My recently born niece was named "Adelie", hitting three of the trends discussed in the article!

My new son is Dexter (Dex for short). It is also on the "hipster" name list. Pretty sure I'm not a hipster but I do love the x names. Maxwell/Max was our second choice. I definitely didn't think it would be a popular choice, but I guess that's how these things go.

well, I am sure we can figure out why "edward" made it to the list!

both of my both have bible first names, but we wanted some fun names for their middle, Phoenix and Maddox... not Pitt-Jolie inspired, but we do get asked that.

Four of their self-declared "hipster" names are simultaneously on their "antique names ready for restoration" list. Hmmmmm.

We named our youngest "Beatrix" and she is nicknamed "Trixie". This was because my grandma was "Bea" ("Beatrice" with a C though) and I loved Trixie Belden growing up! Seems though that I have unknowingly stepped into several of their categories though - Retro name, Name ending with "x", and also "girl's nickname with an "ie" (from the longer article). She was born in 2008 though so I will just tell myself I was ahead of the crowd. ;)

oh, nuts! we chose josephine because we really like it but also because it has not been popular in 80 years.

my son's name is ogden felix. we were going for originality, but i guess we did a little trend predicting!

My girls are Josephine (Josie) and Bixby (Beatrix)...we took a lot of heat for both choices at the time. I guess now our instincts are validated. Hooray?

Oh, I hate the categories of "hipster" or "trendy"!

Our daughter (who is now 6) was almost a Beatrice or Florence (or Franciska or Franka) -- my husband is French, and those names are lovely in French. We were just talking about it this morning... (but our first choice is still the name we picked for her, fortunately for all of us!)

Oh no... Just read the article, and it mentions our daughter's name as part of one of the trends. NOBODY was naming their daughter Tallulah when I was pregnant 7 years ago. We did a search on the name databases in the US and in Canada, just to find a name that wasn't getting much use, and did not turn up more than a single handful, . Everyone thought we were weird for picking it. Drat.

We had such a hard time finding names that both of us liked. My husband asked that they be names that worked in German since his parents are from Germany, and I thought it would be nice if they also worked in French since my parents work in French and have lived in France on and off. I also insisted that the names be easy to pronounce and spell by English-speaking people because we live in Canada. After much discussion we picked Max for our first child (he's now 4), having no idea how popular it was becoming. We meet other boys named Max everywhere, though fortunately there are no others in his class at school. I liked the name Sophie for a girl, but my husband wasn't sold on it until he found out that it could be spelled with an "f". In Germany and Northern Europe there's about a 50/50 split between the "ph" and the "f". I didn't love it, but I agreed so I could give her the name I wanted to! Again, we discovered that there are many other Sophies around, though not with the same spelling. And there seem to be many more Sophias.
I'm now pregnant with my third child so it's back to the drawing board. I almost don't want to look at this website so we can just choose another name we love and not worry about the trends.

My sweet, 15-month-old neighbor covers all four trends above with Lex: L and X Factors, retro and economical!

I'm just glad the 'den' fad is fading:
Aden, Jaden, Braden, etc.
Though I'm finding the 'son' craze creeping up on the horizon:
Grayson, Mason, Jason...

Oh my goodness, Wallaby! I so loved Trixie Belden, too! I still have my collection and re-read them from time to time. So much fun.

Two of my three boys' names are on the list (Max age 6 and Jack age 3), so at least I was ahead of the "trend." Luckily, the name I have picked out for my daughter is NOT on the list, although I did consider naming her Tallulah...

my son's name is dexter, too! he just turned 5 months. i'm kind of disappointed to see his name will become a trend. and a little surprised to see another mama picked dexter for their new baby, too! we're young, but we're not hipsters. we just love the name. and we got a lot of crap for naming him dexter, too. lol

i guess i'm also a fan of the X names. i helped pick my brothers' names when i was younger, alex and max. :/

My daughter's name (Ceridwen) is still safe from the trends...although I guess she almost qualifies for the fading 'den' trend. I have discovered that I have a fondness for names that end in 'en'.

My new baby will be named Avree ( Avery is my great grandmother's name and my grand aunt's too). I wanted to spell it different, but keep it a family name.

i love the name sadie

My little brother's name is Avery! That's a name that is more common for girls than boys, which it wasn't like that years ago!

When we were choosing names for our babies I was utterly shocked at how closely our top 10 list matched the trends, even though we didn't think that we were in tune with baby names or even pop culture. We ended up with Jonas and Oliver, and I like how they are recognizable but (so far) fairly uncommon.

Sharpette. I have an 18 year old Jonah and he has two teenage Jonah friends; sorry. It is a great name though!

I am a parent but I am making this comment as an employer of numerous young people just out of school. Cutesy baby names and/or use alternate spellings may suit an infant or young child, but remember that your children are saddled with whatever you give them their whole lives. And like it or not, names are part of first impressions. If I see two resumés and one job applicant has a respectable, solid name (say, Anna or Jacob) while the other has an "original" or alternately spelled name (say, Brylee or Dacoda) I am going to assume, rightly or not, that the latter was brought up in a household where the parents didn't care about education (i.e., spelling) and had low aspirations for their children. Conversely, I will assume (again, rightly or wrongly) that the person with the more traditional or "normal" name was brought up with traditional or normal values. Of course this shouldn't reflect on the kids, but really--who would you want doing your emergency C-section--a Thomas or a Crayten? An Elizabeth or a MaKayli?

sally305, I think you're going to get blasted for saying that, but as a person with a very uncommon name (I've only actually met one other person with my name in my 26 years, and that was less than a year ago) I can say that I definitely agree with you. For me, it's made worse by the fact that my last name is also unusual and difficult to pronounce. I was teased in school for my name and now that I'm a young professional, I have seriously considered changing my last name to something easier.

