I can find and looking up meanings, etc.... I am totally at peace with this name, but haven't been able to shorten my list of boys' names. I'm stoked that Sarah isn't even on the top 40 list anymore, so a once common name will now be less common.


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## pepperedmoth (Jun 14, 2013)

Kinda the dissenting voice here, but I was given a very popular name at birth (Sarah) just 'cause my parents loved it...... I HATED it so much that I legally changed it as an adult. I was just totally sick of having there be five Sarahs in any social gathering, class, group, etc. I had had it!

ETA: I actually like the name Sarah for other people --- it's a pretty name --- and I kept it as part of my legal name. But being called it every day? No.


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## RosieL (Feb 8, 2011)

We have had a girl name since before we were married. At least 7 years. But now I am probably going to refuse to use it even though it might break DH's heart. It's his grandmother's name. But it's rising in popularity sharply, and I'm fairly certain will be in the top ten in the next couple years. I can't logically explain why, but this completely rules it out for me.


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RosieL*
> 
> We have had a girl name since before we were married. At least 7 years. But now I am probably going to refuse to use it even though it might break DH's heart. It's his grandmother's name. But it's rising in popularity sharply, and I'm fairly certain will be in the top ten in the next couple years. I can't logically explain why, but this completely rules it out for me.


So use it as the middle name. I find middle names a great place to honor our beloved dead.


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## tillymonster (May 12, 2011)

I wanted to update this thread. We ended up choosing a name in the top 50 but went with an unpopular middle.

Lillian Adora! It's just magical I think and flows so beautifully. We hope she likes it!


----------



## RosieL (Feb 8, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *philomom*
> 
> So use it as the middle name. I find middle names a great place to honor our beloved dead.


Middle name is "taken" so-to-speak, by my middle name (which is also my mom's middle, my grandma's middle, etc.).

In principle, I agree. Our son's middle name is the name of DH's grandfather. The husband of the grandmother after whom we had planned to name a girl. So in a way I kind of feel like we have fairly honored that particular side of the family (even though it's not about fairness...).


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## mareseatoats (Mar 4, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lidamama84*
> 
> Haha, I HATE when I hear a pet called by a person name, especially a name I like!!


On the other hand, I have a cat named Scout and a dog named Cash. I wouldn't really consider those people names (at least not in the same way Sarah or Hank are), but I now know children named both. I tend to give my pets names I love but wouldn't quite use for a person (like Cordelia, Duncan, etc)


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## MichelleZB (Nov 1, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *michelleepotter*
> 
> That's sweet.
> 
> ...


She and like every other Mom around that time, including mine. 

I LOVE Eleanor and will name my daughter that if I have one, after the original: Eleanor of Aquitaine. I hear that name is rising in popularity, but it's not anywhere near the top 10 yet.

I named my son Carl. I like it because it was once common, so everyone knows it, but also not at all popular now. The old nurses went nuts for his name ("No one gives their little boys nice strong manly names like Carl anymore") and a bunch of cool people were named Carl, like Carl Sagan and Karl Marx.


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## mareseatoats (Mar 4, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MichelleZB*
> 
> She and like every other Mom around that time, including mine.
> 
> ...


I love that! I think Carl is a really wonderful name, and I have a lot of love and respect for Carl Sagan. One of my friend's dads in High School was named Darwin, which I thought was really neat. My husband is named Mark and I met a little boy named Mark, which I thought was just wonderful. I don't think I've ever met a little one named Mark before.

Our son is named Malcolm, which I actually didn't like initially even though it immediately felt right. We sometimes call him Mal. I think it's the best, now! DD is Clementine Louise. We don't use a nickname and it fits her perfectly. I got flack for both name choices before they were born, but people seem to really like them now. Especially Clementine.

We have an absolutely lovely girl name picked out (if it were to feel right) for the next baby (getting ready to TTC!) but no idea for boy names. Well, and I have lots of ideas for boy names but DH is hard to pick a name with. I was a single mom when I had Clementine, so he didn't have a say in that. He had three boy names he liked when I was pregnant with Malcolm and they were all on the top 10 and two of the three were ex boyfriends. I feel like boy names are much more difficult.

