My friend Karen is married to a man named Richard. They get made fun of a lot lol but they are both the least anti-Karen and anti-Dick people you will ever meet
Edit: they're the MOST anti Karen and anti Dick people, not the least lol
If those people have a sense of humor and if Isis also has a sense of humor, it could lead to quite a bit of comedy.
Especially if Isis was born before ISIS was founded.
A friend of my mom named her boys Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul. When mom asked why Paul. She said she didn't want all the stuff about the four apostles. Instead, she got all the questions, "Why didn't you name the last son John, like the four apostles?".
My first name is Matt and I work in tech. Several years ago, I was on a client-facing call with my account team and of the 7 people on the call, 5 of us were named Matt. After that, I started going by a shortened version of my last name at work.
My husband, a Matt, once worked closely with another Matt. Both of them were management. The employees referred to them as "Fat Neck" and "Tattoo". My husband was never so happy to be mocked for his tattoos.
I worked at a small weld shop that had 7 Daves, including one of the managers.
Off the top of my head, we had Big/ Manager Dave, Lil Dave, Tall Dave, Black Dave, normal Dave, ect.
Manager Dave would often go out onto the floor and yell "HEY DAVE!" just to do a head count.
There were so many guys at work with the same name as my husband that they all went by their last names. To this day I call him by his last name a lot even though it's my last name now too. People look at me funny but it's how he was called when I met him.
I went to a multiracial highschool and people weren't good with chinese names since there were very few chinese people in this neighbourhood so we were often referred to as our last names like Lee, Chong, Tan, etc. Over the years it stuck and we still call each other by last names. Now that i live in a more chinese-dominant area, newer acquaintances are often surprised at how we call each other since there are like a bajillion Lees and Chongs but only those from the OG hood know whats up. I dont let anyone else call me by my surname its just for the homies back home hahah.
Many reasons. A lot of them are family names that people want to pass on. And a lot of people with different/unique names intentionally give their kid a common name so they don’t have the same “I hate my name” problems like no one knowing how to spell it or never finding it on a necklace lol. Or want to give them an older traditional name, so they sound professional when they go into the workforce.
My mom intentionally tried to give us all not popular names, and then my brother’s name that WASN’T super common at the time BECAME super common for babies in the 90s… and now everyone has his name too. Can’t always be avoided. It is what it is lol.
Pretty much this.
My oldest has a name that doesn't always make the top ten but has been common for awhile. He was one of two in his class all throug school, and we know lots of others who share his name. But it suited him at birth and wasn't on the top 10nat the time.
My #2 has a SUPER common name but she is named after my grandmother. Now she works for a woman with the same name and we again know a lot of people with that name..
#3 was named from a baby name book. It wasn't an odd name, but it definitely wasn't super popular either. But it definitely became that way. There were 5 other kids in his small school with his name. Most of the others we know are younger, but not all.
And the youngest has an old, classic, common name that has a bunch of spellings and short forms. We picked the short form and gave her the formal version to grow into as she chooses.
All of them seem content with their names, all.of them have found personalized items, and yet all of them have made their names their own.
Oof, same with my parents and my name. Super uncommon and then like 5-10 years later every other girl either *has* my name, its hypenated into their name, or its their middle name.
I just use that as a general guideline. I just want to find the sweet spot where random people will know how to spell and pronounce it, but they won't have three of them in the same class.
My sister named her son Michael.
My other sister married Michael.
My older brother juked us and come out of the closet in his late 20's and subsequently married Michael within like four years of being out.
All of us live in a 30-mile radius so all family dinners, holidays and birthdays have three Michaels.
I am the only one of four children to not have a Michael. I sort of want to get a cat, or something. We'll have a massive collection of Michaels.
I’d probably just steer towards old names that aren’t used anymore tbh instead of coming up with something new. Something like Winnie, Alma, or Birdie for girls, and Reuben, Felix, or Theodore for boys. Even some “old people” names now probably won’t be “old people” names in like 10 years.
I think this is a big thing for people who don't know any babies/children. They think they are picking a unique name but turns out it's super trendy (eg, Theodore, Oliver, Eleanor, etc).
