We have a very, very common last name, so we're trying to make sure the name we pick for our little girl due in March is not popular. Our original groundrule was that it should be out of the top 200, but we really like a name that's around 110 (and rising from prior years).
What do you consider "popular"? Out of the top 200? 100?
coconut / 8861 posts
Our LO's name is in the Top 5 for 2012. He's currently the only one in his class with the name.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
Meh. E has a top 10 name. The only little girl I know with the same name...lives in another state 
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I think top 20 is too popular. I like classic names and they are popular right now.
pomegranate / 3643 posts
We didn't really worry about it. Since now then"popular" thing is choosing an unpopular name, there aren't many kids with even the most popular names.
We have one name that isn't in the top 1000 and one that is in the top 100.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
Xander's in the top 10 (I think). It's a classic, so I don't care that it's popular!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
Too popular for me is when 1) I know a real-life 1-2 degrees of separation, 2) a real-life, but not personally known, and 3) a fictional character.
Examples: Aiden (pick a spelling), Charlotte
The name is popular IMO, but not necessarily off limits. Some names are common, but I wouldn't consider them popular as-in buzz worthy/ trendy/ cool kids.
pear / 1787 posts
i think you'd be totally safe with a name around 110. you really can't predict other kids names so you could choose a name that's outta the top 1000 and still end up knowing someone else with that name! i think as long as it's not in like the top 20, you're probably fine. i wanted named out of the top 100 and i think all of ours are waaaaaaaaay lower than that.
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
I don't worry about it. I figure, if you LOVE a name and think it is right for your LO, choose it. That matters far more than popularity and it would be disappointing to be a name you like less just to avoid popularity.
(Easy for me to say, though, as neither of my kids have popular names and we weren't faced with that decision.)
pineapple / 12526 posts
I was adamant about picking a less common name because mine is a stupid common 80s name and I hated it. We ended up just picking one we loved. It was above top 20 when we chose it, its now almost top 10 2 years later.
Oh well, to be honest. "Popular" names arent honestly what they used to be. For instance, in 2013 the top names were Noah with 18090 births and Sophia with 21075 births. In 1985, it was Micheal with 64883 births and Jessica with 48344 births. Thats a WAY more diluted pool now.
pomelo / 5326 posts
Ours is top 3 but it doesn't bother us too much. She goes by her nickname anyways.
pomegranate / 3768 posts
I consider top 20 to be popular. DD's name is top 10 and it doesn't bother me. I liked her name way before it became popular so I say pick what you love!
grapefruit / 4441 posts
If I had a super common last name, I'd shoot for a name out of the top 50, and maybe outside of the top 100. I think at 110 you are totally fine.
grapefruit / 4089 posts
I generally go with the top 100 as being "too popular" for me, but that probably stems from having an incredibly popular name growing up and being one of 6 in my class every year 
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
We stay out of the top 50, but if we found a name we LOVED we would use it, we just like less traditional so they tend to be out of the top 100.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
I worry about trendy more than popular. For us there wasn't a "too popular." Elizabeth was #10 in 2013 and is one of the most classic names there is...I'd use it in a heartbeat.
grapefruit / 4441 posts
@loveisstrange: I was going to say that too... a popular name now is still far less common that the popular names in earlier years, since there is more name variety now in general.
persimmon / 1171 posts
@loki: I second this.
DH's name is super unpopular (not even in the top 1000 names) and I still know 4 different people with his name, now LO has said name. DD's name was in the top 50 and we have yet to meet anyone IRL with her name
pomelo / 5258 posts
Our last name is in the top 5 surnames and DH's first name is #1 for his year. He hates his name because he is never the only one in an office, at a party, or on the block with that name. He's also an identity thief and debt collector target because of the common first common last combo. I don't think we'd choose something in the top 50. LO1's name isn't in the top 1000 (neither is mine).
clementine / 880 posts
@loveisstrange: that's a great point! even the most popular names aren't as common!