In regards to the OP, I grew up with an unusual name. I liked that there weren't any other girl Jordans running around (one year there were SIX Kate/Katie/Katherines in my class and two Kristins), but I hated having a "boy" name and still do (although now it's more gender neutral, obviously. I'm 26). I actually have thought about changing it, but I guess it fits me, kind of. DH loves it and wanted to name a daughter after me. I dunno. For me personally I wouldn't consider a top 50 name (probably top 100) or a gender neutral name for my kids. I love them for others! But just not for me. And I like to do family names for middle names.


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## dandelionsrflowers (Jan 10, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tillymonster*
> 
> I wanted to update this thread. We ended up choosing a name in the top 50 but went with an unpopular middle.
> 
> Lillian Adora! It's just magical I think and flows so beautifully. We hope she likes it!


Beautiful!

As a child, I HATED being one of five Carries. Two of us had the same middle name. This was in a class of 100! The hubby knows how annoying this was, he was in my class, lol. Anyway, we plan on staying away from the top 100, nothing crazy for the hubby's sake, but I can't subject my kids to the same thing I had. I know my dad had a great story for it (Hey, Carrie Anne- by the hollies)... But no.

My niece is Emily and has 6 in class of 125. She is not thrilled either and talks of changing her name.


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## piratemere (Jan 17, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tillymonster*
> 
> I wanted to update this thread. We ended up choosing a name in the top 50 but went with an unpopular middle.
> 
> Lillian Adora! It's just magical I think and flows so beautifully. We hope she likes it!


I think Lillian is gorgeous, and with Adora it is very magical.

As a Jenny of 1980, I'm with those who dread giving my child a name that is "popular." I don't need to give them crazy, out there names, but just not names where they will have many others in their classes. I once randomly lived with 4 other Jennys, in an apartment of 6. I've always been insecure about people remembering who I am, because I feel like when I introduce myself I will just be filed away in memories as another Jenny. Silly, I know, but seriously one of my insecurities. I hate calling people who I don't know really well, because I feel like I have to explain who I am, not just tell them my name: "Hi there, this is Jenny, I met you at..." It sucks.


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *pepperedmoth*
> 
> Kinda the dissenting voice here, but I was given a very popular name at birth (Sarah) just 'cause my parents loved it...... I HATED it so much that I legally changed it as an adult. I was just totally sick of having there be five Sarahs in any social gathering, class, group, etc. I had had it!
> 
> ETA: I actually like the name Sarah for other people --- it's a pretty name --- and I kept it as part of my legal name. But being called it every day? No.


I've been hounding the online baby records from the three local hospitals, and with all the pages and pages I've looked through for the past year, only one Sarah. Most of the names are quite different, so I'm not worried about it being common anymore.


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

Even a popular name now is not as common as a popular name when we were young. The top names in the US for 2012 were Jacob and Sophia. Each was given to only about 1% of babies of that sex. So that means if you named your daughter Sophia, there might be another one in her kindergarten class, but maybe not. There might be another one in her grade somewhere in the school and maybe another four in the entire grade school. Not like back in the day when there would be three Sarahs and two Jennys in every single room. My daughter is Amelia, which was in the 30s in popularity and was given to three out of every thousand baby girls. By contrast, back in 1900 or so, you needed about six names (I forget if it was six for each sex, or six total) to account for a full half of the population. Now it's up in the hundreds. No wonder there are so many nicknames for names like Mary, Anne, and Elizabeth, because back then everyone was named one of those names!


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## porcelina (May 2, 2007)

Loving this thread! Thanks for the update, OP. DH and I also like the name Isabella, but it's popularity is a concern! We did pick a top 10 name for DS1 because it was the only name we could agree on that we both liked, so maybe we shouldn't be scared off. I don't know!!