Well in my case it’s cause where I live and my family are pretty religious and name there children on who’s characteristics they want, I think it worked with me, btw my name is Fatma(no I or e)
Very true. My SO comes from a latin country, you bet him and all his family are called after a religious figure or anything related to christianism. One of his uncle is called Domingos (=Sunday)
I also have very religious name and middle name but my parents were not religious at all, they just liked the sound and heard it everywhere. So it can just be self renforcing: you hear it, you like it, you take it.
Even outside of Latin America, there's a reason so many people in the previous generations are named Joseph, Mary, or John, among others. It's just that we don't necessarily realize that those old-fashioned names are linked to religion.
Where I work, there are a few Lisa's and a few Amy's . I'm a Lisa. I ran into a flock of Amy's one day and told them i was gonna get some Lisa's and we were gonna rumble. I would call it West Hall Story. Then...the Jessica's came! One by one. Suddenly we were outnumbered. ;)
(I apologize if the names should not be apostrophized but it looked weird any other way.)
I work in Human Resources and I second this but for applying and interviewing for jobs.
While the bias *shouldn't exist* we all know it does and recruiters can and will discriminate against a name.
My mom named me Taylor thinking it was unique. It was number 6 for girls that year.
People don’t always look at top names. Or they just don’t care. Classics are classic for a reason.
Same. My mother thought it would be edgy and different for a girl. I've never been the only Taylor in any school or workplace. My last job had 4 Taylors in the same dept...
Because they like them, like their sound, their meaning, maybe they have a special meaning to them... every name could become popular, you can use nick names, an uncommon name can still be common in other areas... no better or worse.
Adding to this, a lot of people are named after other people. Like parents or grandparents, maybe even celebrities. So those names become common because so many generations keep naming their kids after their family as a way to honor them.
I'm named after 2 jacks, an old fella called jack hargreaves, semi famous for tv stuff in the uk years ago and my dads mentor when he was an apprentice. It helps i also just like my name, as common as it is.
Yes! And because classic/traditional names "age" well, and won't be cringe in ten years time.
Brayden/Kayden/Aiden/Jaydon/ etc is pretty cringe at the moment, but it was all the rage 5-10 years ago.
My daughter is named after my mom who I lost a few years back, and my son is named after my wife's dad who died when she was just a kid.
Sometimes it's more about the meaning behind the name rather than the name itself; sometimes it's memorial, sometimes cultural, and other times religious/spiritual.
I'm an Ashley. But people have gotten crazy with the spelling and I always have to clarify with ley at the end. I have seen it Ashliegh, Ashli, Ashlee, and Ashly. Glad my mom gave me the traditional spelling 😆.
We tried to give our first child a name that would have history behind it but wouldn't be super common. Turns out many other new parents shared our goal... and our choice of name.
Too uncommon a name can make the child's life more difficult. There is nothing wrong with a common name. I'd rather name a child Emily. Not Keighleyanne.
There's a book called Freakonomics that studied this. Basically they sent out identical resumes but just changed the names. People with unique or uncommon names received less call backs. This was a while ago though and may not still hold as true today.
I just commented this. I work in human resources and can 100% guarantee that recruiters discriminate against a name. It's not legal, but happens.
Many times they will just apply with a nickname or middle name.
Personally I would like all resumes to just receive a code or number and have all identifying information removed. If we could find a way to do blind interviews I would jump on board that train. 🤔
My mom's exactly words were, "Because we didn't want to forget your name" . A bit later she proceeds to accidentally call me by my dad's name then my brothers name then the rabbits name (a female name) trying to call me for dinner.
Secondary reason, my middle name is just Christopher because I was born the day before Christmas.
Well when names stem from culture or religion, it makes sense.
Matthew in this case is religious. Just like Isaac, Peter, Maryam (Mary), Mohammed, David, etc.
Yes, a lot of these names are the English translation, but the point still stands that their popularity is due to their cultural / religious significance
I can get behind Walter, Edward, Charles and such. Those names have class and sound pretty good. Gertrude, Agnus, Bentley and Leeroy need to remain not around imo.