Like you've pointed out, many employers and even potential clients will choose a classic name over an unusual one. Even without the issue of the type of image and preconceived notions projected by a name, classic names are simply more MEMORABLE in people's minds. It might seem counterintuitive, but it's true. People misremember my name ALL the time, even though it's a very simple two-syllable word - they often call me various similar-sounding, but much more common names instead. It's no coincidence that many actors and actresses work under simplified screen names.

Ditzy or bimbo-sounding names are even worse. It's really hard to take someone named Bitsy or Kandee seriously. Of course it's not fair, but that's exactly the point - life is rough-going enough without being saddled with a name that no one can remember or that no one can take seriously. It's harsh but true that unconventionally spelled names can be taken to mean the person is uneducated and lower class... the statistics actually verify this tendency. Take a moment and stop thinking of your child as perpetually pudgy and cute. Your child is not a pet puppy. Try picturing that name on a business card and then see if your ultra-creative, hip name still seems like a good idea.

A better idea: Give your child a conventional first name but creative middle name. Or just call your child that cutesy name as a nickname that they can grow out of, instead of putting that on all their official documents and giving them no choice.

My son was born in August and we named him Raine. It doesn't really go with any trend though. We just wanted something a bit different.

So glad to see that many of these are "real" names, and not places or last names or godawful puns (Neveah!?).

Someone somewhere suggested you use the Senator test when naming a child. If you can't imagine a news anchor saying "Senator Bitsy Crayten Smith" without cracking a smile, pick something else.

I could'nt agree more with you, undercover. Conventionnal first name, fun nickname.

I'm a total stranger to American baby names trends, but, as I expect my firstborn in March, we are curently looking at the French trends (am French).

Well, if you're going to name your child "Mathis", which is immensely popular right now, there are about 5 different spellings, plus the variations you can create. Imagine going your whole life with poeple asking "and how do you spell that ?".

I am thrilled that we live in Geneva after reading some of these posts...

Geneva is such an international town (quite small, but full of people from all corners of the globe) that no one blinks at "different" names. My daughter's best friends? Karim, Kenji and Kushinga. (Try THAT in North America!)

We were given all these arguments when friends and family were told which names we had selected, but because of where we live and the circles we move in, our children's names have never been an issue. We gave each of them an "out" with a conventional middle name, but doubt they will ever have to use it.

The only problem that we have had with names is sorting out which Jack, Max, Olivia or Sophia (the top Anglo names in town) has invited our child to a party. At last count, my daughter had 5 friends named Olivia, and 4 Sophias... and now my son's classes are only adding to the confusion (and then there are the Abigails...).

When I see an "unconventional" name, something that perhaps indicates a different national origin, I am intrigued. I think, "hmm, this person may have an interesting or different perspective to offer", and when hiring, would choose the person with unconventional name over the conventional one every time, all other things being equal.

My best friends here are named Petina, Adisa and Nejma (and let me tell you, they are highly educated -- Oxford university, two PhDs, 4 Master's and a law degree between them).

I am thrilled that, thus far, my son's name isn't hitting the popularity charts.

Mschatelaine, just to clarify--it is not foreign names that I am talking about. We live in a small city with a large research university and a growing biotech industry. My kids and I have friends from all over the world, just as you do in Geneva, and their names are representative of their cultures. I am talking about American names that are either made-up variations on existing ones (Emmaree, Jax), "imaginative" new ones (Kryslyn, Nevaeh), or re-appropriated words or places being used for people (Kamden, Ruger, Madysin). My friends that have these kind of names HATE them and invariably use nicknames instead--in some cases, they don't even like to tell people what their given names are.

My name is Sadie, and I have spent my whole life introducing myself and hearing, "Oh, that's my dog's name!" It's a family name and I do love it, but I don't know if I could pass it on just based on the extraordinary number of dogs (and cats) who have that name!

My wife's first screen for any name was that no derivation of would be easy to make fun of. I didn't have the heart to remind her that kids can make fun of anyone ;-)

We ended up with Tristan and Emma.

Ugh. I hate the idea that every baby needs to have an "original" name these days. Your name doesn't make you interesting, it just indicates that your parents are dorks.

I saw a kid named "Kutter" on TV the other day. This simultaneously made me think of 1. The band Korn 2. People who cut themselves 3. The brand of bug spray. John is a name. Kutter is a bunch of letters put together. And if the whole intention is to have a name no one else has then the logic of "Oh, well all names had to start some where" doesn't follow.

I feel like these parents don't understand that some day these kids will be adults with jobs and business cards and will have to do things like meet their boyfriend or girlfriend's parents for the first time. And when they have to say "Hi, I'm Petunia" they're going to have to explain that name over and over and it is always going to precede them. It actually detracts from your personality and could be totally incongruous with it.

Unless, of course, you are named Kutter and smell like bug spray.

as a parent of a young son (who realized at 8 months pregnant that picking a name somehow mattered a lot) this thread is really fun to read. i think obviously silly names are...well...silly and kind of a not nice thing for a parent to do to their kid (i.e. the brother and sister pair named peter and bunny, last name rabbit - seriously).

all that said, as far as unusual and oddly spelled names are concerned i say don't be judgmental. for the people who say "all things equal i'd pick the classical name over the..." or vice versa, i say (as someone who used to review a lot of resumes, etc.) that i would meet with/follow up with both because in real life what might appear equal on paper rarely is - and odd name, boring name or cutesy name later it really is about what a person has got to offer, and a name don't tell you jack.

I think we all know this boils down to a class issue. Educated parents are much more likely to use "real" names (e.g. classic, common spellings) and less educated parents trend toward the creative spellings or invented names.

