My kids have names that are more on the unique side, we did that on purpose. We're both teachers and found too many names held memories of former students and just wanted fresh names for our kids. So Sawyer and Hudson are our name choices. Today I got a gift for the boys in the mail from my cousin - one gift was for baby Hunter. Close? Yes, but it's not Hudson. I was a little annoyed I'll admit. We aren't super close but close enough that she should know my kid's name.
DH and I got into a discussion where I said unique names are more memorable because everyone I've encountered has sort of thought about their names, repeated them and then commented. Most often I've heard people say something along the lines of that name is "different"
DH says that their names are more easily forgotten because they are unique. Since they aren't your typical Michael, John, etc. names they'll just fall right out of memory.
So what do you think? Unique = Memorable or not so much?
Re: Help me settle a bet...
Sorry, but I have to side with your husband on this one. I'm the type of person who has trouble remembering names and faces even when the names are common and normal. Add in a "unique" name, and I get even more confused. We know someone who named their baby girl Marley. I'm constantly fighting the urge to call the kid Molly. Because Marley just doesn't quite register unless I really think about it. It's just not a normal kid name to me, you know?
sorry I can't settle your bet. I think something like PP's Linus is memorable because it doesn't sound like anything else or resemble a more "common" name. But our name Brynleigh, people always mess it up and call her something similar.
FWIW I love your boys names
June Siggy: Fave pic of Aubrey and me
I think unique names are more memorable. (I might be biased.) But when I meet someone new if their name is something like (no offense to anyone with these names) Jennifer or Stephanie, the second time I meet them, I panic, "What was her name?" and then every common name comes to mind--"Was she Jennifer? Stephanie? Michelle?" etc., etc.
Also, it's just easier for people to "find" you if they need to. When people email me and ask if I'm "the writer, Shaindel Beers," I wonder how many Shaindel Beerses they think there are? I totally friended the wrong writer Michael Palmer on Facebook once. Totally embarrassing!
That's probably not going to happen to Sawyer, Hudson, or Linus :-)
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I think they're harder to remember because you don't hear them often. Like, if it was Michael, I know so many Michaels that if someone I knew named their child that, I'd immediately remember because it's a name I'm familiar with.
DH's cousin named his boys Hudson and Keaton. It took me several times being told to remember Keaton's name. Of course, I wouldn't have sent a gift without double checking to make sure I had his name right!