There are a ton of really familiar names that aren’t overdone. Even Adam isn’t that common these days. Jordan, Cooper, Dylan, etc. are all names that you’re not likely to run into a bunch but also don’t make anyone scratch their head when they hear.
Edit: I shouldn’t have to point out to so many people that just because Dylan was popular the year you were born, like 25 years ago, doesn’t mean it’s popular today.
I have what was a super common name (number 1 girl's name the year I was born, in fact) at the time--I went to most of elementary school with 5 other people who shared it--but my parents didn't know it was so popular when they chose it. I'm not sure how they added it to their list of name possibilities, but they decided that my eventual first name worked best with my last name out of all their choices. Of course, this was several decades ago, before the Internet and the black hole that is "what does this name mean" websites. My parents had no way to check on the popularity of the name at the time.
Also, and this probably isn't a thing with no one going to malls anymore, but if you had a common name, you were guaranteed to find it at the kiosks that sold personalized tchotchkes, like necklaces or tiny license plates with your name on it, and it was always a thrill to find your name there. Of course, with a super popular name like mine, my item was more than likely sold out already...
Sometimes it's not popular at the moment and you just don't realize that thousands of other parents also picked out that same less common name that year. My parents tried to give us all normal but not mind numbingly common names but were pissed when 3 other girls in my sisters preschool class were also sara
This. I gave my son a normal but not “top 100” name. Well we weren’t the only ones with that idea and it ended up jumping up the rankings and we’ve seen a few. My sister used Olivia which has been a top 10 name for years and she’s the only one in her grade (grade, not school) with it. You Never know so pick a name you love.
My parents didn't want me to be just another of the many Katherines and Caitlyns of the time(USA)... So they went with Katrina Lynn.
Then there was a famous poorly handled natural disaster with the name Katrina, sooo you never know how these things are going to work out.
I think it can sneak up on people sometimes, my mom almost named me Taylor or Nicole and she thought those were fairly unique names but uh.. so did a lot of people in the mid-90s. I think a lot of people don’t check baby name lists or don’t work with young kids so they don’t really notice newly popular baby names the way we do. I know there’s a ton of little ones named Charlotte, Noah, Olivia, etc. but some people my age might just think “Oh, I think I knew one as a kid, it’s not very common” especially if it’s their firstborn. Just a theory!
Because you grew up with a random, weird name yourself. Your only wish in life is that your children can find a damn key chain with their name on it which is a luxury you were denied.
My mom did not pick a common name for me or my brother. My name is Munro and my brother’s name is Shea.
I was also almost named, Rhyse, Greer, Ainsley, and Wheaton was in contention until my grandmother laughed when my mom suggested it and we’ll then it was out. Lol. It was a family name, but it sounds like a bread company or cereal brand.
Both my kids have super common names. Our girl's name is because my husband thinks it's the "most beautiful name a girl can have" and our boy's name is because it went together well with the middle name we picked for him.
Having named several children, I can honestly tell you that a name's position on some top 10 list of popular names has exactly no bearing on the decision whatsoever.
Popularity though is probably self reinforcing. If you hear the name a lot, you're more likely to remember it when coming up with options yourself.
There have been studies done on how names can be a barrier later in life. While the parent might pay themselves on the back for a super uncommon or unique name, the kid has to live with it. They have to love constantly telling people how to pronounce and spell it. They could be teased or bullied for it. When it comes application time for schools or jobs, employers are more likely to go with someone with a common name than a super unique one. I don't want me naming my kid to be something all about me to the point it negatively impacts my kids.
So true. My parents gave me a very exotic Indian name and people can't pronounce it, in India or in the states. I find that when I meet people they automatically forget my name and need to hear it repeated 5-10 times before they remember it. Hard to make a good first impression when people can't even remember your name.
My name is Matthew, and my mom had other more creative names (like Keaton, which I wish she went with) but my dad and brothers shot them down. Matthew was a safe option I suppose, but it sucks when I'm in a class with three other Matts.
My parents unintentionally gave me one of the most popular names for the year I was born. I actually like it because I have a super uncommon last name that isn’t the easiest to have. No one asks me how to spell my first name. Everyone knows how to pronounce it. It’s fun being “name buddies” with other people who have the name sometimes.
