What are the advantages of giving your kids totally common names?

Question

I have an unusual name. People screw it up sometimes, but I like not being one more Jessica, Katie, or Amanda. I don't understand why people would give their children names that will require them to carry around the last last initial of their names--Katie M., Luke Chr., Amy D., etc--for the rest of their lives.

Answer 1

I guess so people can say it....who knows. Our girls have uncommon spellings for their first names (still easy to figure out) and common middle names.

Answer 2

The advantage to giving your children common names is because people can spell and pronounce them easily, and because an "uncommon" name today, will just be common for the next 5 to 10 year sand your child will just be the first of many children with that name. For example, Madison used to be an uncommon name (pulled from a movie, was originally chosen by a mermaid who wandered onto land), but it was seen by hundreds of pregnant women who thought "WOW! Madison is such a pretty name! It's unique too! I'll name my baby that!" and next thing you know, there are thousands of Madisons. I named my children names that are older names that are going down in popularity. I have a Christopher, an Anastasia, a Taryn, and a Kayleigh. I think that children benefit from "common" names because your child's name has to follow them into adulthood, and no one wants to hire a "Jessykah" or some other odd spelling as a lawyer, maybe a hair dresser, but never a president. Think about your child's future not just their school years.

*By the way, I was one of 3 Katherine's in my high school graduating class. And I turned out fine.*

Answer 3

I also don't like very common overused names, but the main advantage in my opinion is that everyone can spell it, unless the spellings been tryndeefyed. I think that people give their kids names like that is because either they like it, or they're following a trend. Like Courtney, Ashley, Madison, and Mc Names are all just trends, not classics. But I agree with you, I wouldn't want to have 5 other kids in my class with my name, even one was bad enough. In my old school, there was another Claire and it was extremely confusing, because she was Claire-Marine V. and I was Claire M. So one of us couldn't be called Claire M, because each of us would think it was the other.

So yeah, I think the main reason is just because of trends, and I'm also glad I'm not an Emily or Ashley even though Claire isn't a weird, unusual name.

Answer 4

I have three kids names that are somewhat common.
Sam (our son) is Samuel and we know plenty but it's always his last name when he's being talked about and not to be confused with.

Our daughter Katy has a different way to spell the "Katie" and our kids named her "Kate" they had a big say in helping her name. They were 2 and 4 when I was pregnant.

Our daughter Meagan has an different way to spell her name- it gets messed up daily. But she's named after magans bay in St. Thomas USVI (where we married).

For us we didn't want a :soap: opera name but a name that was meaningful (Sam was a great grandfather name) his middle name is my maiden name!

Meagan's middle name is Jessie and it's my husbands grandmother -

And Katherine (Katy) is Joy which is my, middle name and my grandmother.

I think everyone has a lot to say about names. But for us it was a name that was valued with family and that stands up over time. I could care less if there are 100 of the same name, if it means something to us as a couple/family!

Answer 5

well to be honest with you I wouldnt give my child a common name but in a way I think it could be a good thing reason being everyone these days want names that are different and all those common names wont be so common in a few years time so that is definatly one of the advantages.

Answer 6

I think many people don't know how common their chosen name is becoming when they name their child. If I had a daughter in the mid 90s, I probably would've named her Jessica, because that was my favorite girls' name at the time. My goddaughter's mom had the same idea in 1994. All of her other kids have uncommon names, or at least uncommon spellings, except for Jessica.

Answer 7

People name the kids what they like
I would use the Jessalyn not Jessica. Aimee is not common to day
Grace, Olivia, Emily, Emma, Isabelle are more common that Amanda or Jessica
Katie is common for Katelyn
My husband and I tried not name our child a popular name, but for some reason, people decided their child the same name.

Answer 8

I am glad I have a not to common but sort of common name. I do not know much advantages but these:
Not needing to tell people how to pronuce and spell your name.
People not making fun of your name.

Thats all I can think of.=]

Answer 9

Well, I think it depends on the parents and their ethnicity etc. We are expecting and have chosen family names to pass on. They are quite common names, we just want to help keep a name in the family. As well, we don't want to run the risk of our child being made fun of for a name that is too different. I guess unusual is not bad, just the names some parents chose can be tough for the child.

Answer 10

Easier for child. my sister's and I didn't have common names back then...(42 years) we are Kimberly, Jennifer and Jill.....Even now i don't hear those names. They are common to me in a way that we can spell them and we don't have to explain the way to pronounce them. When I had my kids, I didn't want Austin, Chelsea, brittney, kaitlyn, brianna, Aubrey, Crystal, Tiffany.... EVERYONE was naming their kids these names.. I look in the yearbooks of my kids and there are so many Brittneys for example, that you can tell what years these kids were born. Although my children'snames might be popular now they werent when i had them. Benjamin, Brant, Zander, and Olivia.. they are 19, would have been 14, 13 and 11.

Answer 11

My name is common and I love it (Amanda)! It's very classic, it goes well with many middle and last name combinations, and I've never had a problem with someone misspelling or mispronouncing it. Some people just like the familiarity and tradition of common names. And I never really had to worry about using my last initial, either.