Would popularity put you off a name?

(35 Posts)
ghoulelocks Sun 14-Oct-12 20:13:50

DH andI just can't agree on a name. We settled quite easily on ds's name, but a dd is proving difficult. We liked ds's name as although well known isn't common,he'llprobably be the only one in his class.

The girls name we finally settled on is Amelia... but on mn I've just realised there may be a few in her class.We've just moved too, to a naice bit of London to compound it!

Our other names were:

Vera, lovely in our country of origin but everyone here seems to react to it like I'm thinking of calling her 'hairnet' or something! I love the name, but don't want to embarrass her.

Lydia, not sure if it's a little harsh

EdithWeston Mon 15-Oct-12 16:03:37

The snag with Vera is the automatic "Duckworth" that follows it, because of the very longstanding Corrie character. I think it'll be a little while before that has faded enough in UK.

Frequency of use of a name is difficult to gauge, as the stats come out only once a year, a few months in arrears; so depending on your due date, the latest usage figures could be from 18months before.

I'd stick to the name you really want: you cannot predict if it'll have shifted up or down the list between publication and the birth - if it dropped 12 places and you hadn't used it, would you kick yourself? If it stays the same, does it matter? And it's a lovely classic name, in use for decades, and which won't be as strong a generational marker as say Ruby or Evie/Ava which blipped up from low usage.

Adore Lydia. Amelia is fine too but I can't warm to Vera despite the meaning. Like Verity though.

Some names are popular because they are perennial classics (ie always good); some names are popular because they are trendy (ie will date).

I dithered about Oliver because of its popularity, but decided it was classic-popular rather than trendy-popular and we call him Bobby anyway.

For what it's worth, the duplicated names in DS1's class aren't the top ten names.

Notnowcato Mon 15-Oct-12 16:36:30

Sorry, should have said: 21 girls in my YEAR with same name.

Also, the 'unusual' names I have chosen for my 3 DC are all short and 'classic' but no longer popular so they get the advantages of easy to spell/remember and also simple. (Yes, we have weird surname too. Always needs spelling and often elicits the comment: Ooooh, is that French/German/Polynesian …?)

Lydia and Vera are both beautiful, musical names and, if you're interested, the meaning of Vera is lovely too.

Notnowcato Mon 15-Oct-12 16:37:21

Sorry, the meaning of Vera isn't 'lovely'. I meant it has a lovely meaning: truth.

Must go and put the kettle on. I clearly need a cup of brain clarifying tea.

DorisIsWaiting Mon 15-Oct-12 16:45:02

DD1 was Emily (when I named my daughter what I wanted and it didn't even cross my mind about popularity!)

DD2 was Lydia!

I think Vera in this country is particularly unpopular, probably due to the soap character, I'm trying really hard to see past that but I'm struggling I just see a hard name (completely different to your other 2 iyswim)

Also Vera Bates. Downton baddie.

MolotovBomb Mon 15-Oct-12 19:53:29

If a name is too popular, then I would be put off. An example is that DH and I really liked Isabella for DD1, but were overwhelmed by the Isabellas/Isobels that we knew and knew of.

That said, I couldn't have a name that was too unusual: "Mother" says imaginary DC to me in the future "why did you and Papa have to name me Mingus Foxtrot Winnebago?"

If you like Amelia, then it should be a consideration, despite it's popularity. I know 2 Amelias: one is 35 and the other is 6yo.

Lydia is a nice name but I'm not keen on Vera. It's just one of those 'old lady' names that needs to stay in the past, IMHO, with Doris and Beryl.

Nagoo Mon 15-Oct-12 20:13:18

Amelia Pond.

There will be a bizzillon of them.

Yes, popularity puts me off. I get all angsty when people reccommend my DCs names on here grin

I know nice Lydias and I don't think that the Vera Duckworth thing is even a consideration, as it will only be someone's twatty dad that brings that up.

Nagoo Mon 15-Oct-12 20:14:20

I mean to her face. Only a twatty dad would try to take the piss out of her for a soap character that was offscreen for 15 years.

Rhubarbgarden Mon 15-Oct-12 20:30:50

Vera is a lovely name. Lydia is ok. Amelia is a bit yawn - popularity takes something away from names no matter how nice they are in their own right.

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