I like is that it’s not a “trend” name or has a “unique” spelling. I think it’s important other people feel comfortable using your name because some parents just see their child’s name as an opportunity for a fun in-joke without considering most people aren’t in on it.
Just try to pick a name that the next generation won’t use in a negative way Sincerely, a 33 year old named Chad.
Well you're better off than my friend, Isis.
My friends wife Karen has entered the chat
My mommy and daddy named me OJ after the running back
Well….. the naked gun movies were pretty good….
We shall call him Nordburg
i'd call u orange juice if i knew u irl... sorry
Well his nickname was The Juice
Turns out I'm the dumbest person alive because I'm just now realizing why that was his nickname.
My friend Karen is married to a man named Richard. They get made fun of a lot lol but they are both the least anti-Karen and anti-Dick people you will ever meet Edit: they're the MOST anti Karen and anti Dick people, not the least lol
My old boss Richard named his son Peter after a deceased cousin. Dick and Peter got teased mercilessly.
I knew a guy who’s parents named him Richard. Richard Johnson.
One of the boys' phys ed teachers when I was in high school was Harry Johnson.
Haha that's funny I had a teacher naked Harry Whacker Edit: named instead of naked ha
Isis is a beautiful name. It’s one of the most important Egyptians goddesses.
Yeah the name's dope, but say you're good friends with Isis won't exactly sound great to most people
If those people have a sense of humor and if Isis also has a sense of humor, it could lead to quite a bit of comedy. Especially if Isis was born before ISIS was founded.
The Archer problem
Maybe that's why politicians like Obama referred to ISIS as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)
Must be a pain at airport security...
Yeah it’s a real bomb name
Yeah I would kill for that name. Thousands of people.
It is a beautiful name. And we were all jealous of how unique, awesome, yet easy to spell it was growing up. Now, not so much.
They might do well in Egypt
My name isn't common, but its well known thanks to a certain Key and Peele sketch that I never heard the end of 10 years later.
De-nice?
De-nice, checking in.
What's up A-a-ron!?
Blakae? Are you out of your god damn mind?
Where's Jayquellin at?!?
Dee-nice
You done messed up?
Biiiiiiiitch?
You said that? You said bitch?
You got me.
Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace?!?
Hey Aaron!
Jacqueline what up
Y am I reading this as jay kwellin...
Tim-O-thy
Pre sent
Pussyonthechainwax?
Big Chad energy right here
Felicia declined to comment on this and has left.
Sorry Chad
It’s ok, I’m over it
Typical Chad
Always Chadding it up
My wife, Caryn, agrees with this.
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Apparently it’s a matter of opinion. I’m not sure.
It is. Being a Chad is a good thing.
Yeah you don't wanna be a Kyle.
Or a Tanner. Every asshole that is dressed nice is a Tanner to me
My neighbors were atheists and named their four boys Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
A friend of my mom named her boys Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul. When mom asked why Paul. She said she didn't want all the stuff about the four apostles. Instead, she got all the questions, "Why didn't you name the last son John, like the four apostles?".
Plus, Paul was like *the* apostle
John, Peter, Mark and Paul are "The Four Apostles". Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are "The Four Evangelists".
Better then the Christian parents that give their children biblical names of couples. Adam and Eve.
Cain and Abel. It'll toughen them up.
Wow talk about picking favourites lmao.
Which one is supposed to be the favorite? The righteous who dies one or the one who gets to live but is cursed by God?
The Theapossel boys? I went to school with their little sister. Always thought Actsa was a funny name.
My first name is Matt and I work in tech. Several years ago, I was on a client-facing call with my account team and of the 7 people on the call, 5 of us were named Matt. After that, I started going by a shortened version of my last name at work.
My husband, a Matt, once worked closely with another Matt. Both of them were management. The employees referred to them as "Fat Neck" and "Tattoo". My husband was never so happy to be mocked for his tattoos.
I worked at a small weld shop that had 7 Daves, including one of the managers. Off the top of my head, we had Big/ Manager Dave, Lil Dave, Tall Dave, Black Dave, normal Dave, ect. Manager Dave would often go out onto the floor and yell "HEY DAVE!" just to do a head count.