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## nkintzel (Nov 15, 2008)

We named our son Ethan in 2008. That year it was the most popular name for boys. My other two (girls) are Molly and Clara. Molly is getting more common, but was pretty much unheard of when she was born (1993). Clara is getting more popular, too. She was born in 2009. It is a family name, though.

So. Ethan. Its super popular. I am usually not a popular name kinda gal. But, after 7 days, we still didn't have a name picked out for our little guy. We literally just started reading through baby name books. When we hit on Ethan,and said it aloud, it was just obviously his name. Its perfect for him. He is just...an Ethan. So, I don't know. Sometimes I wish we'd gone with Miles (a name we both loved, but our last name starts with "M" so it had sort of a sing-songy feel to it). But, all in all, I"m OK with it.


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## barefootmama0709 (Jun 25, 2009)

We tried pretty hard to veer away from popular names but it didn't make any name a no-no. DH came up with ODS's name and I picked YDS's name because I've always loved it. We are going to TTC again next year and DH is pushing really hard for Leonidas if it's a boy. Yes, because of "300". I'm torn, but want to name a girl Coraline after the Neil Gaiman character, so I'm not vetoing his choice yet.


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## gypsymama2008 (Apr 23, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *barefootmama0709*
> 
> We tried pretty hard to veer away from popular names but it didn't make any name a no-no. DH came up with ODS's name and I picked YDS's name because I've always loved it. We are going to TTC again next year and DH is pushing really hard for Leonidas if it's a boy. Yes, because of "300". I'm torn, but want to name a girl Coraline after the Neil Gaiman character, so I'm not vetoing his choice yet.


I adore the name Coraline for the same reason and had DS been a girl it probably would have been either the first or middle name (I wanted to pronounce it Cor-a-leen rather than Cor-a-line, though).

My name is Ashley and I was born in 1985 when it was the number 1 girls name. I kind of hated it because there were 3 other Ashley's in my elementary school class and when I was in middle school I had a class with 5 Ashleys (no joke). But it's my name and I'm used to it and don't really have any lasting emotional damage or lingering resentment toward my parents' for it.

I say go with whatever name works for your family. You have my blessing as a person with an exceedingly common name. Both DS's and DD's names weren't my favorites (I wasn't scrawling them on notebooks when I was in elementary school or anything) but for both of them, the name just was their name-if that makes any sense and I've ended up loving both their names. Also, I adore the name Bella, I don't care that it's common or that it has the Twilight connotation, I think it's darling


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *devilish*
> 
> Some people *cough* me *cough* chose the name of their children LONG before they've even conceived. (I had DD1's name picked out since I was 12. I was 30 when I had her.)


So I picked names for my 4 children when I was 7, and they didn't end up with those names. When I was 11, I picked a different name for a future daughter. My husband likes almost no names, and I didn't like the couple that he liked, so he picked one that was similar, and it turned out it was the name I chose for a daughter when I was 11--which was in the 70's, btw!

Yep, my daughter was born in the 90's and I picked her name out 22 years before she was born.


----------



## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lidamama84*
> 
> Haha, I HATE when I hear a pet called by a person name, especially a name I like!!


My daughter's name is a popular dog name, although we also had a cat with the name when I was growing up, which is in part why I decided why I liked it.

Bella is a very popular name for dogs in my neighborhood. Sometimes I think people pick names for their dogs that they like and might want to give to a child. Our gerbils had human names like Paul and Sadie, and then we had one we called Bitey because he would bite you when you picked him up. But the gerbils didn't get outside, so no one really had to know what names they were. But for my dog, I decided to give her a name that most people wouldn't name a child. She is named Dandelion. We did consider Daisy, but I know that has grown in popularity for children, so we picked Dandelion and call her Dandy.

My name is actually now more popular for dogs than people. My daughter said the other day that there are no children with my name, just kids' moms. My named peaked in popularity in the mid-70s, about 9 or 10 years after I was born.