Our name biases do reflect reality to some extend. A kid named MahKhynzay might have Harvard educated parents, but probably not. Does this mean MahKhynzay isn't ever going to be a member of the Supreme Court? No. We are a country of rebels and weirdos, after all :)

This reminds me of when we were pregnant, thinking of girl names, we both loved the very common Emily, yet it just sounded too cute for our liking. I couldn't imagine having a girl named Emily past the age of five. We anyways ended up having a boy, who has a very traditional name.

I also told my husband I didn't want something too complicated, because of my own experience with my name. It's 10 characters long, somewhat tricky to pronounce, and in Spanish. Add a 9-character-long last name, and we've got a disaster. And I'm from a Latino country, and they had problems pronouncing it there, so you can imagine how it's been here in the US. I always know when they're about to call me at the doctor's when they're straining at the chart trying to figure out what it says. That's why I always go by the first half of my name (which actually, just like previous poster Sadie's, is a very common name for dogs back in my country).

I have an extremely rare first name and last name. Very poetic and the combination of both first and last name was planned and desired. I can say that people, 1 - don't ever forget me, 2 - are more intrigued by me because of my name, and 3 - will sometimes invite me for job interviews just to check "that name" with the actual person.

My mom put a lot of emphasis on the match between who I was and what my name represent. Maybe too much.. ;D But I do like to think that having an distinct name helps you become a very unique person too. And I truly liked being the only in my school with the name. And have heard countless times how some of my friends suffer from having such a common name that they had 3, 4 sometimes 5 persons with the same name in their class. My dad hates that there are about 2 000 man with the same first and last name born on the same year.

I think moderation is the key here. Unique, not weird, special, not strange, no funky spelling, (what's the difference??? you usually say a name). I think that being somewhat creative with names is what makes new names that then eventually become classics. What is weird now, might be normal in 100 years, same as what was normal 100 years ago can sometimes be pretty odd now.

the only other person in my class at school who had my name was a boy. My daughters have names that will never be mistaken for male because this bothered me. Our girls are Camilla & Violet. So far so good, but I do fear that Violet is becoming more and more popular. So far the Camillas we've met aren't American. We usually call her Milly and that suits her while she's a child.

I HATE when people take a common name and decide to give it a crazy spelling in an effort to make it original. My nephew "Christopher" has his name spelled Krystoffer.
With our son I didn't want an extremely common or 'cutesy' name that wouldn't last him past age four - like meeting a grown woman named Molly. After lots of searching and vetoes we came up with Kai (pronounced like the first syllable in the work kayak and has a meaning in about five different languages). Of course after he was born I heard it EVERYWHERE, including one American Idol contestant! That's how it goes...
I thought for a split second of spelling it Ky, but envisioned his high school years with the nickname "K.Y." not going very smoothly (excuse the pun)!

My kids are Elektra and Dorian... which are both classic (and classical) as smokes and beyond hipster!

My husband (who has a beautiful, but unusual, name himself) wanted something classic (and a little bit tweedy) and I wanted something that would wear well from childhood to adulthood and that had no awful nicknames. Voila Henry!

I have a conventional name- with an alternative spelling: Kristy. It is a pain to have to spell your name your whole life. Then again, my married name is worse, so I just end up spelling the whole thing.

Cyb - I'm dying to know what your name is!!!

I also loved Trixie Belden growing up...!

I am from a family of a very traditional name. my dad, uncle, brother, nephew all the same name I even married the same name! my mom, sister and niece are all the same name so i'll probably go with what I know when deciding on a name for our kids. (the hubs is on board with those selections).

As far as the different spellings of the names. I am not a big fan at all. in my line of work all of the corporate emails that i need to use are firstname.lastname@blahblahblah.com. it royally SUCKS trying to figure out how to email people important information because you've written their name down using traditional spelling. as an example (names have been changed to protect the innocent) I tried to email Karen.Henry the other day. her name is Cayryn.Hynree. took me all day to figure it out! GAHHHH!!!

I might be jaded but i always think "porn star" when I see common names spelled in a different manner.

I fully agree with most about the alternative spellings. Names are usually spoken, and correcting everyone's assumption of the spelling your whole life seems super annoying to me. That said, I understand the urge to name your child something unique. And as much as I struggled to come up with what I felt was a perfect name (my daughter is Ellery), there is no predicting future trends. My mom was ahead of the curve with both me and my sister, and both names became popular about 10 years later. I once visited a new doctor who told me "I thought you'd be younger". I had just turned 30. Ouch.

Matchbookhymnal, that's hilarious. I've had the same problem my whole life---people who have/know of someone who has a dog named Sasha. I hated the name as a kid, but now I like it. My parents almost named me Samantha, but looking back, I would have hated to have such an ordinary name. I was almost the only Sasha all throughout school (until senior year of high school when a freshman with the name turned up) and it was nice.

My brother is having a baby boy next month.

They have decided on Malikai Roe (last name)

When they told me about Malikai, the first thing that blurted out of my mouth was "isn't that a black baby name?"

I felt terrible and racist but they explained he is named after my brothers favorite skateboarder - Kairo.

I love it now.

I don't consider Kristy to be an alternative spelling, but to be the diminutive of Kristen, which dates to before 1000 A.D. in Scandinavian countries.

But I agree that it is a pain to constantly have to spell your name. My name is very ordinary---ageless and biblical. And now I have to spell it for a new generation of young people who don't know anything about the Bible.

While I'm commenting: I used to be a newspaper "lifestyles" editor. I can't tell you how fraught with danger it is to write up a story on girls named Ashlee, Ashley, Ashleigh, Michaela, Mikelah, Makayla, Katrina, Katre'Nah, Katreena, Tiffany, and Tiffnee. If you don't want your child's name to be constantly misspelled, then don't misspell it. Because once your kid leaves the house, it is out of your control.