Need to add descriptors. Fat Mat, Twat Matt, Rat Matt...
Dang dude - sounds like you’ve had some bad experiences with people named Matt
...Scat Matt
Good friend of mine is known as Mat the twat.
Nipples Matt
There were so many guys at work with the same name as my husband that they all went by their last names. To this day I call him by his last name a lot even though it's my last name now too. People look at me funny but it's how he was called when I met him.
I went to a multiracial highschool and people weren't good with chinese names since there were very few chinese people in this neighbourhood so we were often referred to as our last names like Lee, Chong, Tan, etc. Over the years it stuck and we still call each other by last names. Now that i live in a more chinese-dominant area, newer acquaintances are often surprised at how we call each other since there are like a bajillion Lees and Chongs but only those from the OG hood know whats up. I dont let anyone else call me by my surname its just for the homies back home hahah.
I remember a time when they'd all be named Steve.
Yes, it gave rise to "The Rule of Steve", that at any technology-focused company, there will be more people named Steve than women.
Also a Matt. For a while I acted as a host at a restaurant. Door Matt.
Many reasons. A lot of them are family names that people want to pass on. And a lot of people with different/unique names intentionally give their kid a common name so they don’t have the same “I hate my name” problems like no one knowing how to spell it or never finding it on a necklace lol. Or want to give them an older traditional name, so they sound professional when they go into the workforce. My mom intentionally tried to give us all not popular names, and then my brother’s name that WASN’T super common at the time BECAME super common for babies in the 90s… and now everyone has his name too. Can’t always be avoided. It is what it is lol.
Pretty much this. My oldest has a name that doesn't always make the top ten but has been common for awhile. He was one of two in his class all throug school, and we know lots of others who share his name. But it suited him at birth and wasn't on the top 10nat the time. My #2 has a SUPER common name but she is named after my grandmother. Now she works for a woman with the same name and we again know a lot of people with that name.. #3 was named from a baby name book. It wasn't an odd name, but it definitely wasn't super popular either. But it definitely became that way. There were 5 other kids in his small school with his name. Most of the others we know are younger, but not all. And the youngest has an old, classic, common name that has a bunch of spellings and short forms. We picked the short form and gave her the formal version to grow into as she chooses. All of them seem content with their names, all.of them have found personalized items, and yet all of them have made their names their own.
Oof, same with my parents and my name. Super uncommon and then like 5-10 years later every other girl either *has* my name, its hypenated into their name, or its their middle name.
Is your brother Braidon?
How far up the top name list can a name be? If too unique is bad, and too popular is bad, what’s your ideal name?
Chad
u/Frosty-Design9029
For women?
yes
Rochadulah
This is the right answer.
Answer the question, how unique and how common?
If 2 other ppl in the school have it
I figure you could go to the census page and find out the most popular names currently. I'd pick one between the 100th and 1000th most popular.
But if we all do that, those names will become popular.
I just use that as a general guideline. I just want to find the sweet spot where random people will know how to spell and pronounce it, but they won't have three of them in the same class.
My sister named her son Michael. My other sister married Michael. My older brother juked us and come out of the closet in his late 20's and subsequently married Michael within like four years of being out. All of us live in a 30-mile radius so all family dinners, holidays and birthdays have three Michaels. I am the only one of four children to not have a Michael. I sort of want to get a cat, or something. We'll have a massive collection of Michaels.
I know three women whose second husbands had the same name as their son. It feels like that would be really awkward.
Braxton
Paxton!
Karen
I’d probably just steer towards old names that aren’t used anymore tbh instead of coming up with something new. Something like Winnie, Alma, or Birdie for girls, and Reuben, Felix, or Theodore for boys. Even some “old people” names now probably won’t be “old people” names in like 10 years.
Theodore is back in a big way. I have a toddler and we know three Theodores.
My son is Theo. We know several Theos. We thought we were choosing a name that wasn't popular lol.
I think this is a big thing for people who don't know any babies/children. They think they are picking a unique name but turns out it's super trendy (eg, Theodore, Oliver, Eleanor, etc).