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## Lou Wiggins (May 10, 2012)

My name is Lauren. when i was in school there were like 5 other laurens around me all the time so when i had my first i wanted a unique name. DH and me couldnt decide until i read a certain comic book run we both decided on Harvey. It means Battle Ready. So ofcourse we had to pair it with something equally awesome. He's Harvey Tomahawk. Then we wanted to keep running with the weapon names and were planning out names well before actually planning on another child. we wanted Lolita Machete for a girl. It just sounded so cute. Ended up getting a black lab/pit mix and naming her Machete instead. Then years later we had our DD and named her Ocean Tigerlily. Thought both were pretty unique names and they wouldnt run into others with the same these days. I have been meeting many other Harveys lately and DD is only 8 months old and already have met 3 other girls named Ocean. Its funny what goes around. AND i found out there is another Ocean Tigerlily! what are the odds!


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## sniffmommy (Mar 15, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Lou Wiggins*
> 
> AND i found out there is another Ocean Tigerlily! what are the odds!


Seriously! What are the odds!?!

Those are great names. I picked out a couple of names for my kids when I was a teenager, and then Paris Hilton got popular, and I had to trash that choice.


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## Irielyn (Aug 23, 2013)

I have to agree with Philothea....I too grew up with the most popular name ever(Jessica), every where I went there were others and I ended up being given a nickname also which I hated. When asked why my parents named me Jessica they told me they thought it was pretty. If I were named after someone in my family or a song perhaps I might have liked my name more but no, they were 9 other Jessicas in the nursery when I was born and they thought it was "pretty". To this the day I still dont like my name and dont feel like a Jessica and am even considering changing my name. I told myself long ago that when I had kids they would have names like no other name out there and that their names would have a special meaning dear to my heart. Just my 2 cents!


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## redheather (Aug 20, 2011)

Yeah, I wonder if being one of many Heather's, especially in the 70s and 80s, is why I chose a very unique name for my DD! At least I wasn't among the multitudes of Lisa's and Jennifer's, but still, when I'm 80 it'll be like the Mildred's of today-- an old lady name haha!


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## LittleCapucine (May 16, 2012)

Hey, you know - there is relaxation and peace in a familiar name. I have a very unusual name, and I do not consider it a gift, nor a common name a drag. A rare name must be spelled out and pronounced at every introduction, and often the story too. A familiar name causes not even a ripple, which most of the time is perfect - never misspelled, never cause for pause. Your child will belong to her time, which is beautiful. If she is meant to be distinguished in a crowd, let her personality create that reality! Best of luck to you in your delivery and name list-making.


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## ashleybess (Jun 22, 2009)

Isabella and Samantha are both beautiful names in themselves, but the popularity would be a huge deterrent for me. Both my children have uncommon names - my daughter's name isn't even on the SSA radar at all and my son's is in the 200s. My name is Ashley and I absolutely HATED being among so many other Ashleys in school - I always longed for a name that was meaningful and unusual.


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## ocelotmom (Jul 29, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Irielyn*
> 
> To this the day I still dont like my name and dont feel like a Jessica and am even considering changing my name. I told myself long ago that when I had kids they would have names like no other name out there and that their names would have a special meaning dear to my heart. Just my 2 cents!


I don't really feel like a Jessica either, but I have no idea what I'd change it to. Jess is ok, and seems to be what people naturally end up calling me, even though I don't introduce myself that way.


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## porcelina (May 2, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *LittleCapucine*
> 
> Hey, you know - there is relaxation and peace in a familiar name. I have a very unusual name, and I do not consider it a gift, nor a common name a drag. A rare name must be spelled out and pronounced at every introduction, and often the story too. A familiar name causes not even a ripple, which most of the time is perfect - never misspelled, never cause for pause. Your child will belong to her time, which is beautiful. If she is meant to be distinguished in a crowd, let her personality create that reality! Best of luck to you in your delivery and name list-making.