I am all for the unique seldom used names, but it makes my toes curl when people try to invent their own name i.e. the Kaylen/Taylen/Jaylen phenomenon. Or, meld two traditional names into one, like Maren or Taren. The worst I ever heard was Kyler (Kyle Tyler) 'I'm looking for a Mr. Killer? Mr. Killer?'

Oh, I also once met a 'Jiffany'!

My parents gave me a traditional first name spelled differently (Kasandra) with a normal middle name (Lynn). My last name is French and compliments my first name perfectly. I have gotten more compliments on my name, especially from employers, and I didn't meet another person with my first name until my Junior year of high school (hers was the traditional spelling, Cassandra). My parents wanted to give me an unusual first name that could be shortened when I was younger (Kasi, prounounced "Cassie") and a middle name that I could use if I didn't like my first name.

My fiance has a not-so-common first name (Taylor) with two family surnames as middle names (Johnson Kelly) and an English last name that I really wish had retained its original spelling (Burroughs). We don't have children yet, but we have agreed to give our children unusual first names, and family names as middle names.

I just remember growing up my best friend's name was Sarah and there were four other Sarahs in our class, as well as several Jennifers, Tiffanys and Brittneys. I never had that problem and I don't want my children to ever have that problem.

I have to agree on the suggestion that parents not go too crazy. It's kind of like the clothes you wear--it's not fair that people won't take you seriously in a too-short skirt. But that's how it is, so you can accept it or deal with the consequences.

I practice criminal law, and we regularly talk about some names being out of the question for our children because they are such common names for criminal defendants. Other names, you can't help but wonder what chance they had for a normal life!

Lindy Lou Lemons, Timbbrr Wolffe Jones, Jaxson Jackson, and Dezaray Peters don't sound like physicians, judges, and business owners. They just don't. There is something to be said for not naming your kids something all the other kids are called. Ten percent of the girls in my high school class were named Emily! ("I really thought people was naming their daughters Hannah" --my mom.) But people WILL judge a kid by his or her name, whether you like it or not.

Sisero...just an FYI, Maren isn't a meld between traditional names. It is a very traditional Scandinavian name that has been in my family for generations. I, too, am not a fan of made up spellings and the bizarre, but remember that the US is a huge melting pot, and there is a trend toward delving further into family history, which spans many cultures & languages. So, before judging someone's name, you should find out if it is just one from another country that you don't recognize.

matchbookhymnal - Weren't they the best books! I can't wait until my daughter can read them too!

undercover - I totally agree with you. We named my daughter Beatrix knowing she could use that or "Bea" when she gets older. I would never have actually NAMED her "Trixie" as I wouldn't want to saddle an adult with that name. I also actually make it a point to call her "Beatrix" fairly often so she gets used to that name too and will be comfortable with it. She might even decide she wants to be called it in school for all I know.

My husband and I often comment when we hear these cutesy names as given ones "Why didn't they just NICKNAME them that?" Sometimes it boggles the mind the stuff people name their kids.

I live in Belgium and one thing you have to consider -in my opinion- is the way people speak and pronounce words, wherever you may live. My daughter lives in a small village in the middle of nowhere in Flanders, where most people speak their local dialect anyway, so when she named her baby Damon, I was a bit horrified because I could just imagine what the Flemish would make of it... When I told her this, she just looked at me and said: "Well, you didn't think about that when you called me Maïté, did you?"
Ooops....

I did once hear of a lady calling her baby "Latrina"... which I thought was really quite sad... Imagine having to go through life called that?!

Isn't sisero supposed to be spelt with 2 'c's ?... or am I waaaaaay behind here??
I recently asked a new babysitter how to spell her name, thinking it would be Venetia, but it turned out to be Vanisha.. interestingly enough - and while not liklely to be a defendant in court and a very sweet girl, she didn't pick up a single toy from the floor and as for attacking the ironing while the children napped .... not a chance.... quelle surprise....

I was born with Eulalie, an old family (French) name. Except that we are Americans, living in the US, and my nickname, Lalie (pronounced lah lee, or lolly) was considered very strange. I always hated it, having to explain it, spell it, etc. When I left home for college, I started using my middle name, Lisa. Such freedom! I scorn the few who ask me how to spell it. Seriously? If I spelled it some weird way I'd make a point of saying so.

Our children have respectable names, and middle names, but who knew our son Morgan's name would become so popular for girls? We still have silly nicknames for all of them, and they still use them though the oldest is in her twenties now. You never know til they "wear" the name how they will feel about it. I don't mind now when people from the 'hood call me Lalie.

Trendy names? Imagine being named Michelle (named after the father, Michael) about 6 months before the Beatle's song came out.

It seemed so original at the time.

I'm not ready to be a parent yet, but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my favorite names never make it to the popular lists! (Sometimes I'm afraid to say them, lest others 'steal' them.) I hate that there are millions of Brittneys and Maddisons and Calebs. I think people can be original/thoughtful without being stupid and bizarre. There's no excuse for some of the names out there.

I have common first and last names; there are literally dozens of other women with my name. But there's a benefit to having a common-as-dirt name: it's hard for people to Google all the stupid things you do and be certain that it's really you.

But if you're a one-of-a-kind name and were a teenage hellraiser, everyone will know.

