What's better--A common or an unusual...

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
What's better--A common or an unusual...
5
Fri, 11-17-2006 - 5:19pm

What's better--A common or an unusual name?



  • Keep it common. I'm ok with my child knowing other kids with the same name
  • My child is one of a kind. Their name should reflect that
  • Not too common, but not that unusual either.


You will not be able to change your vote.


iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
Fri, 11-17-2006 - 5:44pm

I created this poll because the other day I sent my DD to a day camp and there were 5 girls there with the same name! I won't say what it was because I don't want to offend anyone.

I don't know why people have to consistently use the same top 20 names. There are 1000's of names out there. My name is becoming more common, but it's still very unusual. I've never met another person named Scarlett. People always know who I am and they always remember me. I have NEVER heard anyone say "Scarlett who?" People who have only met me once even remember me because my name isn't very common.

So.. I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but how unique can your child feel when there are 5 other kids with the same name in their class? Please parents, be kind to your kids and give them a name that's not too common!!!!

If anyone has a good argument for using common names, I would really like to hear it. I am still mad at myself that my first two kids have names in the top 50. (my ex had a lot to do with that) Baby #3 will have an unusual name.. not 100% sure what yet, but we will pick something unusual. (We have 7 months to decide)

Thanks
Scarlett

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Fri, 11-17-2006 - 8:01pm

I'm somewhere between the bottom two choices ... I definitely want each of my children to have a name that is uniquely theirs (mn if not fn), but only a real name with an actual origin, history, etc. other than simply "I heard a bunch of sounds and thought it was pretty," KWIM? LOL Not that that's what you meant in the poll but just to clarify my vote. ;)

Oddly enough, two of my girls DO have popular names. The first was chosen despite that fact -- and after much consideration -- because it was a name I had loved since I was about eight and, since my dh happened to love it equally, it simply was her name. The second was a name my dh absolutely adored, and since I loved it as well we compromised by using an alternate nn in case she does end up with others in her class or just want a less-common option. FWIW, we don't actually know any other little girls with those particular names, despite how they appear on paper (if I knew five other kids with the names we wouldn't have used them to begin with LOL).

~Kelli


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2006
Fri, 11-17-2006 - 8:22pm
I think something in-between common or unusual is best.
 
Avatar for haarlasr
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 11-17-2006 - 9:53pm

I personally would prefer a name that is well-known, relatively easy to spell/pronounce, but not so common that there will be 5 in my child's class. That being said, I have to compromise with my DH who tends to love the ultra-popular names, and our last name is very unusual and hard to pronounce, so that makes a difference, too.

One of the first names DH suggested for a girl with DD#1 was Emily, the #1 name, and then he fell in love with Olivia for a little while (also high on the list). Beautiful names, but too common for me.

We ended up with Megan, which used to be very popular, but isn't as common in the preschool set. We've run into maybe one or two other Megans under the age of 10, but I don't think that's a big deal. What I didn't consider was the overall popularity of M names, so in her preschool class of 12 students, they have Megan, Maggie, Molly, and Makayla. :-P

Our younger DD is Julianna, nn Annie, and we have yet to meet another little Julianna (although we have met a couple Anna/Annies). I like that she has several nn options in case she ever needs to distinguish herself.

I also think that most people aren't as into names as people on this board are. :-) And for their first child, they may not be around a lot of young kids, so they don't know what the current naming trends are. I've met so many people who were genuinely surprised when they realized how common their child's name was later on.

The top names are up there b/c they're great names, and people like them. Some people feel that their love of the name or some family connection outweighs any concern of popularity.

Just adding another viewpoint,
Stephanie, mom to Megan Joy (nn Meg) and Julianna May (nn Annie)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
Sat, 11-18-2006 - 12:23am

I do appreciate the other viewpoints. Thanks for helping me understand. I especially agree if you have a difficult last name.. that could be tough on a kid with both first and last names that are unusual.

I do like pairing an uncommon name with a more "normal" middle name just in case the kid decides that they really don't like their first name.

Thanks
Scarlett