If you always loved a name...

Squirrel29

would you still use it despite it being hugely popular right now?  Since I was a little girl I always wanted to name my daughter Emma w/the MN Leigh (which is DH's name too).  I've been looking through every book I can get my hands on to find some other girl name that feels just right but so far nothing seems to fit.  What do you all think?

rebus82

DH and I both always liked the name Milo. Now that it's been creeping up the SSA list for the past few years, we're not really even considering it any more (despite it still being in the 500s I believe). I realize the likelihood of him ever knowing another kid by that name is slim, but there are too many names out there for me to use one that I feel is on its way to becoming trendy (or already there in some cases).?

mrsekins

I've bagged names because they're becoming too popular. 
But it all depends - they are popular for a reason.  The top ten names are all good names.  So if you love the name just use it. 

LMS05

I have loved the name Emily since I was 10 years old and I planned to name my first daughter Emily. My brother's gf was named Emily and I thought it was the most beautiful name. DH LOVES Emily too. It's just too popular now, which makes me sad.?

Aligator28

I'm not a fan of using popular names. That being said, if you've always loved the name, and you can't find a name that you love as much or more, use it.

ilenegrace

I believe you should name your kid what you want to. Its not like you will have 5000 Emma's in your house.... just one. Its really not a big deal to me if a name is popular as long as its the first in your fam.

getnmarried910

Yes.  I don't care about popularity.  If I like a name, I will use it.

DMDavidson

Aligator28:

I'm not a fan of using popular names. That being said, if you've always loved the name, and you can't find a name that you love as much or more, use it.

I agree.?

ttmccoot

i have decided not to use the two girls' names i've always liked (ruby and mia) for two reasons...

they ARE climbing in popularity, and they do not go with my last name. at all.

oh, well... i have better ones in mind!

EmmaRain

Here's what I think. You should use it.

If you look at the Soc. Security list of names, even the most popular names are not used that much, relatively speaking. If you look at 50 years ago, the number one female name was used 55,000 times that year (the name was Mary), and the number one male name was used 85,000 times (it was Michael).

If you look at the list for this past year, the number one female name was only used 18,600 times (Emma) and the number one male name was used 22,000 times (Jacob). If you consider the population of the US, that is not a very large number.

People are using more names in general, so the top names are not as "over-used" as people assume. Also, the social security name list does not take into account alternate spellings. When you count all alternate spellings in with the name totals, the number one name was actually Sophie last year. I'll post a link when I find the site that cross indexes alternate spellings. I can't seem to find it!

CourtneyRDH

I don't care if a name is popular, but I don't want a trendy popular name like Sophia. It popped out of no where and in a few years will be gone. This is what I'm avoiding.?

CourtneyRDH

cmeon_the_water:

The popular names (perhaps, with the exceptions of Nevaeh/Neveah and the -ayden/aiden/aden trend are popular for a reason! If you love it, absolutely, go with it!

They are popular, because they are popular. Not because they are fantastic names. If that was the case, they would always be popular like Elizabeth or Katherine. ?

smismar

No.  I've always liked the names Madeleine and Sophia, but I wouldn't use them because of popularity.  When we were looking, I wouldn't even consider anything in the top 100 and preferred names that were 200 or higher.  The name we chose was well into the 500s and I'm very happy with that.

Squirrel29

Thanks for all the responses - its nice to get some perspective on this from such a broader cross section than me and DH!!

ENev

Chiming in late ...

I'm torn on this, as well. My favorite girl's name has been Ella for at least 10 years. Nothing else seems right for my little girl! But it's just SO popular.

We sort of came up with a compromise ... we'll name our girl Gabriella but then call her Ella, that way it's a little less popular and she has the option to go by her full name when she grows up.

Of course, I don't have to deal with it yet since I'm having a boy, so I could change my mind.

But I say go with the name you've always loved! 

BinksMomma3016

If you love it thats all that matters I think. Im pretty sure we are going to name our son Jack. Very plain and popular name but I dont care I love it!

berry25

Yup, if it was my special name and I had always loved it, I would use it.  I got lucky that the name I adored for a girl was not in the top 50, but if it had been number one, I would have used it anyway.

dbucksbebe

Don't be a nonconformist just for the sake of it.  It isn't high school.  If you like something, then use it!  Even if you choose a name in the 500's, you won't be the first or the last to use it.  And FWIW, my mom thought she was choosing a unique name when she named me.  Unfortunately for her, Amanda ended up being the most popular name that year.  Just pick what you like, it isn't a (non)popularity contest.

Lola'sDogMom

Yes, the boy name I love is uber popular right now but I picked it out in 9th grade (10+ yrs ago). I seriously have it written in a journal that I will name my son that so I'm not changing my mind. And back then I was made fun of for how weird that name was. Not it's in the top 50!

houndbaby

I always loved the name Jacob, even though its very popular I still used it

squeakerabudhbabi

I'm not really "trendy", if I like something, I like it - whether it's a fad at the time or not.  So, for me, if you've always loved this name, I'd say go for it.  I mean, how were you to know that eventually it would be super popular?  It won't stay that way forever, trends are always changing.  Use the name you really love; otherwise you might regret it.

irish city girl

No.  My names is not hugely popular, but it was popular enough in school that I had to go by my first name and last initial several times.  I would rather my child be the only one in their class with their name.  I can see both side of the argument, but that's my personal preference.  I would like to stay away from names in the top 100. 

amoureux

Use it.   If this is the name that in your heart was always going to be your little girl's name, that is the name you should use.

EXL311

I say if you love it, use it.  It is a beautiful name.

mrsc720

If I like the name, I'll use it. I might use popularity to narrow it down. How about using the name Emmalee?

BAnnF1018

We have sooo many school aged children named Emma now, maybe by the time your child is in school there won't be as many?

JnJHud

I feel your pain! I have ALWAYS loved the name Jack, and it's an important family name for both DH and me. I hear it all the time now, though.... but we'll probably use it anyway because the significance is so strong.

GL!

soon-to-beamrs

Personally I would rather use a name I loved that was popular than an uncommon one that you don't.  FWIW, I think Emma's such a pretty name!