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11-21-2012 at 8:01 AM
sed8611
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Popular names

Has anyone else had names picked out for years and now that it's time to actually use the name you love, it's become extremely popular?

I was always one of at least two, if not three, in my classes with my name my entire educational career. I always said I didn't want my kids to have that happen, but I am in love with the name Amelia and our baby girl already is Amelia. We call her by her name all the time and I refuse to change it based on the name rankings, even though I am aggravated she may start kindergarten with six other Amelias.

Anyone else having this problem?
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11-21-2012 at 8:07 AM
526SadieSa...
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I have a very uncommon first name (it's more popular now than when I was a kid), so I don't know what it's like to be one of several Giannas in a class but we chose Olivia because it's DH's favorite name, popularity didn't bother us.

The way we see it, having a popular name doesn't mean our child won't be special or unique, just like having a unique name isn't what will make her special.
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11-21-2012 at 8:07 AM
SarahL77
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When I was in my early teens, I loved the name Emily. Now, it wasn't unpopular or anything. It ranked around #20. However, in the late 90s it sky-rocketed to #1 and stayed there for over 10 years. So, while it's still arguably my favorite girl name, it's kind of lost it's luster in my eyes Plus, it's been used in DH's immediate family already.
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11-21-2012 at 8:13 AM
Raeily
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sed8611:
Has anyone else had names picked out for years and now that it's time to actually use the name you love, it's become extremely popular? I was always one of at least two, if not three, in my classes with my name my entire educational career. I always said I didn't want my kids to have that happen, but I am in love with the name Amelia and our baby girl already is Amelia. We call her by her name all the time and I refuse to change it based on the name rankings, even though I am aggravated she may start kindergarten with six other Amelias. Anyone else having this problem?

I have the exact same problem. ^_^ We talked baby names WAY back and Amelia is the girl name we love. I see that it is becoming more popular, but honestly, I was always around other Rachels and it never bothered me, I'm my own person. :) When we found out we were having a girl I asked Hubby if it would bother him and he said no, so Amelia it is. :) 
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11-21-2012 at 8:14 AM
MOMofGnGn+...
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I have a unpopular, older name and growing up I would have rather been one of 2 Terri's once in awhile. The only people I ever met with my name were much older than I.
 
11-21-2012 at 8:14 AM
jlsimon56
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When I was in middle school in 1993 (dating myself, haha), I swore up and down that if I had a daughter, I'd name her Grey.  I'd read a book and that was the main character's name and I just loved it.  Fast forward 20 years and now Grey/Greyson is (IMO) crazy popular....for boys!  And now it's heading over into the girls.  It's not on my list anymore, partly b/c of its popularity and partly b/c naming a theoretical daughter and naming a human is different and I couldn't do that to my kid.  I don't think I would consider it if it was just the popularity issue only though.  As a Jennifer........I just didn't want that for my kid.
 
11-21-2012 at 8:16 AM
eatdrinkst...
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I wouldn't let it get to me.  Three of our top 5 names (Grace, Charlotte, Abigail) are extremely popular, but I am okay with that.  You can look at the number of babies actually born with any given name (nationally or by your state) through SSA.  If you compare today's popular names with the Jennifers and Lindsays of the 1980s, you will see that the name distribution is MUCH broader now, so Amelia really isn't Jennifer...
 
11-21-2012 at 8:18 AM
Joy2611
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I was one of three of my name at school.  Within my group of friends, I was the only one and when we discussed the others, we had to use their last names.  Somehow I never really ended up in classes with these girls (small high school, too!) so I felt like my name was the only one.  I felt similarly in college.

I want to pick a real name that is just very low on the charts.  I've never been into trendy things and the same is true of names.  I like some of the more popular names, but I just don't want to date my kid's name.  I hate the idea of "Ah, Charlotte.  You were born around 2010-ish?"  Eek.  I think them not being one of four in their class is simply an added bonus.  I guess that might be weird reasoning, but there it is.

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11-21-2012 at 8:20 AM
Zimger
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I have always liked Jacob. I might still use it...