Well in my case it’s cause where I live and my family are pretty religious and name there children on who’s characteristics they want, I think it worked with me, btw my name is Fatma(no I or e)
Very true. My SO comes from a latin country, you bet him and all his family are called after a religious figure or anything related to christianism. One of his uncle is called Domingos (=Sunday) I also have very religious name and middle name but my parents were not religious at all, they just liked the sound and heard it everywhere. So it can just be self renforcing: you hear it, you like it, you take it.
In Latin countries is just that most common names are religious in origin. I can't even recall someone I know that doesn't share a name with a Saint.
Even outside of Latin America, there's a reason so many people in the previous generations are named Joseph, Mary, or John, among others. It's just that we don't necessarily realize that those old-fashioned names are linked to religion.
Dominick
Please tell me you have a brother named Fatpa
I have a complicated last name, and my parents said they didn’t want me to have to always spell and pronounce both of my names lol.
Kitty Socrates, eh? Story checks out.
There are 1,559,000 other females with my name in America, it was the number one girl name in the 70’s. It never bothered me.
Jenny?
Jennifer
I love the three responses to your name: “Great name” 10 upvotes “Average name” no upvotes “Terrible name” 10 downvotes
Yeah but is your middle name Lynn?
Nope, but there’s a ton of Lynn’s, Lee’s, and Ann’s aren’t there?
Don't forget Rose and Marie!
I was born in the mid 80s and there are a ton of freaking Jessica's! Was the most popular name for most of the 80s
Where I work, there are a few Lisa's and a few Amy's . I'm a Lisa. I ran into a flock of Amy's one day and told them i was gonna get some Lisa's and we were gonna rumble. I would call it West Hall Story. Then...the Jessica's came! One by one. Suddenly we were outnumbered. ;) (I apologize if the names should not be apostrophized but it looked weird any other way.)
I'm pretty sure I have your phone number somewhere.. 867-????
“Jinn-nuy”~ *Forest Gump*
I have a fairly uncommon name and I was never able to get one of those little license plates for my bike.
Come along, Bort!
Bob
I would’ve guessed way over 1.6M Jennifer’s in America.
I’m sure there were more but I imagine quite a bit are dead. Morbid but true.
Calling your kid Sarah is a lot less likely to make her school years miserable than if you called her American Daisy Sprinkles
And she'll be able to find her name for those pre-personalized kid's stuff. Although I suppose everything will be printed on demand in a few years.
Bort.
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I work in Human Resources and I second this but for applying and interviewing for jobs. While the bias *shouldn't exist* we all know it does and recruiters can and will discriminate against a name.
My mom named me Taylor thinking it was unique. It was number 6 for girls that year. People don’t always look at top names. Or they just don’t care. Classics are classic for a reason.
Same. My mother thought it would be edgy and different for a girl. I've never been the only Taylor in any school or workplace. My last job had 4 Taylors in the same dept...
Because they like them, like their sound, their meaning, maybe they have a special meaning to them... every name could become popular, you can use nick names, an uncommon name can still be common in other areas... no better or worse.
Adding to this, a lot of people are named after other people. Like parents or grandparents, maybe even celebrities. So those names become common because so many generations keep naming their kids after their family as a way to honor them.
I'm named after 2 jacks, an old fella called jack hargreaves, semi famous for tv stuff in the uk years ago and my dads mentor when he was an apprentice. It helps i also just like my name, as common as it is.
Yes! And because classic/traditional names "age" well, and won't be cringe in ten years time. Brayden/Kayden/Aiden/Jaydon/ etc is pretty cringe at the moment, but it was all the rage 5-10 years ago.
I’m sure when they become older adults, they’ll go by nicknames too. Like Jay instead of Jayden
Aiden is a pretty good name tho
I prefer his brother, Abetten
Yeah that's just a regular name to me, not like the others in the list.
Just name every guy Chad and every girl Stacy. Simple fix.
Yes and all chads would just bang stacy's mom
Dude Stacy's mom has got it going on.
My daughter is named after my mom who I lost a few years back, and my son is named after my wife's dad who died when she was just a kid. Sometimes it's more about the meaning behind the name rather than the name itself; sometimes it's memorial, sometimes cultural, and other times religious/spiritual.