This is a good point. When I was little, my name was extremely uncommon. Strangers would ask me my name (like grocery market checker, etc., when with my mom), and then would not understand, or would misunderstand for a similar name, and I had to constantly repeat or correct them (which I hated; I was shy). Then my name hit the charts in the 80s and it was no longer a problem! I still don't like it, though, mainly because it is very difficult to pronounce in other languages.


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

That is exactly why I am in favor of names that are at least somewhat common. I've spent all my life with a last name I always have to repronounce and spell (maiden and married are both difficult). My kids will already have one name that everyone has trouble with; I don't want to inflict them with two. If I'd married my college boyfriend whose last name was Baker, I might feel differently.


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## fightintxaggie98 (Feb 17, 2009)

I wouldn't consider a popular name because I knew I'd regret it. My kid's name hasn't been in the top 1000 at any point in the last 133 years. (I only know because I searched the SSA list after seeing it mentioned here. I didn't pine over it beforehand.)


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## SweetSilver (Apr 12, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *redheather*
> 
> Yeah, I wonder if being one of many Heather's, especially in the 70s and 80s, is why I chose a very unique name for my DD! At least I wasn't among the multitudes of Lisa's and Jennifer's, but still, when I'm 80 it'll be like the Mildred's of today-- an old lady name haha!


There were 4 Lisa Marie-s in my 6th grade class (girls born late '68-'1969). Heather, Jennifer, Melissa.... Julie..... you never hear Julie anymore. I hardly ever met a "Sarah" growing up (though not unheard of-- and the ones I met were spelled "Sara"). Until I moved to Seattle, with it's considerable Jewish population. I met a dozen of "Sarah"s through the family I rented a room from, plus many more friends afterwards that weren't Jewish. Very odd regionalism....

What I see are dozens of variations on the same names. I wonder if you combined all possible spellings for one name pronunciation, how the popularity chart would look? And not that it makes a difference in classes, but I see a big divide between parents my age that got a late start, and younger parents with kids the same age. The 40+ moms seem to be giving more classical names (and classically spelled names) and the younger ones I meet *tend* towards creative spellings and non-traditional names (that sound beautiful, but are spelled atrociously IMO!)

OP, lovely name, and I hope she likes it. *That* you can never predict! They might like it (or hate it) because no one has it, or because it's popular. There is no predicting it, is there?

I never minded or loved my name. My girls enjoy their names, chosen partly for their meaning, and enjoy meeting other girls with the same name. "Georgia" is more popular here for girls than "Sylvia", and most Sylvia-s I meet are older women-- the name was very popular for women of a certain age. I only wish I'd given G a different middle name. I still like what I chose, but ache for the name that I passed by, partly due to other key people not liking it. G knows this name, and if she likes it that much, she can take it when she's older. Both girls like hearing what they might have been named. [My heart still leaps when I meet other "Gretchen"s (my beloved kindy teacher was Gretchen Leaf)]

I don't know that Mildred will be that far behind. I am already hearing Estelle, Edith, Ethel, Myrtle....


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## mareseatoats (Mar 4, 2011)

I do think the popularity charts can be misleading. I haven't met any Liams in a long time but just met two Arthurs in as many days. I see Clara bring picked in all the due date discussions, but never meet one in real life.


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

My son's name is Nicholas. It was #13 nationwide and #5 in our state the year he was born. We went ahead with it because he has an unusual last name, and because we liked the name so much. He has never had more than 1 other Nicholas in any class or group he's been in, and currently he's the only Nicholas in the 3 classes of his grade. So that's not so bad. He loves his name, and we feel it suits him very well.

My partner and I were working from our experience having very common 1970s names--Rebecca and Daniel. I managed twice to have roommates named Rebecca, so that was confusing, but I'm Becca while one of them was Becky and the other was always called Rebecca, so that helped. Our university had an unusually high concentration of Dans (also Kevins) but it wasn't ever a big problem.