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11-21-2012 at 8:30 AM
MelRC117
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Natalie has always been one of my favorite girl names.  We would have used it if our LO was a girl.  I had no idea until later how popular it really is.  I keep waivering if I still would want to use it.  DH can't agree on many names, but this one was immediately one we agreed on and love.  Part of me thinks that I will still use it because nothing really compares to how much I love that name.  I keep hoping maybe I'll have all boys and won't have to worry about it!!

How popular is it in your state?  That might give you a better idea of how popular it really is.  I keep thinking it only takes one other child in the class for your child to become Amelia S. for example.  Your name could even be ranked #100 and if it just so happens another child is also name that name, well nothing you can really do about it.  On the other hand, as popular as Olivia and Sophia are, I only know 1 of each IRL.  I also know zero Jacobs under the age of 20 (which has always been a high ranked name).  Let's say if there are zero other Amelias in her grade, will you be disappointed you didn't use it?
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11-21-2012 at 8:41 AM
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Sometimes you can't win, there were only two Cara's in my entire school and we were in the same class, yet we had only one Heather and one Ashey and 2 Sean's. You just never know. DS's name was in the top 20 in 2006, of 100 first graders he is the only one. There were only 13 baby girls born in 2010 in all of Alberta that were named Holly (DD included), I have met another one. Go with what you love. 
 
11-21-2012 at 8:53 AM
Y I Oughta
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I have always wanted to name my son Oliver after my late grandfather. The popularity of it has made me hesitant. I guess I should say the popularity and the fact that my grandmother does not want us to use the name. She said we can't "saddle the poor baby with that horrible name". So we are looking into other options. Whenever I would tell people the name I like, they would say it's an old man name, and I shouldn't do it. Now it rising fast. 
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11-21-2012 at 10:40 AM
mummyofsix
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No, but one of my children has a CRAZY popular name (Noah). He is one of two in his class and one of 6 in his year group, and when he was born it was 'only' #23 and now its #5. 

I dont like it. I never thought to check its popularity 8 years ago or I probably wouldnt have used it. 
 
11-21-2012 at 11:01 AM
wmorgan003
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Joy2611:

I was one of three of my name at school.  Within my group of friends, I was the only one and when we discussed the others, we had to use their last names.  Somehow I never really ended up in classes with these girls (small high school, too!) so I felt like my name was the only one.  I felt similarly in college.

I want to pick a real name that is just very low on the charts.  I've never been into trendy things and the same is true of names.  I like some of the more popular names, but I just don't want to date my kid's name.  I hate the idea of "Ah, Charlotte.  You were born around 2010-ish?"  Eek.  I think them not being one of four in their class is simply an added bonus.  I guess that might be weird reasoning, but there it is.

This is exactly how I feel. Every time I hear the name Aiden (after first thinking of Sex in the City), I think of a little boy born in 2007-ish.

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11-21-2012 at 11:43 AM
starshinea...
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Yup. I've always wanted to use the name "Sophia" because I'm a philosopher and the name (obviously) has a lot of meaning to me. Well within the past few years, it has shot up in popularity, I think it is even at #1 now! Drives me crazy because I know all those people using it can't be using it for the meaning the way that I would. Though a lot of people in my philosophy grad program were having daughters that they named Sophia, so they got a pass from me, LOL. But now I'd never even consider it, sadly. It is just way too common. But I decided this before getting pregnant, so I'm not torn up about it, and found that I luckily just "felt" a name for the baby when I realized I was pregnant but before I even took a test. Wasn't even a name on my list, but that's just the name! 
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11-21-2012 at 12:45 PM
jobiann
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If you love it, go for it, we have decided on a popular name too. My theory is, I can stand the popular "classic" names but not the popular "trendy" names. I LOVED Harper and Brynn for a little girl...but we won't be using either of them thanks to the trendy popular factor.

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11-21-2012 at 12:54 PM
skio
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Yup. I've known for ten years that if H and I were to get married and have babies, our first son would be named Jack after H's grandpa. His Grandpa is Jack, just Jack, given by his french parents as an Americanized version of Jacques.

I don't have to explain how popular Jack had become as a standalone name over the last ten years. But we're still using it if we have a boy. The meaning is way more important to us than whether he'll grow up with other Jacks.


