Thoughts on using Popular Names

purplepenguin2011 · July 2013

So my DH wants to name our baby Olivia if it's a girl. Now, i don't hate the name, I'm just not sure about using such a popular name for my child. I just need to hear some thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

TKtravels · July 2013

I've never had to share my name or have an initial tagged on to my name, and H has had the same experience. I can appreciate popular names, but we don't want our children growing up as Sophia K. or Logan K, or to call out their name and have three different children turn and look.

I get the appeal of certain popular names, they're just not for us.

NicoleWI · July 2013

It mattered much more to me with our first child. By the third, I didn't really care that much as long as it was a classic name that we liked. So, we named our third Emily, after my Grandma Millie. Ironically, it's supposedly SUCH a popular name, but she's the only little Emily I've heard of in our social circles.

Especially with girls' names, if you do a Social Security search using number of usages instead of percentages, that can be interesting. Even the very top girl names are used less than the top boy names, because there are so many other girl options.

You can also use the SS Search to look at popularity in your own state. That can be helpful. Olivia might be #3 in one state but #12 in another.

blinnea23 · July 2013

TKtravels:
I've never had to share my name or have an initial tagged on to my name, and H has had the same experience. I can appreciate popular names, but we don't want our children growing up as Sophia K. or Logan K, or to call out their name and have three different children turn and look.
I get the appeal of certain popular names, they're just not for us.

this. I love Olivia but after watching my nieces preschool grad video and hearing three different Olivia's get announced, I have to admit, it's less appealing now.

oneblessedmess · July 2013

I'm pretty against using popular names for our children. Hubs and I both have fairly uncommon first names (at least in our area) and we both love it. We have been trying to stay out of at least the top 100 when it comes to names.

That being said, when you love a name, you love it. There is nothing wrong with giving your child a popular name. It just depends on how you feel. Do you mind that your daughter will most likely at some point have another Olivia in her class, and will spend all year being called "Olivia P." or whatever your last name initial is? Or that if you call her name on the playground, more than one pair of eyes might turn to you? In the long run, it really isn't a huge deal, but it is bothersome enough to me that I would like to try to avoid it, haha.

I also second the PP who suggested checking out the social security website: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/. Just scroll down to the bottom of the list and check out the baby name data. Maybe you're lucky and Olivia isn't as common a name in your area as it is in other places.

Dr.Loretta · July 2013

I like it, and I wouldn't worry about the popularity. I think I only know one Olivia

Helenahhandbasket · July 2013

In this day and age, there's just so much out there-- so many ways to research, dig around and find a name you both really love. We no longer have to rely on maybe hearing the name of a friend's child and saying to ourselves-- "that's pretty, I will use that name."

That being said, there's nothing wrong with using a popular name, but I sense it bugs you a bit. If it does, you have the right to not settle on Olivia.

jezabella · July 2013

I was named the most popular name of my birth year and there were always at least 5 Jessica's in my grade and one or two others in my class. They were everywhere I was growing up and I hated it. Didn't feel special at all. I was/am able to go by Jessie, which not as many of them used, so that helped a bit but still last names had to be used. There seems to be way more variety of names these days though, so even if a name is popular I don't think it will be quite as common as my name was when I was growing up. But I will say after having such a common name, our children will definitely not have a name that's in the top 1000 even!

DaisyZH · July 2013

It's totally up to you, I had a popular name and I was one of I believe 4 in my graduating class. We all used last initials. It really wasn't a big deal except for one teacher that insisted on calling one of us just by the name and the other three as Name 1, Name 2 and Name 3 Hmm . I thought that was rude, probably because I was numer 3 lol.

Anyway, Olivia is a beautiful name, one of my DH's favorites. IRL I only know one baby with that name.

Marsee · July 2013

DH's name is Brian (though it's spelled Bryon). Because of his experience growing up (and his stepdad is named Brian), we were on a mission to find an uncommon name that wouldn't be heard very often. I don't have a problem with popular names, though the judgmental part of me thinks that the parents just didn't try very hard. . . Olivia is a perfectly fine name. If you love it, go with it. And just because it's popular doesn't guarantee that she'll have a bunch of other Olivias in her classes.

ellebee2 · July 2013

The name we chose is the #11 girls name where we live. I honestly didn't even think of the popularity - we both loved the name and I couldn't imagine my little girl being called anything else.

GibsonGirl620 · July 2013

superspecialsnowflake:
We are also considering a name in the "Top 10."nbsp; I was really nervous about it, so I borrowed my neighbor's school directory to see the names of the kids in the early grades in my area.nbsp; Turns out, that in the entire district, in all of the many K8 classes, there are only 7 students with the same name we like.nbsp; That helped to put my mind at ease you may want to do the same.