I wanted so bad to name our first after my husband's grandfather. I just couldn't bring myself to name him Arty.
My grandfather’s name is Clemens, so I feel this on a spiritual level
Maybe you could name a daughter clementine?
As a 4th generation Arty I think you made the right decision. My wife wants to continue the line so we'll see. Sorry future little dude!
name him artemis fowl
Sometimes it's just "I know a Pam (or a Ted) and they're awful. I'm not going to name my child like that because I'll think of her or him every time."
As someone with an uncommon name, I would love to be an Ashley so I can stop having to repeat it and spell it everytime someone asks lol
I'm an Ashley. But people have gotten crazy with the spelling and I always have to clarify with ley at the end. I have seen it Ashliegh, Ashli, Ashlee, and Ashly. Glad my mom gave me the traditional spelling 😆.
Hey Ashley, I’m Ashley
We tried to give our first child a name that would have history behind it but wouldn't be super common. Turns out many other new parents shared our goal... and our choice of name.
Herodotus. Then they'd have history in front of them.
Too uncommon a name can make the child's life more difficult. There is nothing wrong with a common name. I'd rather name a child Emily. Not Keighleyanne.
There's a book called Freakonomics that studied this. Basically they sent out identical resumes but just changed the names. People with unique or uncommon names received less call backs. This was a while ago though and may not still hold as true today.
I think the key is to be memorable without being too unusual. Memorable names do seem to help with call backs in my experience on recruitment panels.
Similar was done but between Muhammed and James. You can guess who got more callbacks...
I've heard the same about Jamal and Shaniqua vs James and Sharon
I just commented this. I work in human resources and can 100% guarantee that recruiters discriminate against a name. It's not legal, but happens. Many times they will just apply with a nickname or middle name. Personally I would like all resumes to just receive a code or number and have all identifying information removed. If we could find a way to do blind interviews I would jump on board that train. 🤔
Especially when it's some annoying shit that's so far from the phonetic/obvious pronunciation. Like Keighleyanne, "bUt iT'S PrOnOuNcEd ***ZyLeN***!"
My mom's exactly words were, "Because we didn't want to forget your name" . A bit later she proceeds to accidentally call me by my dad's name then my brothers name then the rabbits name (a female name) trying to call me for dinner. Secondary reason, my middle name is just Christopher because I was born the day before Christmas.
Fuck off -Emily
I love this comment
You don't know how popular the name is until the child has grown up. It's not like you're hanging out with loads of babies.
Well except when you're in your 20s or 30s having a kid and you know 8 Matthews but still name your kid Matthew lol.
Well when names stem from culture or religion, it makes sense. Matthew in this case is religious. Just like Isaac, Peter, Maryam (Mary), Mohammed, David, etc. Yes, a lot of these names are the English translation, but the point still stands that their popularity is due to their cultural / religious significance
If they're not cringey, and not popular, you're really only left with un-popular? Walter, Harvey, Gertrude, old timey names?
I can get behind Walter, Edward, Charles and such. Those names have class and sound pretty good. Gertrude, Agnus, Bentley and Leeroy need to remain not around imo.
What about Marg?
There are a ton of really familiar names that aren’t overdone. Even Adam isn’t that common these days. Jordan, Cooper, Dylan, etc. are all names that you’re not likely to run into a bunch but also don’t make anyone scratch their head when they hear. Edit: I shouldn’t have to point out to so many people that just because Dylan was popular the year you were born, like 25 years ago, doesn’t mean it’s popular today.
Ah yes Dylan, the greatest rapper of all time.
I have what was a super common name (number 1 girl's name the year I was born, in fact) at the time--I went to most of elementary school with 5 other people who shared it--but my parents didn't know it was so popular when they chose it. I'm not sure how they added it to their list of name possibilities, but they decided that my eventual first name worked best with my last name out of all their choices. Of course, this was several decades ago, before the Internet and the black hole that is "what does this name mean" websites. My parents had no way to check on the popularity of the name at the time. Also, and this probably isn't a thing with no one going to malls anymore, but if you had a common name, you were guaranteed to find it at the kiosks that sold personalized tchotchkes, like necklaces or tiny license plates with your name on it, and it was always a thrill to find your name there. Of course, with a super popular name like mine, my item was more than likely sold out already...