Sally305, your comment cracked me up. Couldn't agree more. :)

Oh baby names!
I have always been a fan of old-fashioned names:
Ruth, Isabelle, Fern, Lily, Rose, Estella
Hubby had these gems on his list:
Aslan and Isabeau
Sigh ... we finally agreed on Olivia for our little girl 3 years ago. Unfortunately, after it was all said and done we found out that it has been one of the most popular names for the last 4-5 years. I love the name, but hate that she might become "Olivia F" when she goes to school. We usually call her "Livi" and I thought she might want to be a "Liv" when she gets older. However, she has taken to calling herself "Via" recently, which I think sounds pretty cool and it just might stick.

I found a great resource, called NameShake, on iTunes. You can use it on the iPhone or iPod touch and it was really handy and fun way to search names. Like having an entire baby-naming book in my pocket, complete with pronunciations, definitions, etc. I actually picked my daughter's with it!
Check it out: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=308789586&mt=8

I have boys and gave them powerful, old-fashioned yet real first names, and their middle names are more common but still "trendier". It gives them the option to go by their first name, first NICKname, or middle name.

Check the Social Security site before picking a name...you might think "Caden" or "Ava" isn't popular until you see the list for yourself!

Then there are my cousins kids: Augustine (pronounced aug-gus-tin, not like the city in FL) and Evageline. Eek, poor kids.

The best tool ever for checking the present and past popularity of babynames:

http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager

I work for a public agency and I have seen children's names that should never have been. Among the standout ones: Cutie and Hennessy (both girls' names).

Having an unusual name, I think giving a child a name that is (1) easy to pronounce, (2) a single word, and (3) spelled like it sounds, is important. It's not cute to do otherwise, especially when they become adults. My name is a combination of two extremely easy names: Ann Marie. I use my entire name, not a nickname or shortened "Ann." Everyone thinks it's pretty and unique. However, it's almost unheard of among my age group (late 20s), and there are a lot of variations, so it's constantly being spelled wrong. It's two words, so I have consistency problems on official documents and computer systems. I'm Ann Marie, Annmarie, and Ann M. in my voter reg card, driver's license, and credit card, respectively. You can imagine how many duplicate jury duty summons I get. Also, because I'm sort of lazy in my pronunciation and people don't expect to hear such a weird name, they assume I'm saying Emily or Emory. Who names a girl Emory? Nevermind, I'm sure someone here has done it or knows an Emory. I don't feel comfortable shortening it or using my middle name at this point in my life, so I guess this is just a lesson for myself and others.

We're going to be having kids in the next few years, and they're going to be named Joshua and Anna. Oh wait, they could be spelled Jhoshooa and Ana! Crap.

There are many valid points so far in the great name debate. I thought I would weigh in as a teacher. I too agree that the 'creatively' spelled names are too much.

When I look at my roster at the beginning of each year sometimes I heave a sigh. Some parents seem to believe that naming is some sort of a contest. Some parents think that if they spell a name in a unique (ie: incorrect) way their child will also be unique. This is not the case. Adding extra vowels or changing the spelling of a seemingly traditional name may only make life more difficult for your child. Creativity is not the only factor in bestowing a name.

Imagine looking at your roster only to find a child named YourHighness. Yes, this is a true story. Luckily, his sister's name was Michelle.

I actually rejected a resume last week because the name on top said Kittie Toy, first, last... so serious.

Oh the 'originally' spelled name!! Yikes.

Violetvil - re : YourHighness - no kidding. I take pictures of children for a living and met a kid named Master. Seriously. (wanna play 'guess his ethnicity'?)

Or what about the woman named La-a. how do you pronounce that? la dash ah. Really. Are we supposed to guess that?!! (that story is true - I was on jury duty with a nurse who mentioned a patient with a name she couldn't pronounce... La-a. And I said... "I think I photographed her family! I remember that name!!")

From another perspective, my Grandmother was named Mary and did not want her children to have such BORING names... so my Aunts and Uncles are named Laguardis {pron: lah guard iz} , Darlene, Anamae, Imogene {pron: I'm a gene not ema gene} , Stanley and Virgil.

I think Stanley and Darlene won the name pool!!! But at least they're all original and not TOO weird... accept for Laguardis.

Sally305, you're my hero.

Right there with you sally305. I work with people who were saddled with made-up names and/or impossible spellings who have had to give themselves more traditional nicknames to avoid the bias you mention and to avoid the need to constantly spell out their names in business, personal, and social situations. As you said, right or wrong, people can - and do - often make negative assumptions about the environment in which they were reared when clearly the parents gave more thought to drawing attention to themselves, not their offspring, by being thought original or trendy, rather than considering the lifelong burden they were placing on their child.

@clickchick

The Ledasha story is an urban myth.

http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/10/ledasha-legends-and-race-part-one

For the record, during the 1800s it wasn't uncommon to find boys named after professions. There were plenty of Doctors and Lawyers running around who didn't live up to their namesakes. Frankly, it really is racist to play "guess my ethnicity" with unusually-spelled or "re-appropriated" words.

Besides, what is traditional? Sure, if you're caucasian and of Western European heritage, Emily and Margaret and Brian and Robert are perfectly normal names. Most of the Biblical names (stolen from Hebrew like Malikai, or Malachi) are also normal. However, if your cultural heritage stems from a country in which Moreblessing (yup, pronounced More Blessing) is normal, why not name your child something similar? Charity is a traditional name, right? So why isn't Precious? Many black Americans have Ghanian or Western African heritage. Names that end in -qua, -kai, or that begin with two consonants are common in the native languages. I'm currently teaching in Japan, working with girls named Mai (pronounced "my"), Nanami (nah-nah-mee) and boys Syuuto (shoo-toh) and Kouta (koh-ta). Again, what is normal? What is respectable?

As someone who has worked in day care and elementary schools for my entire career, I've seen name trends come and go. I can say for sure that they aren't limited to ethnicity or education. I've read Kevin Henke's Chrysanethmum to young children enough to hope that their parents are teaching them to look past a name. I think it's horrible to reject someone for their name only, when they cannot help with what they've been saddled by their parents.