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11-21-2012 at 1:19 PM
metzy144
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eatdrinkstretch:
I wouldn't let it get to me.  Three of our top 5 names (Grace, Charlotte, Abigail) are extremely popular, but I am okay with that.  You can look at the number of babies actually born with any given name (nationally or by your state) through SSA.  If you compare today's popular names with the Jennifers and Lindsays of the 1980s, you will see that the name distribution is MUCH broader now, so Amelia really isn't Jennifer...

I agree with this. We had DS's named picked out before we were married and now it is very popular. I'm glad that we stuck to our guns and named him what we loved instead of worrying about popularity. I only know one other kid with the name and can't imagine him being named anything else. I say use what you love. 
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11-21-2012 at 2:50 PM
MoreThanAB...
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I thought for years I would name a girl Lily, but when I was pregnant with DD I decided it was way too popular and went with something totally different that I love.

For the girl I am carrying now, I am really struggling because DH is stuck on trendy names I don't like at all. The only name we both like is even more popular than Lily was when I ditched it.

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11-21-2012 at 3:48 PM
HoolahZing...
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I always loved Ava. It was hugely popular so we decided on a different name for DD. 

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11-21-2012 at 4:00 PM
Idani
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Growing up I LOVED Isabelle. It's my grandmothers name and since grade school wanted to name a daughter that. I would never use it now due to popularity sadly.
 
11-21-2012 at 4:41 PM
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I think it would depend on the significance of the name for me. Luckly my number one names are not anywhere near the top 100, but some of my other options are in the top 10..if they were meaningful to me in a way other then just a pretty name (I love the meaning, am naming them after someone, have wanted to use that name since I was 6) I would use it anyways...if it was just "a name" that I liked, I would ditch it until it was out of the top 50.

I was Katie(nn) born in the 80's and to this day share my name with at least 2 other people at every social setting and in every class at school...I would do everything I could to make sure my child doesnt have to be one of 3 all the time.

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11-21-2012 at 9:13 PM
mjune3881
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Personally I don't think Amelia is that popular that she would have 2-3 people with the same name in her class.  Back in the day (at least when I was born), their were a lot less names used so having a name ranked 1 or 2 ment a LOT of people had it.  Nowadays, there are a lot more names used and the rankings are not quite as strong.  That being said, I still like avoiding at least the top 10 names.  Amelia was ranked 30 when my DD was born - so I was ok with that!  :) 

BTW - LOVE the name and you should stick with it!  :)
 
11-21-2012 at 9:51 PM
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I was the only Skylar in my school. In fact, my mother thought she made the name up. Now it's fairly common (for boys and girls). However, I want my kids to have non trendy names. Anything above #50 won't work for me, but we also aren't using family names for first names (MN are family names).
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11-22-2012 at 9:53 AM
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Joy2611:

I want to pick a real name that is just very low on the charts.  I've never been into trendy things and the same is true of names.  I like some of the more popular names, but I just don't want to date my kid's name.  I hate the idea of "Ah, Charlotte.  You were born around 2010-ish?"  Eek.  I think them not being one of four in their class is simply an added bonus.  I guess that might be weird reasoning, but there it is.

We picked a family name that was a real name but around 400 for boys when DS was born 19 years ago for this very reason. Teens and young girls always "Loooved" his name so I am not surprised it's trending up to the point of common (in the 70's).

Even so, DS always had a classmate with the name, same boy in his 82 kid preschool and 3500 high school.

So you can pick unique and be on the leading edge of a trend.
 
11-22-2012 at 12:50 PM
Grace0609
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Meh.  I had a top 5 name growing up, and even, at one point, had a girl in my class in elementary school who had the same first and last name as me (also a very common last name!).  Honestly, I did not mind having a popular name.  I would much rather have had a popular name than been the strange kid out with a weird name.  My sibling had a made up name, and he still does not use it to this day.  I feel like my popular name made things easier for me. 

So, when I look at my kids names I am not aiming to find the most unusual name I can.  I guess I did cross Sophia and Jacob off my list b/c they are SO popular, but I still have no regrets about using Noah, which is now #5 (it was #19 on the latest SSA chart I had available when I named him).  I love his name.  It is classic, it has always been one of my favorite names, and I think I would have had regret if I had NOT used it.  I think Amelia is in a similar category (classic).

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