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Ok. So.

How come when names become popular and 'mainstream' such as Aiden and Elijah, everyone who previously liked them suddenly goes 'Eww. They're so mainstream.'? I mean, seriously? I've liked the name Aidan since I was a little girl. And I almost named my eldest son Elijah before it became a fad, becuase I loved it so much.

I don't think that I should have to compromise the tastes that I have in the names that I choose for my children simply because everyone thinks I'm only choosing it becase it's mainstream. Which wouldn't be the case at all.

I've seen people who LOVE the name Aidan. And then, they find out that everyone's naming their son or daughter a variant spelling on the name - and suddenly the name's not so appealing. What the heck? I mean, if you liked the name before - why don't you like it now? Can somebody please explain that to me?

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My eldest son's name is spelled 'wrong,' so the speak. His name is Kaleb John. We wanted something that strayed from Caleb but was essentially the same. Needless to say, it's caused some pretty interesting nicknames. *chuckles* But, if a parent wants to spell their child's name a certain way - that's their perogative. I would just advise they take into consideration the feelings of the child as they grow.

Caleb is the anglicized version of the hebrew Kalev, so you're closer than most anyways ;) It's hard dealing with people's perceptions, though I find issues of cultural differences make most of it for me - My husband and I are hoping to have a nother child and name it after his grandfather who passed away last year, and if it is a girl, the honouring name is most likely to be Davidya and some people are so *grr* at anything including a 'y' in an unexpected place and put it down to trendy regardless of it being used for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

Can't help people's perceptions though - I just like older/'odd' names; though some are coming into the cycle of 'trendy' (Celtic names, job names like Mason) but I'm not too worried about it, there will be a new trend in a few years anyways to avoid ;)

How are you pronouncing Davidya?
I graduated with a girl names Davida, pronounced Da-vee-da. I thought it was very pretty.

I could have been Davida. But thats only because my dad loves the song, Inna ga da davida.

I've always heard Davidya pronounced as Da-veed-ya, which is quite similar to Davida.

See, I don't see how Elijah is really THAT popular. It's only #29, which is a far cry from Aiden/Aidan, which when you add the spellings together far surpasses even Jacob, and that's not even including all the variations of Jayden, Kayden, Brayden, Zayden, Tayden, etc. etc. etc.

I don't mind 'main stream' names like Elijah, Emily, Hannah, Ethan, Matthew, William, John, etc., but I dislike the trendy ones that are suddenly SO popular after never having been around - like Aidan, Brayden, etc. Aidan is the only one I can tolerate, because it's an actual name that wasn't made up.

I think the problem is that people don't want their kids to fit into some 'mold' with the other kids, and have people assume things and be like, "Oh, did your mom watch Sex and the City a lot?" or something like that because of the time period in which the name was popular. It's like all the boys named Dylan in the 90s because of Beverley Hills 9021, or all the girls currently being named Neveah because of this (http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-18-2006-96595.asp).

I think it's one thing to go with a 'main stream' name if it's a classic, timeless name that has been around for generations and isn't going to fall out of popularity almost immediately and leave a generation of Neveahs or Zaydens looking weird, but I think most parents want to avoid that.

Then again, there are also the parents who are absolutely obsessed with making sure their child 'sticks out' and doesn't have the same name as anyone else. But I think the sticking out is better left to personalities, so it's the kid's choice. Instead of having them be the only Gfgigjgjgiog in their Kindergarten class and sticking out so obviously, let them stick out as a Henry or a Ryan and make that choice for their themselves.

I don't know if I really answered you, but my theory on the popularity/mainstream of names is that classic/popular=okay; trendy/popular=not okay.

Aidan is somewhere between the two, because while it started the naming trend of adding a letter to the beginning of the name and calling it 'unique', it is a classic name with a lot of history, it just wasn't popular in the US until the mid to late 90s, and then it sky rocketed after Sex and the City.

That was actually really well worded. Thank you for the comment.

My idea is that I chose Aidan as a name to possibly use with my last child - or possibly the child I'll have in a few years because it's a European name. Like Cael, or Donovan - it's commonly used in Ireland and Scotland, which is where my ancestors are from. And I believe that choosing a name because of it's heritage and how it's going to affect your child in the long run is really important. To me.

I think, moreso, that it would upset me if I named my son Aidan, and then in the longrun somebody assumed it was because it was a mainstream name along the way. That wouldn't be the reasoning at all.

I guess I just hate the assumptions that people would make.

Also - I don't like the idea that somebody would choose to not name their child something simply because everyone else is doing it. Personally, if I'd had that named picked out long before it became a trend, I'd be amused that other people wanted to use it. (What I did became a trend, essentially.)

