Why do parents choose baby names from the 'top most popular' lists?

Question

My daughter is now five years old and after having been in numerous baby classes, kids activities, preschool over the years---it always seems as if there are five Emilys, three Dylans, four Kaitlyns (or variations of that name), four Nicholas's---well, you get it: in every class there are numerous children with the same name and I've never been able to fathom why a parent would want their child to have the same name as everyone else? Just curious.

Answer 1

I assume because the parents like those names. That is what makes them so popular.
Besides, no kid needs to go through life being called Kadeesha or Homer..... Parents need to not be selfish when naming their children. It is a complete disservice to the child to name them something ridiculous. Just years of torture for the child.....

Answer 2

I don't think that parents intentionally choose names from a 'most popular' list, they just choose names that they like and are familiar with and it so happens that some other parents in the same area do the same thing and... hey presto! Their kids end up in the same class. You really can't tell with some 'popular' names whether or not they're going to 'take off' or not. I like the name Sienna because when I first heard it, it was quite unique, but now it's becoming quite popular. Same with 'Liam' (an Irish name which I don't think is very popular in the US?). There are 6 Liams in the junior level of my school this year!

I'm a teacher and one year I had 4 Matthews in the one class (luckily they all had surnames starting with different letters!) which does make things tricky, but you get used to it! There are 5 Toms in the upper level this year, but they're in 5 different classes, so it's not an issue. My uncle was one of 6 Peters in his first year of school! Crazy!

Answer 3

When I was in first grade, I was the only boy in the class who had a unique name. There were two Jasons, two Adams, two Kyles, two Seans, a David, a Dave, and Christian (me). Everyone went by first name + last initial except for me. Christian is easy to spell, it's traditional, not too stodgy, and it was the 119th most common name the year I was born, so it's not 'weird'. And yet I was the only Christian in the entire school system the whole time I was there. (I did meet another guy named Christian at camp one year.)

So you don't have to travel too far away from Brayden and Kaitlin (or Jason and Jennifer from my era, or Gary and Linda from my parents' era) to get a name that will let your kid be unique without being a freak. (Well, I was a freak, but not because of the name, anyway.)

Answer 4

I asked this a while ago and people were about to kill me!!! I totally agree with you, though. You don't have to be wacky or weird to name your child something that isn't that common. My friend named her son Jacob KNOWING it was the #1 name the year before. I don't get it at all. The ONLY reason I can see to use such overused names is if it is a family name or a part of a tradition to honor a family member. I don't like wacky names or oddly spelled names, but come on people - aren't there enough Kaitylns and Madisons and Aidans now????

Answer 5

I don't know someone should ask my mother that question. I was born in the early 80's my first name is Jennifer and my middle name is Ann. Jennifer was the #1most popular first name the year I was born, and Ann was the #2 most popular middle name. When I was in school there were always tons of other Jennifers 6 in my third grade class so I always had to go by Jennifer C. the brown haired one (there was even another Jennifer Ann C. luckily she was a blond). Lol I hated it. Which is why I tried to give my babies unique names that meant something special to me.

Answer 6

I examine this until eventually now and somebody else published a matching question. i think of it truly is undesirable that persons are making up names and going to the extreme with it. the different guy or woman at here replaced into speaking approximately names jointly with Calipso and Cloud which made me think of who're those people. With celebrities in recommendations i think of of those 2 names CoCo and Apple I mean truly what have been they questioning i think it truly is sturdy they are wealthy and don't might desire to spend stay in public faculties. base line mothers and dads are going thank you to three distance to be distinctive and it truly is inflicting them to look stupid and inflicting the little ones a life-time of embarrassment. it is not truly worth it who cares if there is yet another youngster has the comparable call as yours I mean is that somewhat this form of undesirable subject. i know people who make acquaintances that way in school. 1st youthful baby hiya cool you have the comparable call is me 2d youthful baby hiya yeah we could bypass play with the blocks

Answer 7

That is quite normal. People use to ask friends and relatives what name they suggest for their newborn, they say four or five most popular names they have lately heard and make suggestions, after having heard some of these names many times, they say I like Karla, and after 20 years you find that many, many girls the same age have Karla for name.

Answer 8

I am not a fan of that as well. I have a daughter Mercedes and I am thrilled that in her kindergarten class there is not three of them. People that are rude and obnoxiuos will joke around and say "Mercedes Benz" but its better than saying "Emily" and 5 girls turn around.

I think people are scared of thinking out-of-the-box. Or being judged for some uniqueness.

Answer 9

They obviously love the names. They are old fashoined names that never go out of style. My daughters name is Hayleigh and though it is a pretty common name I am still to find another Hayleigh with the same spelling!.

Answer 10

I wish I knew why too!! I try to come up with different names but I get comments that its too hard to spell or she will be teased. My daughter has the only name that I have yet to find another child in her school with it, Arienne pronounced Air-re-in. In her class she has 2 Ashly's 3 Johns. I like all names, just don't want 20 other kids in her grade having them same name

Answer 11

Most just like the name. They aren't intentionally naming their child from the top name lists. My daughter's name is Chloe. I chose it simply because it sounded better with my last name than my other choices and because I've always liked the name.