Plus it doesn't take as much of an increase to jump from spot 110 to 109 as it does from 10 to 9, since the total volume of names at those higher rankings is smaller, so it's easier to "pass" another name.
@lawbee11: i agree with your point, too, Elizabeth is always classic!
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
Pick a name you love and don't worry about how popular it is. We have a common last name and Liam is in the top 5, but there are no other Liam's in his class, or even in his whole preschool, as far as I know.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I grew up in the era of Jennifer and Jessica, I think there were always at least two girls in class with the name and they had to go with the last initial...so I am aware of that and picked a name that's not super frequently used and is actually going down in the rankings!
persimmon / 1343 posts
The most popular girls names change really frequently, it is hard to predict how popular a name could get (you might change a name that is 200+ now and next year it could be like 175), so I wouldn't worry about it and would just go with the name you love! My daughter's name (Luna) went from #343 in 2010 to #185 in 2013 - quite a jump! But I still don't know any other little girls named Luna haha.
kiwi / 661 posts
The top names aren't as popular as they used to be. I don't have time to do all the googling now, but back in the day the top 10 represented a much higher percentage of overall names than it does now. I think 110 is totally fine. I'm still avoiding the top 20 but I wouldn't pause at 110!
kiwi / 661 posts
also I have a common-ish last name and a pretty common first name and I love that I'm not google-able. If you type in either of my names (maiden or married) you can't find me in the first 10 plus pages of results! There are some perks!
grapefruit / 4770 posts
My first name was top 1-3 allllll through the 80's. There's no such thing as too popular for me lol! As long as you love the name, I think you're fine.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
I would say top 20 is definitely popular and would try to stay out of top 50 (but if I really loved a name, would still go with it).
I think at 110, you'd be just fine!
pineapple / 12566 posts
I think you should just pick a name you love. As others have said, there is a big difference between popular and classic. Both of my kids have classic names. My daughter's is in the US top 100 and my son's has been in the French top 10 for a decade (he's half French).
Eta: my son's first name is super popular and our last name is one if the top 10 in France. We had no fear.
grapefruit / 4819 posts
Well, both of my girls have names in the top 10, so obviously that's not too popular for me! And that being said, I have yet to come across any other kids their age with the same name, so as others have said, a popular name now is still less common than the popular names of 20 years ago.
Honestly, if you love a name, go for it. You could pick a less common name, but unless you go totally you-neek, there is always going to be a chance there will be another kid with that name. And if that is the case, would you be more disappointed because you thought you had avoided that situation by picking a less common name, only to find out you were wrong?
persimmon / 1043 posts
I told myself I didn't want a name that was too popular but DD is top 40 and DS is top 5. DH and I just couldn't agree on others. In reality, though, no other children in their classes have the same name! BUT, I do know of two other couples who have the same pair of names for their kids, haha (we have mutual friends but are not friends, ourselves). Apparently, the names go well together!
bananas / 9229 posts
I've got the second most frequent (popular?) last name and that never factored into things... I attribute popular first names with how many people/LOs I know with that name.
pomegranate / 3658 posts
I'm much more inclined to favor names that are ranked #500 and above. We aren't really considering anything in the top 100. I've even been poking around in the above-1000 list, since I really like the idea of LO going through life not knowing anybody with the same name.
grapefruit / 4800 posts
Our oldest is right around 115 or so too and There's been a few kids we've heard with her name on a playground or out and about but it doesn't seem common or frequent.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
@LaughLines: I agree with PP about knowing other's with the name. Just because something is popular on paper, that doesn't mean it's popular in your region.
I probably wouldn't do top 100. It increases the chance of some idiot ruining the name for your kid later in life! 
pomegranate / 3706 posts
I'd consider top 100 popular. We picked things outside the top 500 because I HATED having the same name as girls and boys on my classroom every single year growing up.
pomegranate / 3904 posts
We also have an extremely common last name, so we wanted names that aren't too common. I think out of the top 100 would be our cutoff, but if we REALLY liked a name with a higher ranking, we would probably go with it anyway.
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