Why to use a Popular Name!

Happy Thursday Everyone! I’m back again with my popular name series (this is number 2, go check out number one, which was posted on December 12). This time I’m going to talk about reasons to possibly use a popular name, if you’re unsure about popularity and naming! Let’s get started!

1. Most will be able to spell it.

I say most, because there is always going to be that one person who misspells a name that should be obvious to spell (like my name, it’s a word, but it got spelled wrong at Starbucks one time). BUT most people will be able to spell Emma or William, but not a lot of people are going to be able to spell Lachlan or Sarai, which can be a huge hassle.

2. Most will be able to pronounce it.

Again, I say most, because there are those weirdos out there who don’t know how to pronounce the most common of names. I firmly believe in the pronoucability (ß is that a word) of names. Pronunciation changes a name, it makes it a different name, and so if you use a name that gets pronounced wrong, then isn’t your child being called by a different name? Little story for you: I have a friend, her name is Annika (prn. AWN-eh-kuh), but for some reason everyone pronounces it (uh-NEE-kuh) and she hates it SO much!

3. It won’t become popular

You know that feeling that “this name is going to take off” feeling? Well, if you use popular name, there is no fear in all of a sudden it becoming popular, because it already is. There will be no celebrity who all of a sudden comes on the scene and makes the name popular. You won’t think your being unique for the name to all of a sudden rise 500 places to number 50, which has been known to happen.

4. Celebrity associations won’t be as strong

There’s only one Miley, there’s only one Cee Lo, but Elizabeth? Justin? Nobody would ever say when you used those that you were naming your child after a celebrity (even if you are). And if that celebrity happens to go the wrong way, then there will be no backlash, as compared to a Miley who was named five years ago.

5. Naming a child is a game of chance

Who says that your Olivia will be one of 5 in her grade? Who says you’re the only one in your neighborhood with the idea to name your child Lachlan? I know 1 Ava and 1 Olivia, I also know 4 Brennas. I know 1 Luke but 2 Lucas (I don’t live in a heavily Italian area).

6. Less people are being named the top names now

At one point, every 1 in 4 girls was named Jennifer, now nothing is even close to being that popular. If you look at the number one girls name right now for 2012 (Sophia) it was given to 1.15% of all baby girls born, that’s about 22,000 babies, and in the grand scheme of things, that’s not too many. Especially compared to the 7.23% of babies named Mary in 1880. People are using the popular names less and less now, so the actual chances of your child being “one in five” is a very small chance!

7. They will be “one in five” for a small part of their life

Once you leave school, the chances of you being called First Name Last Initial go downhill fast. I haven’t been called Grace H. in YEARS and I actually am one in five Graces in my grade. You are only in school for a little part of your life, so is it really worth it to give your child a hard to spell, hard to pronounce name just so they can be different for those 13-17 years?