This isn't a bad idea, but you'll want to consider that those children were named 5 to 13 yrs ago. You may not know many kids with a certain name YET. Your child's peers are all toddlers, infants, or fetuses right now.

lizzybean · July 2013

Our daughter's name, Ella, is popular right now.

I've never met another little Ella and we both loved the name.

I just tell myself the popular names are popular for a reason, because they are great names! Smile

zaramarie81 · July 2013

I don't always mind a name being a little popular, but Olivia is so popular, I crossed it off my list. It's a classic name, but the popularity makes it feel trendy to me (I know several). That said, I do think it's a beautiful name. I wouldn't hesitate to choose it if popularity isn't a big deal to you.

Bexx24 · July 2013

zaramarie81:
I don't always mind a name being a little popular, but Olivia is so popular, I crossed it off my list. It's a classic name, but the popularity makes it feel trendy to me (I know several). That said, I do think it's a beautiful name. I wouldn't hesitate to choose it if popularity isn't a big deal to you.

I really don't think popularity should be a consideration. If you love a name, you love it, and that's all that matters. You have to live with your child, not your childs friends or classmates. An initial after a name never tramautized anyone, and honestly, even the "popular" names aren't in too over abundance. Yes, I know 4 Olivias myself.... but one is an infant, one is an adult, one is in highschool, and one is in elementary. There are lots out there, but it's not like they're all being grouped together at the same time.

In a nutshell- follow your gut. Forget about the numbers.

KStar21 · July 2013

NicoleWI:
Especially with girls' names, if you do a Social Security search using number of usages instead of percentages, that can be interesting. Even the very top girl names are used less than the top boy names, because there are so many other girl options.

What you said is not always true anymore! In recent years the names at the very top of the SSA list have more usage for girls than boys (though after the very top spots it reverts back to the traditional pattern).

SIR12 · July 2013

I love the name Olivia ~ it used to be my top girl's name until it got too popular for me. As a teacher I see a lot of names and have to use last initials for the popular ones. I don't want my kids to be in that situation.

sunlavender · July 2013

Names are popular for a reason. It would be my personal preference to stay away from a top 50 name, but if you both love it, you should use it.

LadyXaverian · July 2013

If you love Olivia (I'm not sure that you do...) use it. Sure, she could end up being Olivia Lastinitial, but that can happen with any name. For example, I was the only Sarah in my class from K-5th grade, but there were 2 Leannes, 2 Nadines, and 2 Craigs. None of those names were "popular" while mine was at the top of the charts, and yet we had 2 of each in my class.

ap142193 · July 2013

I love Olivia as name. Im an "Ashley" so I can 100% appreciate not wanting to use a super common name. I wouldnt want to use a name in the top 10, but other than that, popularity doesnt bother me so much.

toadstool 0511 · July 2013

Meh. My name was kinda popular growing up. I actually liked and still do meeting people with my name. I think that's the biggest issue have, is their child going by Olivia R or Olivia S. Popularity isn't a problem for us, if you love it go for it.

Bottom line use the name you love.

PinkyFloyd73 · July 2013

sunlavender:
Names are popular for a reason. It would be my personal preference to stay away from a top 50 name, but if you both love it, you should use it.

This exactly.

stahlop · July 2013

You just never know with names. DH could end up being the only Olivia in her grade. Whereas, even nonpopular names could have many people with it. I had two Annika's last year. How often do you hear that name?

danabsd · July 2013

If you love it use it. Who cares.

I don't mind popular classic names. I just hate popular trendy names. Follow?

shortstuff15 · July 2013

jezabella:
I was named the most popular name of my birth year and there were always at least 5 Jessica's in my grade and one or two others in my class. They were everywhere I was growing up and I hated it. Didn't feel special at all. I was/am able to go by Jessie, which not as many of them used, so that helped a bit but still last names had to be used. There seems to be way more variety of names these days though, so even if a name is popular I don't think it will be quite as common as my name was when I was growing up. But I will say after having such a common name, our children will definitely not have a name that's in the top 1000 even!

See and I also had a popular name for my birth year. There were at least 3 of my name in the same class from K to 12. I never minded being Name Initial. I was unique because of my interests and personality, not my name. I was 100% able to feel special.

Both of our girls have names in the top 10 for the year they are born and we haven't heard of any of their same name, for their age, yet. We've heard other kids with the same name, but always a year or more older or younger, none who would be in the same class.

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