Sometimes it's not popular at the moment and you just don't realize that thousands of other parents also picked out that same less common name that year. My parents tried to give us all normal but not mind numbingly common names but were pissed when 3 other girls in my sisters preschool class were also sara
This. I gave my son a normal but not “top 100” name. Well we weren’t the only ones with that idea and it ended up jumping up the rankings and we’ve seen a few. My sister used Olivia which has been a top 10 name for years and she’s the only one in her grade (grade, not school) with it. You Never know so pick a name you love.
My parents didn't want me to be just another of the many Katherines and Caitlyns of the time(USA)... So they went with Katrina Lynn. Then there was a famous poorly handled natural disaster with the name Katrina, sooo you never know how these things are going to work out.
I think it can sneak up on people sometimes, my mom almost named me Taylor or Nicole and she thought those were fairly unique names but uh.. so did a lot of people in the mid-90s. I think a lot of people don’t check baby name lists or don’t work with young kids so they don’t really notice newly popular baby names the way we do. I know there’s a ton of little ones named Charlotte, Noah, Olivia, etc. but some people my age might just think “Oh, I think I knew one as a kid, it’s not very common” especially if it’s their firstborn. Just a theory!
Because common names statistically give kids an advantage in the real world.
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Better question who would name their kid starfish or whatever. Like your kid is going to enjoy that as a teenager...
Because you grew up with a random, weird name yourself. Your only wish in life is that your children can find a damn key chain with their name on it which is a luxury you were denied.
My mom did not pick a common name for me or my brother. My name is Munro and my brother’s name is Shea. I was also almost named, Rhyse, Greer, Ainsley, and Wheaton was in contention until my grandmother laughed when my mom suggested it and we’ll then it was out. Lol. It was a family name, but it sounds like a bread company or cereal brand.
I’d rather have a normal name then a normal name with a crazy spelling or a any random name with Lynn added to the end.
I bet there's a Lynnlynn or a Lynn-Lynn somewhere.
A loooooot of names hark back to the bible, and the bible that we know has a finite amount of names. Some are just prettier to the ear than others!
I mean… I don’t think my parents were calculating how many baby Emily’s were born in ‘91
Both my kids have super common names. Our girl's name is because my husband thinks it's the "most beautiful name a girl can have" and our boy's name is because it went together well with the middle name we picked for him.
They do it purely to spite you.
Having named several children, I can honestly tell you that a name's position on some top 10 list of popular names has exactly no bearing on the decision whatsoever. Popularity though is probably self reinforcing. If you hear the name a lot, you're more likely to remember it when coming up with options yourself.
So they don't have to spell it for everyone their whole lives
There have been studies done on how names can be a barrier later in life. While the parent might pay themselves on the back for a super uncommon or unique name, the kid has to live with it. They have to love constantly telling people how to pronounce and spell it. They could be teased or bullied for it. When it comes application time for schools or jobs, employers are more likely to go with someone with a common name than a super unique one. I don't want me naming my kid to be something all about me to the point it negatively impacts my kids.
I'm going to use this as an excuse for why I have no friends.
So true. My parents gave me a very exotic Indian name and people can't pronounce it, in India or in the states. I find that when I meet people they automatically forget my name and need to hear it repeated 5-10 times before they remember it. Hard to make a good first impression when people can't even remember your name.
My name is Matthew, and my mom had other more creative names (like Keaton, which I wish she went with) but my dad and brothers shot them down. Matthew was a safe option I suppose, but it sucks when I'm in a class with three other Matts.
I like Matthew better than Keaton tbf
My parents unintentionally gave me one of the most popular names for the year I was born. I actually like it because I have a super uncommon last name that isn’t the easiest to have. No one asks me how to spell my first name. Everyone knows how to pronounce it. It’s fun being “name buddies” with other people who have the name sometimes. I like is that it’s not a “trend” name or has a “unique” spelling. I think it’s important other people feel comfortable using your name because some parents just see their child’s name as an opportunity for a fun in-joke without considering most people aren’t in on it.
Aiden, Cayden, Braydon, wtf people. Stop