I feel that the popularity/ordinariness of the last name is an important consideration. With a last name like Smith or Campbell or Taylor or Chen or Lopez, I would go with a more unusual first name to reduce the likelihood of meeting someone with the same first AND last name. (You might laugh at the ethnic examples, but seriously, there were two Kevin J. Chens in my university at the same time, and they had a registration mixup such that the Kevin who was my friend was scheduled for a double courseload!)


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## nmelanson (Apr 14, 2009)

My DS1 is named Kieran. I had never met a male named Kieran, but I grew up with an East-Indian female Kiran in my school. Kieran is an Irish male name meaning "little dark one"; the Indian Kiran means "child of light. I chose it because I felt it had a balance between light/dark, masculine/feminine...

2006 - the year DS1 was born, there were 6 Kierans born in the whole province of British Columbia. Three or four of them ended up being on the little island where I live. One of them ended up being in DS's class in kindergarten and grade one in a school of 35 kids - that was weird! You can never tell... you can never tell. The best you can do is choose a name that feels good to you. You want take pleasure in saying it.


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## Sphinxy (Oct 4, 2012)

Growing up I didn't know my name was popular, or I suppose more accurately, was becoming popular. There was no one else in my grade with it, and maybe just one or two others that I remember hearing about in other grades near me. Then I went to college. There were quite a few of us. Both my first and second years there I had other people living on my floor with the same name, and senior year in a club of eight, three of us all had the same first name. But it was kind of fun. It didn't bother me. Regionally my college was not far at all from where I grew up, but socioeconomically I suppose it was very different. I can't think of any other common factor that might play into naming (if you read any of the freakonomics books, they talk about this theory). Anyway, now that I'm older and working I'm back to not knowing many people with my name. Popularity clearly increased in the 5-10 years after I was born, so my name is common enough that people can pronounce and spell it, but rare enough among the people in my circle that I still feel a little special about it. Out of an office of 100, I'm the only one with my name.


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## sillysapling (Mar 24, 2013)

Regional popularity is so much more important- but is also very hard to find out, compared to national popularity. You could choose the most popular name and your kid never be in a class with another, or you could choose a fairly uncommon name and your kid knows someone else with it. With as often as people move nowadays, there's really no way of knowing for sure. It really is best to go with a name you like.

One of the difficulties for us is that my partner's British and I'm American, so we have different ideas of what names are popular/etc as well as different connotations. My partner's and my name are very uncommon in the UK, but INCREDIBLY common among our generation in the US. My partner chose a name expecting it to be rather uncommon, then got here and ran into so many other people with it!









We had a name picked out before we got pregnant. Then in the second trimester my partner decided that it wasn't the right name.


----------



## barefootmama0709 (Jun 25, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *redheather*
> 
> Yeah, I wonder if being one of many Heather's, especially in the 70s and 80s, is why I chose a very unique name for my DD! At least I wasn't among the multitudes of Lisa's and Jennifer's, but still, when I'm 80 it'll be like the Mildred's of today-- an old lady name haha!


I was an 80s kid too-one of many Sarahs! There were 5 or 6 in my graduating HS class. My last name is very common too.


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## alaskanmomma (May 25, 2011)

I have an Autumn, Sylas, and Calliope. I've only met Autumn's in their 20's and 30's though it always seems to be on people's long list of baby names. Sylas was relatively unheard of when I named him, but thanks to a certain ******* uncle on TV, I've seen it being used more and more. Haven't met another Calliope lol. I've yet to actually in person meet anyone with any of my kids names in their age group, kind of hope it stays that way, but even if they were 1 of 10 in the same class, I'd have no regrets, I love my kids names.


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## DaisyO (Feb 3, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sillysapling*
> 
> Regional popularity is so much more important- but is also very hard to find out, compared to national popularity. You could choose the most popular name and your kid never be in a class with another, or you could choose a fairly uncommon name and your kid knows someone else with it. With as often as people move nowadays, there's really no way of knowing for sure. It really is best to go with a name you like.
> 
> ...


