Curious...

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

I was reading through another post (about bad weird names) and there was a link to the good weird names contest. I read through the comments and I thought the comments of the 'normal" named people were interesting. In short, most wished they had more unique names...even to the point that they be the only person with that name.  I think I have a fairly common name, even though I've probably only met a handful of people with the same name (all spelled differently, though).  I've always been drawn to names I feel are substantial and less common...but thats just me and lots of folks think my taste is a little out there (and it is:).

So my question is this - those of you with more common names, does it effect the kinds of names you would consider? Same question for those of you with unusual names. 

Comments

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

My name is Lindsay, and while it is really common, it doesn't bother me much. I don't care that much about popularity, but try to be "different" while still using classic/timeless names. For example, my three favorites for each gender are Eliza, Louisa, and Harriet for girls and Elliot, Andrew, and Calvin for boys. Elliot and Andrew (especially Andrew) are popular, but not trendy, which is what I care about, and the girl names and Calvin aren't really used much at all, and if they are, they're still "different" without being totally fucked up and weird.

So, to answer your question, I don't think my name really affects the names I like. I don't go out of my way to be different, but I also don't go out of my way to be trendy. I just like classic names, and think it's a bonus if they're not really common.

[babyjess8.livejournal.com]

My name is Jessica, and it's obviously extremely popular. Going to a small school I never had another person with the same name in my class. When I came to university I was one of five, and one of four in my soccer team! I like my name, that people know I'm female and how to say and spell it, but the names I have chosen for my future children are a little 'different'. To me, is important to have a gender-specific name that won't be mispronounced. My top 10 (6 boys/4 girls) names that I will most likely use are: Asher, Lucas, Evan, Kenneth, Ruben, Noah, Isabel/la, Alexis, Milla, Ruby.

[blue-suspenders.livejournal.com]

My name isn't super common but its not uncommon either. I don't think it really affects the names I like though.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

My name is Karlie. It's not popular, but everyone has heard of it, even if they probably haven't met anyone with it. It's short, simple, easy to pronounce, and it looks like it could be an English word. It's not old-fashioned, but it's not trendy either. Strangely enough (I never noticed this before) those are the exact criteria I use for finding potential baby names. I plan to name my hypothetical future daughters Blair and Cybil, and I think those names fit into the same categories as mine.

[sweatydog.livejournal.com]

I have a trendy name.

I'd try to avoid that but in the end I'm going to go with the name I like. But unlike my mom I will have internet resources to go to and make sure its not currently trendy or super popular.

So come baby making time I think I'll be okay.

:P

[imyourrapunzel.livejournal.com]

I have an uncommon name. I like it, but I've always been a little timid about telling people how to pronounce it correctly. At the beginning of the semester when professors take roll, I always get a little nervous because I'll probably have to correct them. But it's not so bad, I like having a name people remember.
My taste in names has always been pretty 'uncommon traditional,' so names that most have heard, but not super popular. I don't know what it will be like when it comes time to have kids though.

[naomijameston.livejournal.com]

I have an extremely uncommon name (I'm the only one I know who has it): Connemara. Yes, it's nice to be unique, but going through school has been tricky. It was easy in elementary and middle school because I was with the same people the whole way through. I was almost always the fifth name on the list, so when a new or substitute teacher paused, I would usually call out that I was present.

My only caution with unusual names is to have someone sound it out for you. If they can't make it out in less than five seconds, don't choose that name for your child. It would just be cruel.

~~Nao

[rainbowshine.livejournal.com]

I have a name which isn't unusual - the male form is usually on lists of common names - but I haven't yet in my life met another person with my name and I like that a lot. I also am an expert in my surname and I know I am the only person who lived with my name based on the tens of thousands of records which I hold and I love being unique. I am trying to find a similar name for my child - nothing too way out, but something unique to them.
I also struggled to shorten my name as a child and I hated not having a nickname so being able to shorten a name and give a child a nickname as well as a grown up sounding name is important in my choices.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

My given name is very common* for people my age or a little older; so guess that makes it dated too. I've always disliked the name; more that I don't feel it suits me, but the popularity thing is a huge factor too. I'm sick of hearing my name called and it not being me they mean.

So yes obviously the names on my list err toward more uncommon, either in the modern sense or more classic/established names that would be uncommon amongst their peers**.

My middle name is Clair; after my cousin Claire but the spelling tweaked so it'd be 'mine' and my father thought it was the traditional British spelling. I've come to love the name but wouldn't put my children through the admin nightmare it made for.
Of all my cousins Claire and I are closest, so I like that my name honours her. Which may be why I'm so keen on family names.

*it's not quite on a par with say Jennifer or Sarah, but in the sense of everyone knowing at least one. My parents still think it's uncommon, despite 22 years proving otherwise.

**I hear everywhere that Richard is a common name, but who names their kid that now days? my brother is 19 and far as I know was always the only one in his class.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

My name is Jessica and I was born in 1985. Yes, once I was on a softball team with 9 other Jessicas. No, that is not an exaggeration or a lie. I promise.

It doesn't really effect the names I consider. I still lean towards more common, classic style names and don't really care about the popularity. There's so much more to a person's personality than their name. I can't imagine getting bent out of shape at being Jessica B, "Short Jess", "Jess the catcher", or anything else. It never bothered me a bit.

My style of names leans towards names like Kate and Nathaniel and Alexander and Anna. They're beautiful names and I'm not going to NOT use them just because it runs the risk of my kid being Alex B.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I have an uncommon/unusual name, and when it comes to girl's names, I like slightly unusual names and pretty common names. For example, my top girl's names are Maeve and April.

My boy's names are all pretty common though. My top ones are Adam and Eli.

I must say I'm drawn to more unusual names, but I like 'somewhat' unusual names (like Roisin) better than 'totally out there' unusual names (like Indigo).

[batting0.livejournal.com]

My name is Christina, and I'm incredibly sick of how many Christina's there are. But I still like some common names (Caitlyn is one of my favorites). I also like names that my friends think are awful (Eleanor Jane and Elijah, for example). I don't think it affects my name choices, I just go with what I like, and what has a good nickname (may seem silly, but I'm big on nicknames...)

[bobinwales.livejournal.com]

My name is Kate, and while apparently it's a popularish name for my age goup, I don't think I've ever met another Kate, just Katie's and Kathryn's!
I love my name and I go for more 'classic' type names but ones that I don't feel are as popular. And my less common names like Caspian I don't think are that out there!

[rockstargrrrlie.livejournal.com]

My name is Michelle, which is fairly common and I've known a lot of other Michelles. Right now, I'm an assistant manager and the other assistant is also named Michelle. It doesn't bother me that we go by Little Michelle (me) and Big Michelle (her).

I tend to like less common names, but I think it's the sound of the name that I like and I tend not to worry about the popularity- Lily is my favorite girl's name no matter how popular it gets.