In summary, it's odd and unmerited to believe that education leads to "normal names." If we are really as open to various cultures and ethnicities as we think, we wouldn't ask each other to stick to "traditional" names that are really just white European. It's classist, racist, and just as uneducated as naming your child after a European capital.

Simple test: Is London or DeShawn a classier name for a boy? If your first thought is London, and be honest with yourself, check your skin color. Now draw your own conclusions. After the indignation wears off, ask yourself what's cool about naming a child after a capital city, and if you'd ever name your child Warsaw or Abuja.

Anna Europe, that is a darn good article.

Laurel,
Thanks for speaking up. This thread is full of unspoken bigotry.

LaurelJRyan - yep, I thought so too. There's also a part two and part three.

I also agree with your points. It's rather disturbing to see so many openly condescending remarks in the comments.

i'm more interested in what the posters names are (if the user name doesn't give it away). my mom loved katherine hepburn so she named me kate (not katherine, just kate) and i've always loved my name. its short and not difficult. although i detest being called katie. i met a few other kates through high school and college, but for the most part, i was the only one in my circle.

all this name stuff is so interesting to me. i mean, unless you completely pull letters from thin air, there aren't any completely original names. and why do we all feel the need to be "original?" i named my dog Leon and then brad and angelina named their baby that. i think to think they copied me. ha.

I completely agree with the thing about mispellings creating an initial negative impression.
Having said which- (a) KillyBegs- Vanisha is an Indian name- it's not a mispelling or as way out as you would think. there are plenty of vanishas or vaneeshas in the world. http://www.birthvillage.com/meaning/Vanisha
(b) I have a totally made up name -not a mispelling - it's been butchered all my life but I have to say, I have got loads of compliments for it, and it makes recall far easier. considering i have never met anyone with my name - nor have the people i meet! i resented it for many years but have grown to love it and would not change it for the world. it's never worked against me. the point is, it might depend on the specific name. Bitsy and Kandee will create a negative impression whereas other 'made-up' names might not.

Hey Sasha--careful there with the "Samantha" hate. My grandmother had a cat named "Sasha", and it was a little demon furball. And I normally LOVE cats.

My brother and wife plan to name their daughter Brooklyn. They used to live in Brooklyn. Then they moved to Orange California where they actually made the baby. The name Brooklyn reminds me of a scantily clad skeez trying to win the heart of Flavor Flav. Or I think of a mannish female that enjoys fist fights. She was conceived in Orange, I'd almost prefer that to be her name. I want to say something but it really isn't my role. I know I'll love Brooklyn despite her name.

I'm kind of surprised and disappointed at the amount of bigoted comments in this thread. "Guess the ethnicity"? No, thank you.

The Social Security Administration has a fascinating website where you can find out all sorts of information about names:

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

For instance, my own name (Anna) was the 59th most popular girl's name in my birthyear, but in 2008 was #26 (it peaked at #19 in 2001). Maybe I'm just a nerd, but I could spend all day messing around on this website!

BTW, I have resolved that when and if I get pregnant, only my husband and I will know what name we've picked until the kid is born. People have no shame about foisting their unsolicited opinions about baby names on expantant parents ("Oh, I went to school with a ______ and I hated her!"). =)

Whoops, that should have been "expectant"!

sally305, I imagine that you and your company have missed out on a number of talented employees because of your strange associations between names and levels of education.

"If we are really as open to various cultures and ethnicities as we think, we wouldn't ask each other to stick to "traditional" names that are really just white European. It's classist, racist, and just as uneducated as naming your child after a European capital." - LaurelJRyan

To be clear, I myself am a visible minority and I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. I would never say that all children should be given white European names, and have no problem whatsoever with people giving their children ethnic names. In fact, my own name which I lamented in my post, is an old-fashioned, very British English name. I've been told by several middle-aged white people that I have the same name as their grannies.

What I take issue with is the parents who try way too hard to be hip, trendy, and uber-creative. A child is not the new lap dog accessory. A girl named Pixie or a boy named Bronx is not going to be cute at age 40. While "different" sounding ethnic names at least have tradition and cultural meaning to both the child and parents that may justify the difficulties, trendy-weird names have no redeeming value that I can see.

I might be way off base, but I'm assuming from your username that you've never had to deal with the hassle that people like me have. While it's easy to hail ideas such as universal acceptance and not making judgments based on names when you have a name like Laurel J. Ryan, I can tell you that the reality of everyday life with a highly unusual name is not so rosy. Please realize that I deeply wish, probably more than you do, that so much didn't depend on a name.

My name is Joke.
Seriously.
A perfectly normal name in Flanders and the Netherlands. Short for Johanna.
But we ended up living in an international community. People made fun of my name or couldn't pronounce it. I got letters addressed to Mr. Joke because no one was sure whether I was male or female.
Now, I actually like how easy it is to tell people how to spell my name, but I still don't feel comfortable at the idea people might laugh at me because of it.
My name is beautiful, but when I have children, I think I will choose "traditional" names, not because they are "white names", but because I want them to have a name that people will know how to pronounce and write.

Heather77,

That may well be. I said in my original post that people make judgments "rightly or not." But when employers get dozens or in some cases hundreds of applicants for a position, there are all kinds of subjective distinctions they make to thin the consideration set. Names, and the spelling thereof, are just one of many "first-impression" factors. People get judged on their clothes, their weight, their skin color, their hometowns or the neighborhoods they live in now. I am not saying it is right--it is just human nature.

