Too popular names...?

[kaugomu.livejournal.com]

For those of you who chose to avoid names that tend to be on the popular side of things, where do you draw the line as being "too popular"? Do you go by name ranks, like nothing in the top 20, top 50, top 100, or is it just that you hear the name everywhere so it's too popular? If you use the name ranks, what are you favorite sites to look at and compare, and how many years do you look at?
Just wondering what every one else does.
(x-posted)

Comments

[super-bitch06.livejournal.com]

For me, I go first by how often I hear the name around here. Then I look it up on www.ssa.gov on their babynames list. I look at the past 50 years to see what direction its going in, to get a feel of where it's going to be in the next 5 years. I try to aim for something outside of the top 50. Of course, if I really, truely, love the name and nothing else will do, I'll disregard it's rank :-D

[mysticamor.livejournal.com]

Some names are more popular depending on where you live. Like here names like Michael, Jennifer, Jessica, Megan, Matthew, Anthony(tony), Elizabeth, Sarah, and Christopher are popular and you can't go anywhere with out running into someone with that name. My cell phone alone has so many jennifer's, mikes, jessica's and megans.....to the point where they have to be put in by last name. So I tend to stay away from names that tend to be popular or may become TO popular.

If I REALLY like a name even if it is sort of popular I may try to encorporate it into a middle name if I can. But the name has to really pop out at me. I do check the social security data banks to see where the names rank and babynames.com.

[poespretty.livejournal.com]

I try to go by name ranks over the past couple of years, usually I want it to be nothing in the top 50 (for girls) and nothing in the top 25 (for boys bc they are so hard for me that there's no way I could get away with being THAT picky). I look at the SSA sites & the baby name traveler thing that charts a name's popularity since like the 1800's or something.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

A little of both. I will NOT use a name in the top 20 SSA, but after that I just go by how often I hear the name. Most of my favorite names are not even in the top 500 for the last 999 years, so I'm set. But some of them are in the top 100 and rising, so that sucks.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Top 10 is a definate nono for me. I would say top 20, but my favourite name (Amelia) is 14 here in england & i' still use it because I love the name so much.
I think i draw the line at names that have been forever popular, you'll always get a million Katies, Rachels, Rebeccas, Sarahs..etc.. even if they arent in the top 10 as of now you can make a safe bet that they will always be common names.

[cocinadelfeto.livejournal.com]

I go by ranks and try not to pick anything that's in the top 300 or so, in any year. I use behindthename to search for name ranks.

[x-lostinyou.livejournal.com]

Ideally, I like to avoid the top 500, but that doesn't always happen. I also tend to stray away from names that have risen significantly in the past few years. My current favourite isn't even in the top 1000, so it's perfect. I'm not the type for 'weird' names, but I love the completely unpopular, heh.

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

I'd draw a hard line at top 20. A child with a name in the top 30-50 would probably meet other people with their name throughout their life, but it would be much less likely there'd be three others in their grade level or someone with the name living on the same block. And those are the sorts of problems I'd most want to avoid.

I would think seriously about using a top 50 name, and would be sure to consider that stats of the last 5-10 years. Is it a name that is still rising in favor every year? Or did it already peak and will probably drop out of the top 50 in the next couple years? A climbing top 50 would probably be scratched from my list in favor of other names. Same for any other name that seems to be making huge leaps in popularity. Even though it's only #887 right now, the fact that it was the name of a character in last years big children's movie, for example, probably means the popularity will be really different by next year and in the years to come.

I use the U.S. social security page for rankings, going back 30 years, just because I can. I also am influenced hugely by the names I hear ALL THE TIME on naming boards. For example, even though I don't know a single Aidan in real life, it's a name I'd never consider because I'm well aware of how many favorites lists it's on.

[bree019.livejournal.com]

Our 3 favorite girl names are in the top 100, but they're all down towards the bottom (I think they're all from 70-100). I wouldn't give my child a top 20 name, but that's just me. I'm a top 20 name (actually, #1 name), and I'm not thrilled that it's so popular. But, what can you do?

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

Top 100 generally, or top 50 if there's a really good reason. :)
I get a bit twitchy if the name seems to be climbing fairly fast, or if a lot of people are talking about it.

behindthename.com is my trusted resource.

[dolcedaze.livejournal.com]

I try my best to avoid any name on the top thousand list. I might use a name on the list for another baby, but only if it's toward the bottom and the popularity isn't on a rising trend.

[x-lostinyou.livejournal.com]

That's actually a really interesting way to do it. Might not always be accurate, but it's good. I like it. =)

[krosp.livejournal.com]

I like that method. It's like saying "ok I can think of MaKayla as the equivalent of Sarah in my generation"... cool =)

[scottish-diva.livejournal.com]

I just go for name's i like regardless of popularity or generation.

[stacilia.livejournal.com]

Ditto. It always drives me crazy how much people obsess over name popularity...

[lavandersparkle.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you too all the way. I used to obsess about popularity but now I just don't care, because a lot of my favourite names are popular or there popularity is growing. I just don't get why people obsess about popularity, it just means that alot of people like that name.

[laananas.livejournal.com]

Unless I REALLY love the name, it's usually off my list once it hits the top 200. Or once everybody on my friends list is naming their child that.