This is very funny. Where we live, in Maine, we know seriously about 7 girls called Isla. Then there are a bunch more called Ayla, which sounds nearly identical. I thought it was so funny when I thought back to the 1990s when there were lots of Kylas and Kaylas. Anyway, I think "Isla" and "Ayla" must be uncommon overall, but here it is the opposite. I do think Isla and Ayla are beautiful, but here they are like Jennifer and Jessica for some mysterious reason.

Also, we live in the US and gave our daughter a name that is apparently pretty common (in both senses) in England, or so English people tell me. In the US it is supposed to be very common in South Dakota and Wyoming! What could that mean? Cowgirls? I actually had a hard time with her name until quite recently...my partner chose it, and it took me a looooong time to warm up to (for some reason, although I've always loved names, I didn't put any effort into selecting a name for my only child. Bizarre. Big regret). I am just starting to come around to her name, and she's three. Let this be a warning to you if you have a partner who insists on his idea of the perfect name.

Whatever, though...I like her name now. It's her, you know?


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## Selissa (Jun 15, 2003)

Ds2's name is Rowan, which I had reservations about because it was at the time a sorta trendy hippy girl name. I knew quite a few toddlers to preschoolers online who were named Rowan.

We have only ever met one other Rowan, she was a girl, and Rowan was to young to care. So it turned out to not be a concern.

That being said, I am totally a name nerd. If this baby is a boy, we will be naming him Isaiah and I'm not even looking at the rankings, I don't care, I love the name and I have only ever known one or two Isaiah's in my entire life. I like old fashioned boys names so I think it will be fine...

now i'm curious and i sorta want to look. DANG IT! lol


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## porcelina (May 2, 2007)

Selissa, I don't think you have to worry about Isaiah for now! LOL!

I forgot to add that we named DS1 a top 5 SSA name, and while we have met several other little ones with the same name, none has ever been in his class. I think it is so true that it varies by region and even by neighborhood! We don't regret his name at all -- it was the only one we could agree on at the time! DH is from Latin America so all the names he thinks sound good I don't, and vice versa!


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## JackieP (Sep 27, 2013)

My daughter is Lauren, and I have no regrets. It's a common name, but it's a sweet, pretty name. I wanted to play around with spellings, and maybe spell it Laurynne, but then I decided that she'd like it better if it were spelled the conventional way, so that people didn't CONSTANTLY misspell her name.

My son, Trevor, isn't a super-popular name.

My third?

Thor. :haha: DH got to name him.


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## JackieP (Sep 27, 2013)

Although I'm not a fan of 'trendy' names, I have to say, I really do love the name Bella, and I also love the name Sophie. I'm not ruling them out with this one. My fave. so far is Lucy for a girl.


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JackieP*
> 
> Although I'm not a fan of 'trendy' names, I have to say, I really do love the name Bella, and I also love the name Sophie. I'm not ruling them out with this one. My fave. so far is Lucy for a girl.


I think there's also a difference in terms of "trendy" between names like Bella or Sophie, versus, say, Ryleigh or Madison. The former are names that have been around for a long time that are experiencing a spike in popularity over baseline; the latter are pretty much unique to this generation. There's a different feel to them. Also I would expect a name that has been around for centuries to continue to be around at some popularity, whereas the jury's still out on some of these newer names. I mean, 100 years from now will anybody still be naming their kids Madison or will it be completely unheard of? Who knows? There are definitely a few names in my family genealogy that you'd never, ever see on anyone nowadays, but there are also names out there that were more or less invented by a single individual at some point that are now in common use (Jessica, for instance, was invented by Shakespeare).


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## PeaceBeWithYou (Sep 5, 2013)

1. I agree with previous posters - it is not fair for your husband to have the only say on the name and it appear to be so. At least he should enjoy picking the first child and give you the freedom of choice for the second one.