If you read the balance of these posts, it would seem that more people than not agree with me. The parents who stubbornly believe their kids will be perceived as unique or special just because no one else in their class has their name or has their name with the same spelling are, in my opinion, taking a chance with their children's prospects as adults. I have a "classic," fairly common name and gave similarly traditional names to my kids. They are easy to spell and say and leave a lot of ambiguity about who they are (apart from their genders)--which is exactly what I wanted. I am neither insecure nor arrogant enough to think that what I named them will guarantee them a certain lot in life. Sometimes there are other kids in their class or on their teams with the same name--and it really doesn't bother me, or them. They are special because of who they are, not because they are called "unique" names like Braxter or Hayleighee. How they differentiate themselves from other people with the same names is up to them.

Well, without realizing it I have named both my children with names that follow the trends but aren't in the top ten which is just fine with me.

Maximilien for my son. We call him Max for short but since we live in France everyone else just called him Maximilien.

Our daughter was born in Dec 2009 and we named her Alixe. I variation of Alice which is very trendy in France right now. And what is cool about Alixe is that each letter is found in her brother's name as well.

I do not agree that uneducated parents are solely to blame for the trendy or creatively-spelled name craze. Our society commonly looks to Hollywood for inspiration (as several posters have mentioned). Celebrities are often at the forefront of strange name trends. These trends do not all specifically relate to race or class. Take the classic example of Frank Zappa's children.

Many people misjudge ethnic names because they are not culturally educated. I grew up hating my name because it was constantly butchered. I longed for a name that was easy to read, pronounce and spell. Only as a young adult did I come to appreciate my heritage and therefore my name. I do not feel it is fair to lump ethnicity in the same category as 'creativity.'

I feel a slight pang of regret for naming my son Mateja which people seem to think ispronounced "Matteo" or worse, think he's a girl. My husband and I chose it so our parents could pronounce it, reflect our heritage, and something other than Marko, Alexander, or Luka. I've come to realize that my poor son will have to follow in my footsteps and have to endlessly correct his mispronounced name.

Liz,

I love Augustine and Evangeline.

I'll probably get blasted for this as well. But in my line of work (admitting in the ER) the patients that we see with unusual spellings of names are almost always welfare patients. Why this is a class issue, I am not sure. The worst I have seen? PrettyPrincess (all one word). I just wonder what the parents are smoking....

Maybe all those people with unusually spelled names are on welfare because no one would bring them in for interviews.... ;)

[Cue: Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue"]
When we were thinking of names for our twin boys, we used the "playground test" -- does it come with an undesireable nickname or rhyme? So Bart and Ferd are out. Also, didn't like names that made us think immediately of a particular person. She liked Oliver, but I kept thinking Twist and North. And then there's "Ollie" -- ick.

I am surprised by the bigotry in many of the comments. I guess I expected more from AT readers.

Some hope is restored by readers like LaurelJRyan.

Seriously. A good number of these posts seem to have been typed by aging SS officers.
My children got one extremely crazy... probably too crazy name, and one biblical name. Which has served them well thus far.
The guess the ethnicity thing was extremely uncalled for, and it seems like throwing someone's resume out because of the applicant's name would be against discrimination laws. I do wonder when will people grow up and stop marginalizing others for things that cannot be changed.

@sally305, I'm really don't want it to seem like I'm attacking you, but I'm very hurt by the opinions you've shared. I know you wrote that it's a societal problem and people judge other people based on their names (and on their race, sexual identity, class, etc.) regardless of whether it's right or wrong. But the fact that society is messed up and actively oppressive is not a justification. We should all actively work to change our bigoted societal opinions of things like so-called trashy names. And who knows, maybe if many people continue to give their children what are now perceived as unusual names, we can redefine what is thought of as normal and accept people based on their own merits instead of our biased pre-conceived notions of what they should be.

Also, I have a very unusual and difficult to pronounce name. As a child, I was always terrified of the first day of school, when the teachers would slaughter the pronunciation of my name. Even in high school, I once almost cried when one of my substitute teachers refused to even attempt to pronounce my first name. But, as an adult, I'm glad I have a unique name and I know that the people who would judge me based solely on my name would probably unfairly and inaccurately judge me for other things, as well. It's a slippery slope and if we allow ourselves to assume people are uneducated, or incapable base on their names, who knows where we'll end.

Sorry, one more thing, the people who read this blog and who responded to this post are not a representative cross-section of society. Many people on this post have agreed with your comments, but I'm sure there are many more people who will not see this post and who will not respond to it who don't agree with comments like yours. I'm not trying to be snarky, but I'm just sayin'.

@sally305: I wouldn't name my kid Sally because it's boring. And would want people to think that my kid is a creative, free thinker -- not a bore.

How's that for judging someone based on a name?

"I wouldn't name my kid Sally because it's boring. And would want people to think that my kid is a creative, free thinker -- not a bore." -middleamerica

See, but that's not what actually happens in reality. You're missing the point, not proving one. People will never look at a name on paper, such as Thomas, David, Sarah, or Jennifer, and imagine, "Oh my gosh, so-and-so must be such a boring person! Ugh!"

Similarly, parents who give their kids wacky names because of some misguided desire to create a particular image for their child will rarely succeed. Take a closer look at the underlying motivations and implications of what you're saying - do you honestly think that it's the job of a good parent to engineer an image or a personality for their child, based on the parent's own projected desires and expectations? What if your daughter, PrettyPrincess (as above), dreams of becoming a Supreme Court Judge or a Police Chief? Will you feel remorse that perhaps you've created an obstacle in her path, or will you simply be disappointed that your child does not want to take the path you chose for her?