I agree that it's really important to choose a name that means something, and I don't think that a name being trendy necessarily means that you should ever ever ever use it. My favorite names range from the not-in-top-1000 ones like Thatcher, Harriet, and Louisa, to the mega popular Emily, to the popular-but-not-horribly-so Elliot, Catherine, and Juliet. I think if the name means something to you, you don't mind the popular/unpopularity of it, and it's not going to cause your child harm when it comes to applying for jobs or being taken seriously as an adult (for example, naming your kid Ahlyzybethe is probably not a great idea), then it's an individual choice and other people should keep their mouths shut. I think people in this community are just pointing out their own biases and saying, "I don't think it's a great idea to name your kid something that practically every other kid in the world is being named right now." But really, when it comes down to it, all of the Jennifers and Ashleys of the 80s weren't horribly scarred (I was one of seven Lindsays in my high school class and I am perfectly okay with my name), so it's really not that big of a deal if you don't mind the popularity of it.

If you want to use Aidan, I'd suggest (a) make sure that you spell it as Aidan and not as Ayddin or any of the other variations that ARE trendy and will make you look like you ARE fitting into the trends; (b) give a middle name that's more unique and not fitting into the trends of today (ie, don't name him Aidan Jacob and expect him to be able to use his middle name if he doesn't like the popularity of his name); and (c) ignore the comments other people make. Eventually people will get over it; by the time the kids were in kindergarten, people had stopped commenting on all of the Jessicas, Ashleys, Lindsays, and Jennifers of the 70s and 80s, so the comments and assumptions will probably be short lived.

If a name that I like suddenly becomes extremely popular, it's not that I stop liking it, it's that I personally don't want to use it anymore.

I like a lot of really popular names: Michael, Matthew, Andrew, William, Joseph, Emily, Emma, Ava, Elizabeth, Natalie, etc. I even like Aidan. But especially when you've got names like Aidan or Ava, that suddenly spike in popularity, it makes some people think twice, because a) now there's a really good chance that Aidan will constantly have other Aidans in his class/sports team/workplace and a lot of people don't want that, and b) if a name suddenly shoots up in popularity, there's a good chance that it will fall again, and the kid will be stuck with the 2000s equivalent of what Jennifer and Stacey were to the 80s.

So I don't think it's an issue of not liking the names anymore, just an issue of not wanting to use them. Of course, some people get sick of names that they once liked, if they hear them over and over again.

i can say personally, i liked the names Aiden & Caden for a long time growing up. they were names from my family tree - the irish side - and i'd never really heard of anyone with them other than an actor (Aiden Quinn). but now that i've reached the time and age in my life when i can start having children, ppl have picked up on them and butchered it to be 'yoo-neek' & 'kree-8-yv' and it is ANNOYING. so yea, i won't use them. mostly b/c growing up i had friends like me, who had names that weren't so common in our classes, and then friends who had at least 4-6 other girls in our class/grade with the same name. and they hated it. they wished they had something to make them differentiated.

when i was 19 i made my list of names. (before i foudn this site) and Caden Asher was my absolute #1 favorite! until i did research and saw how many ppl had that name or a derivitive thereof. and i don't want my kid growing up in school where when the teacher calls out: 'Caden!', five boys have to respond: 'which one?' when my son is being spoken to i want him to know it. ya know?

but that's just me. maybe i'm partial b/c of growing up with a not-so-common name that i liked that feeling and wish my kids to know it. so yes, popularity and common-ness of a name does infulence my choice in using a name.

Growing up with a name that was at least spelled differently than everyone else's was a unique experience for me. My name is Tanyia. Pronounced Tawn-yuh. I can sympathize with the idea that you'd want your child to have a different name than every else.

But why comprimise what you like - love - because of the choices of a whole bunch of other people you don't even know?

Christianity is a 'popular' religion and nobody sacrifices their beliefs because 'everyone else is doing it.' Why should naming a child be any different?

b/c i chose the name for family and heritage pride. it's 1/2 the reason why i fell in love with them. the other 1/2 was b/c they were names that were around, but not so common that if you swung out in a crowd you'd be gauranteed to hit at least 2-3 with that name.

and i don't want my kid to have a different name in the sense that i'm gonna mispell or research such an obscure name that NO one knows what the hell kinda drugs i was one when naming my kids.

for example, my name is Alexandria. Chosen b/c my dad is a history nut; he gave me my full name from Ancient Greek/Egypt, but my NN 'Alix' was from Russian history. now, the name/nn 'Alex' is not bizzare or unusual. MOST girl 'alex's are Alexandra's rather than Alexanria's. there are boy 'Alex's too. but growing up it wasn't THAT common. i liked that.

i would and choose to NOT use the name Aiden or Caden b/c *my* reasoning and what i would tell my son when he asks how i chose his name, would not be what ppl saw. they wouldn't see or bother to listen (or if they did , go "pfft! right.") that i did it for love of where my family came from. they'd see that i was just anther 18-30 year old in the early 2000's to jump on the stupid bandwagon.

and i get the correlation btwn religion and a name, but at the same time i don't see how choosing ones faith and naming a child is the same. b/c you personally choose what you want to believe - you don't choose your name. but you can change both. :)

You don't have to compromise your taste. It is a choice.

Some people want to give their children unique names. They don't want their child to go to kinder and be one of 5 Aidens.