2. Bring things to some perspective for you - Isabella is the 3rd on the list of national most popular names - http://www.ourbabynamer.com/2013-popular-names.html

That makes the name quite popular but considering that it means that there are 19000 girls of this name named last year.. that gives you average of 380 Isabellas born in 2012 per state.. Considering that they all will go to schools somwere.. each state has on average 200 public schools and scores of private schools and that would mean at worse one Isabela per class level per school. Considering that each school has few kindergarten classes.. that brings chances of having so many Isabellas in the class even more down. Lastly school makes an effort not to put the kids with the same name in the same class for their comfort and school's practicality to avoid mistakes.

3. Per comparison when my dc was born, I did not think of implications of the name popularity and I just happened to love the very popular name which was 2nd on the national list at the time. It was just few years ago. Now at school there are literarly 2 girls of this name on her grade level in all classes. TWO. Not to say that there are no girls of this name in other levels but it will be pretty much the same ratio.

4. Names popularity changes fast. It is popular today it won't be popular next year. I promise  Just wait for an actor or actress or other celebrity naming a kiddo and watch the trends changing.

5. I see lots of benefits of having a popular name and I can't speak of having a child named unique name as I don't have that experience but here is what I feel about us:

- everyone knows how to spell the name.

- people like the name a lot and say so

- child is very happy to hear so many kind comments "Oh, what a beautiful name, I love your name" and although many would comment on any kid's name and it is true for myself  my dc just get tons of more comments.

- people have instant association with the name. that helps with instant positive reaction. It is not because of your child but because they know someone famous and they like that person and you get extra points on that first impression charts 

- life is so much easier for people with popular and nice names, everyone remembers your name instantly and will call your child by that.

Example - it is enough to introduce your child by Isabella usually only once for people to remember, whereas it takes many times for them

to remember Sarifaihata for instance.

- in many cultures there is a believe that a name makes a person and when you come to think of it all Barbaras you know and all Susans and all Stevens and Kevins tend to be somehow .. similar and there is something that the name brings to them that is in common?

congrats on your baby and happy naming.


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## JanetLewis (Jul 24, 2014)

Hi like the name Isabella a lot. I came across it in movies and books, it has its own glory. Its popular because of that. But I have in mind the name Rennie. Its a bit uncommon but I like it. :smile:


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## IsaFrench (Mar 22, 2008)

Isabelle was a popular name in the sixties in France ... one year, there were 7 of us -out of 35 i think- in grade school, i mean in the same class ....
nowadays, hardly anybody french will call their daughter Isabelle (those names that were SO trendy tend to become less popular after a few years)
i only know french women about my age (50 something) called Isabelle 

.... on the other hand at least 4 english speaking expats - local to me- have a less than 10 years old "Isabelle" amongst their children ...


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

Janet Lewis, have you considered making Rennie a nickname for something? Renata...Karen...Lorenna...

PeaceBeWithYou wrote:


> Isabella is the 3rd on the list of national most popular names - http://www.ourbabynamer.com/2013-popular-names.html That makes the name quite popular but considering that it means that there are 19000 girls of this name named last year.. that gives you average of 380 Isabellas born in 2012 per state.. Considering that they all will go to schools somwere.. each state has on average 200 public schools and scores of private schools and that would mean at worse one Isabela per class level per school. Considering that each school has few kindergarten classes.. that brings chances of having so many Isabellas in the class even more down. Lastly school makes an effort not to put the kids with the same name in the same class for their comfort and school's practicality to avoid mistakes.


The numerical reasoning isn't quite accurate because names are not evenly distributed around the country. Think about what is popular in your immediate area as well, especially among people who are similar to you in academic values--because not only will they likely choose the same school, but many schools group students by academic ability to some extent. My name, Rebecca, was fairly popular at the time I was born but was a name used more by college-educated parents; 4 of the 5 Rebeccas in my high school grade were in honors classes, so in any given section of a course there was likely to be another Rebecca/Becca/Becky.


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## Vinay (Mar 15, 2021)

I think that's a nice name. It soots for you. We know only a few children with the top names so they must be popular someplace else.

Here I found few more baby names that you can check out - Unisex names for your baby


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