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My naming style is Italian old lady SO I LOVE Sofia, Isabella, Olivia, Ava etc etc etc. I would never want to use a top 10 name but I have ALWAYS loved Sophia. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth even arguing it to my husband. Although he's completely vetoed it as a H* NO......So, even if he did say yes, IDK if I'd want to use a #1 name. I really really hated growing up in the 80's as a Jennifer. People say the names now aren't as dated, and the #1 name is used by about half the amount of people. IDK. Tough call. It seems like no matter how "classic" a name is, if a bunch of people use it in a short amount of time it will date itself to that time?
What about using it as a middle name? My kids names aren't even in the top 1000 so no, I wouldn't use a top 10 name. I like that my kids have different, unique names that fit them and there won't be another one around. But they're not so weird that people look at me like, you named your kid what?
We're going to use Alexander if we have a boy, which is #8 on the list. I think it matters more when it comes to girl but my name is pretty unpopular and I still had another girl in my class with the same name.
The thing is, I think most of the "trendy" names now are more traditional than a few years ago. I think the problem is that some of those names won't age well, rather than that they were trendy.
I don't know, I like traditional names too and they are getting super popular but I'm not naming my kid something I don't want to just because the name I like is on the list. I'm conflicted.
People say the names now aren't as dated, and the #1 name is used by about half the amount of people. IDK. Tough call. It seems like no matter how "classic" a name is, if a bunch of people use it in a short amount of time it will date itself to that time?
I recently read a book that had some information about the more common names - "Baby Name Wizard" . It said that while it is true that the #1 name is used by half the amount of people those people who do name their child that tend to be in your "cohort" so there will still be many more in your schools and neighborhoods because they are the people choosing the same name as you - because people of similar backgrounds and economic situations tend to like similar names .
I can't remember how it goes exactly but it was a really interesting and short read if you like that sort of thing
I would use the name. Today, your child is just as likely to be in a class with another kid that shares their name whether it's in the top 10 or not. People are trying really hard to find original names and because of that it's getting harder and harder.
We just had a Valentine's cutest baby contest in my very rural area. Out of twenty babies, two were named Baylor/Beighlor....I feel like the parents were probably disappointed to see that, lol!
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I recently read a book that had some information about the more common names - "Baby Name Wizard" . It said that while it is true that the #1 name is used by half the amount of people those people who do name their child that tend to be in your "cohort" so there will still be many more in your schools and neighborhoods because they are the people choosing the same name as you - because people of similar backgrounds and economic situations tend to like similar names .
I can't remember how it goes exactly but it was a really interesting and short read if you like that sort of thing
I can believe that and I agree. I know that there are names that are popular here and that were used several times in a generation that weren't anywhere near being top names (like my name, Brandi).
I recently read a book that had some information about the more common names - "Baby Name Wizard" . It said that while it is true that the #1 name is used by half the amount of people those people who do name their child that tend to be in your "cohort" so there will still be many more in your schools and neighborhoods because they are the people choosing the same name as you - because people of similar backgrounds and economic situations tend to like similar names .
I can't remember how it goes exactly but it was a really interesting and short read if you like that sort of thing
This is true. I suggested the name Valentina to my husband who vetoed it as "the worst name he's ever heard in his entire life" ) So I was looking up the top names for my area and sure enough Valentina was #39 but nationally it's like in the 3 or 400's. So while to me loving old lady Italian names....and hearing all my nieces Italian friends having names like Valentina, Violetta, Sophia etc I think Valentina is totally normal and fits in the flow but when I suggested Valentina to my mom or husband, or friends not in our area they act like I have 2 heads. I guess b/c my husand is so set on Arabella while it's ranked in the 2 or 300's it has the Bella nickname which she will just get bunched in as Bella S. and at that point I feel like she minds well be Sophia S.
My daughter's name is Emma which is a family name for me. I've had it picked out since I was in high school. I figured that if I have loved the name for that long and never changed my mind that I would regret it forever if I didn't use it. And she is such an Emma. The name fits her perfectly and I've gotten nothing but good comments about the name. I'm very happy with my decision.
No, I would never use a top 10 name as a first name. I'm in my late 20's and I just think about how many Jessicas, Jennifers, Amandas, Melissas, Ashleys, etc there are.
My son's middle name is William, but that's because it's my husband's name. William has been consistently in the top 10 more than any other name!
Eh, probably not. But I guess I can say that because I have never had a love affair with a specific name. If I had loved the same name from childhood and it happened to be popular, I dont think that would dissuade me from using it.
I admit that I was really sad when Liam shot into the top 20 names. We picked it in March of 2009, when we discussed names. I actually even looked up its popularity (it was number 75 according to SSA and on several baby name websites it was hanging between 60-80). So I was okay with that. But 2009 and 2010 were big "Liam" years. So now my kid has a popular name. And I really didn't want a popular name. Me and DH both had popular names in our age groups...so we wanted to go a little more outside the box. Apparently we failed. I doubt our second will ever make it to the top 100. But our girl name is listed as "likely to climb" in popularity. But I don't see it climbing terribly far. I actually chose between two girl names by picking the less common of the two.
I'm not necessarily drawn to names in the top ranks, but if it was a name I loved for a long time or had special significance the popularity wouldn't keep me from using it.
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I *might* use a top 10 name, but definitely not a #1 name. Sophia is extremely commong, and definitely will be a future 'Jennifer' (a name people are sick of hearing).
From 2011 ssa.gov -
Sophia #1
Sofia #19
Sophie #51
What about:
Francesca nn Frances
Alessia
Clarissa nn Clara
Mirabella nn Mira
Gemma
Luna
Liviana nn Anna or Liv
Amalia
Riva
I would use the name. Today, your child is just as likely to be in a class with another kid that shares their name whether it's in the top 10 or not. People are trying really hard to find original names and because of that it's getting harder and harder.
We just had a Valentine's cutest baby contest in my very rural area. Out of twenty babies, two were named Baylor/Beighlor....I feel like the parents were probably disappointed to see that, lol!
Exactly! The Sophias, Isabellas, Emmas, and Avas are NOT the Jennifers, Jessicas, and Ashleys of the '00s/'10s.
I named my DD Isabella in 2006 when it was #4 on the SSA list. My DD goes to a private school of 450-ish, upper-middle-class, mostly-white kids (the normal "co-hort" to name their children Isabella nowadays). There is NOT another Isabella in all 3 first grades. Of the 450 children in the total school, there are a whopping TWO other Isabellas. That doesn't bother me in the least.
And, let's say your DD goes to a much larger school and there are three Sophias in her class, they don't necessarily have to go by Sophia M, Sophia S, and Sophia K. It could be Sophia, Sophie, and Sophie Jo. I've noticed people making double names out of popular names and I really like that trend. (DD had an Emma Mae in her class last year.)
I can say as a person growing up with a "unique" name, I always wondered if people didn't like it because no other parents had used it for their daughters. I hated that people did not know how to pronounce it or spell it. And, it's not an odd name, by any means - Janna. I never met another one until I was 18 years old and I've met a total of three in my life. So, there are downsides (and upsides) to naming your child a popular name or a different name.
To this day, as popular as Isabella has gotten and as often as you'd think everyone must have heard of it, I get compliments on her name ALL the time! My DD loves to run into another little girl with her name. It's a popular name because lots of people think it's a gorgeous name. There's nothing wrong with that!
If you love a name, go for it! (However, with all that I said, I really like the name Arabella too!)
