Giving your child a really common name.

[Le Chat]

In son no1's class, there are 6 (you read that right!) boys called Matthew. He is 15. In son no 2's class there are 3 boys called Cameron and 3 girls called Emily. (He is 7.)
I was wondering why parents call their children names that are really common and therefore no longer individual?

[hc4361]

A few years ago Irish names were very common for newborns - lots of Siobhans (sometimes spelt Shuvan, Shivaughn, Shivan), Aeduns, Sineads, Keeleys, Liams, Tyrones

[Andyvon]

We had a teacher at school whose surname was De Camp. His nickname was 'Ollie'. He hated it and we couldn't let him hear it.

[Andyvon]

Brilliant Eddie. Reminds me of the parrot.........Oh no! Not that again!

[paddywak]

It's not a new thing HC as I said my middle name is Pádraig, and my two elder sisters are Brighid and Caitlin and I've just turned 63.Mind you we did have four Irish grandparents

[hc4361]

Of course Irish names are nothing new - in Ireland or Irish families.

It just became very chavvy a few years back, with young English mums.

[TOWIE]

My neighbour's newborn grandaughter is called Olive - On the Buses sprang to mind when she told me (:o/

I always wanted to be called Vicky or Sammantha, but got lumbered with Denise...

[Caran]

I was supposed to be called Gayle, my father on the way to the registry office changed his mnd, "We will only have one daughter born at Christmas so she has to be Carol, he did it then had to face my mum with the change of name, it didn' go down well.

[islasmum]

Years ago my older sister and I were sitting in the local Registry office and we could hear someone registering a new baby - and we overheard some of the conversation - "What is the child's first name?" "Buster!" "No, what is the child's real first name?" "Buster!" "Why don't you keep calling him Buster as your nickname for him, and give him a different first name?" - unfortunately we were called into a different office at that point, and never heard how it ended - so if there is a person called Buster (I presume a man?) born in 1984, I hope your parent was talked around to a sensible name by the registrar!

My father was very keen to call me Harriet, but fortunately that did not happen - I honestly didn't twig until my mother and I talked about it in the last few years, my father was Harry! I got lumbered with a not particularly nice name that I have to spell to most people and I always have to spell my surname to everyone. In my year at school there were 5 Susans, 4 Louises, several Elizabeths and Gillians and at least 4 Sarahs. Not an Isobel, Sophie or Emily in sight.

[LoftyLottie]

Nice name Denise ;o)

xxx

[Le Chat]

Thanks for the great response. I think my question has been answered. The answers are varied but from picking the bones out of the responses, it seems that people don't actually realise that a name is already so popular when they decide on that for a name for their child.
My name is Kerris and I have always been grateful to my parents that I was the only one around. Unless, of course we'd've lived in Wales then that name would've been as common as muck and spelt wrong!!

[annie0000]

We moved after we named our kids and now find that we managed to name them after local roundabouts :o(.

I do know some people who have deliberately chosen the most popular name of the time for their kids as they wanted them to have a popular name - I guess it's a bit like following fashion, you either want to have the same as everyone else to have a sense of fitting in or belonging, or you want to stand out and be different.

[Trish9]

Give your kids a number than they can pick their own when they reach their teens. They always alter/change/abbreviate their given names anyway. My most hated are Baz, Chaz, Gaz etc

[grffindoor2011]

Most people like to conform, so pick the same name as their friend who has just had a baby.

Sometimes trends can cause a common name. I remember several friends calling their daughters Britney when Britney Spears was at her peak.