But, if that doesn't bother you then YAY you can use Aiden! Which by the way, I think it is a nice name. But to be honest, it has lost its appeal to *me* since it has become so popular.

I'm actually more partial to Gabriel at the moment. Though we're hoping out next time will get us a girl. hah.

My other two are...

Kaleb John
-and-
Tristan David

I rather like the name Tristan. Though I've noticed that since Tristan and Isolde came out - it's becoming a more common trend. At least around here. *shrugs*

I like Tristin too. But for a girl. Actually, the only Tristin I have known *is* a girl.

Tristan is a Welsh name that's ages old. It's traditionally a male's name. The story of Tristan and Isolde was originally both just a story and an opera. It's believed that the spell for Tristan was chosen for the french word 'triste' which means 'sad.' An appropriate word to use, considering how the story of Tristan and Isolde progresses.

If this was in reference to the post I made earlier, I apologize, I didn't mean to offend people who like that name. I don't dislike the -ayden names because they're popular, I just dislike them. I named my son Adrian even though it's becoming more popular every year and already knew other little kids named Adrian, because I've loved the name my whole life. I also intend to use the name Avery for my next son, for the same reason, even though it seems every other kid, boy or girl, has that name now. As the other's have said, obviously don't let other people's dislike or overuse of a name discourage you. There'll always be someone who doesn't like it.

I love the names Aiden and Addison, but would be hesitant to use them becuase I don't want my child to be one of 4 or 5 Aiden/Addisons in his/her class. It doesn't mean that I like those names any less because of popularity though.

I think it's funny and ironic that the individual people who want their kids name to be "different" and not mainstream, collectively make up a group of people who are trendy themselves. I mean, if we're talking "indie" names - Atticus, Thatcher., Sawyer and the rest of those off-the-wall names are very trendy. You've probably noticed they're extremely popular in this community. None of it really matters in the end, though. Everyone should name their kid whatever in the hell they want.

There are really only like two people who have the name Thatcher on their list. I've only seen it on one other person's other than my own, and I don't know how you can call a name that isn't even in the top 1000 'trendy' - less than 200 kids are named that each year; that's far from a 'trend.'

Plus, I don't think that people like those names because they want their kid to be 'different,' they like them because they like them. My favorite boy's name? Thatcher. My favorite girls' name? Emily.

Edited 2008-01-18 18:24 (UTC)

I don't think she meant that the name Thatcher is trendy I think she meant naming your kids things like 'Atticus, Thatcher and Sawyer' is trendy. There's a bit of a difference.

I've seen it on many lists; it's growing. And I meant it is trendy in the crowd of people who prefer non-mainstream names.

I do think a major reason for most peoples dislike of a name when it becomes popular is that "everyone" is using it; likewise I think their like for names that are uncommon is because no one is using it and their child will be different.

A lot of the appeal of a name is hinged on the fact that it is not common or heard often. When a nae becomes mainstream, it means people have heard of it before. I like to have people think the names I like are a bit unique - not because they're strange but because they're not common.

Aiden has always sounded like a girl's name to me. So that's why I don't like it... but Elijah is lovely and I really don't think it's that common.

It doesn't make me dislike the name, I just get tired of hearing it.

I wouldn't use it because I grew up with a name in the top 5 the year I was born and its really awful to have five other people with your name in your class. But my favorite names are becoming popular and if they are still popular when I do have children and I still like them I'm going to use them.

My top 4 boys names:
Michael
Christopher
James
Daniel

I obviously do not care about popularity.

I still like the names once they become popular, I just don't want to use it as much as I did before it was popular. My name is Jennifer and all through school I had to be called something different so when the teachers called on us we knew which one it was. My best friends name was even Jennifer and everyone called us Jennifer A. and Jennifer G.

Ditto this, except take out "Jennifer" and substitute "Amanda".

I've loved the name Brayden for YEARS. Since way before the Aiden trend. Had my first been a boy, I would have surely used it.

Now after seeing the Aiden trend (Aiden, Jaden, Brayden, Hayden, Caden, etc), I won't use it. I still LOVE it. The fact that it's trendy doesn't make me like it any less... but I was born in '85, when Amanda was the 3rd most popular name, and I, at one point, had 5 Amanda's (including me), in one of my classes. I don't want that for my kids, because I personally hated it.

My biggest complaint is the new funky spellings of common names. If you like a name, use it. I feel it looks ignorant to use a messed up or phonetic spelling for names that already exist. I can understand spellings from different languages and cultures, but to just make up your own spelling to be unique is stupid.

Among my friends having children, I have noticed that most of them use their own experiences with their own names as the basis for naming their children. My name is Bridget. Not hard or all that uncommon, but believe it or not, I have to spell it out for just about everyone. My kid will have a classic name that everyone knows how to spell. LOL

I generally like odds names but if those names suddenly became popular it wouldn't change how I felt about those names. But in 2005 (the year I graduated), there were 8 girls named Jessica, 5 girls named Danielle and 12 boys called Luke, in my graduating class. Among other multiply names.

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