The truth is, and note that I am speaking as a person with an unusual name, that these supposedly "boring" names actually better allow a child's natural personality to shine through. Their name is never an issue. The child will not have to endure teasing. The child will not be faced with the awkward and embarrassing task of correcting every teacher, professor, manager, or supervisor they ever encounter. There won't be those awkward introductions where people either get your name wrong or not at all, and will go on to greet you always with, "Hey... uh, buddy!" The likelihood of your child's name being spelled correctly on official documents and flight manifests will be much, much greater, saving your child from numerous hassles and headaches. With a so-called boring name, no one notices the name - they notice the person.

The bottom line, and what sally305 is trying to say, is that your child does not need an interesting name in order to become an interesting person. On the other hand, there are countless, very real disadvantages to having an offbeat name. And children who grow up to prefer an alternative lifestyle or career can always adopt a more creative name for themselves. That's what nicknames, pen names, and stage names are for.

I was joking. I thought it was obvious.

Madisonian, I am sorry you feel hurt. But remember that there is a difference between observing and justifying. I don't think we are going to solve the world's bigotry problems (or innate biases, which occur throughout the animal kingdoms) on this blog. And I guarantee you have prejudices that come through in one form or another--everybody does.

Unfortunately, the way you describe your experience with your unique name (using words like "terrified" and "slaughter" and "almost cried") is exactly why some parents will choose "plain" names like Brian or Anne. Because really, isn't the whole issue for parents about fear? For some it's fear of our kids not getting noticed for how special they are; for others it's fear of being ostracized or made fun of because they have "special" names. I would far rather err on the side of caution and do what undercover suggests--let my kids decide who they want to be and how the world perceives them.

Middleamerica--I knew you were joking. But thanks, undercover, for defending me. You said what I was trying to in a much better way.

I'm named Piper, and when I dated a guy named Peter, it was fun to introduce ourselves as a couple. Needless to say, I'm now dating Paul. Not as fun, but the slight alliteration makes me smile.

P.S. Piper does NOT pass playground testing.......

Sally 305, I am from Denmark and in Denmark the name Brian is statistically over-represented in criminal circles. I've actually heard doctors use it in a derogatory manner: "That guy was a real Brian!".To me and many others, Brian will always be the name of the disruptive kid in class who did drugs, whereas fellow postdocs at my university are named Kayleeh and Cherztin (traditionally spelled Kerstin in Scandinavia). I think that names are only as classical and traditional as the people they are associated with. And everyone associates differently. Something to think about in an international world.

The generation hiring at the moment may think that john and michael are suitable names for doctors and presidents. However, younger generations will soon fill those positions and old prejudices will be replaced by new ones. In a few years we will have doctors named Apple or Plum. My dog's veterinarian has dreadlocks and piercings, which would have shocked people 50 years ago! And imagine, women as doctors. And wearing pants! :) Isn't it lovely how things change? Who knows, maybe I should name my child Brian.

My first name is Noel. (Pronounced Noelle) When I was young and in school or at the doctors office, I was always be really embarrassed when the teacher/nurse would call out, "Noel?" and use the male pronunciation.
Now that I am older, I really appreciate that my name is both different than most, and that people don't know my sex prior to meeting me. I think it actually works to my advantage in my career.

Wow. "Guess my ethnicity." Really? And to the poster who was not surprised that the babysitter named Vanisha didn't attack the ironing while the kids were asleep: you hired a babysitter, not a freakin' maid. Some of these comments are a trainwreck of barely veiled bigotry and ignorance.

minichristine's nailed it:

"In a few years we will have doctors named Apple or Plum. My dog's veterinarian has dreadlocks and piercings, which would have shocked people 50 years ago! And imagine, women as doctors. And wearing pants! :) Isn't it lovely how things change?"

amen

When I was teaching at the college level I had a black student who was named Aryan. Whoa. A little research before naming this child might've gone a long way in the end...

Having said that, stupidity is surely not limited to race. I had stupid students in every ethnicity, and extremely smart ones in every ethnicity.

In America, the black community does have a history of choosing "different" names...and they're not all like "Aryan". But because of the bigotry and pre-conceived notions that so many people have already, not even taking names into account, I think it's risky even in this day and age for picking a name for your child that's too different sounding. Yes, it's sad, but if it means my child might have a chance of being overlooked...well, I'm going to err on classical/beautiful/plain names any day. Yes, it is a sad truth that minorities still have to worry about this kind of thing, and that if you're white you can name your daughter something white like Camdyn, (which I detest, btw), but that's still how it is. Yes, change is needed, but I'm not convinced that it's going to be by naming your kid differently that this change comes about.
One of the best teachers I had in college was a woman named Dr. Heather Neff, who taught African American Literature; she was black, and very much proud of this part of her ethnicity (I should also add that she is, I believe, Egyptian...I think), in every way. And she had a large audience of students who were black as well, as the university where she still teaches is black, by majority. So, she had a large audience of kids who were really listening to her, because she was commanding and provocative and charismatic. And she said that yes, Ebonics and/or Black English were languages worthy of study and legitimate, etc., but that if you were black, you sure as hell better know how to speak "Standard English" when it mattered--because that was how you were going to speak for interviews, school, jobs, etc., because that was how the world worked, *for better or worse*.
It seems to me that as long as it is that way, well, I just think that power will be had by working from the inside out. Learn the passwords of those in power, infiltrate, and then change people. Otherwise it's hard to get people to listen if you're named Aryan.

Aryan is a fairly common Indian name as well finchhouse- it's just that it has unfortunate cultural connotations.
Yes it is said that due to the cultural hegemony of certain cultures, ethnic minority names have to be considered from many perspectives - such as, what connotations they have in other cultures. the average joe naming his son david for instance has much less to think about- and less compromise to make.

I have a pretty "normal" name (Lucy) yet the folks at Starbucks still yell out "Lucky?" when they set out my latte. Always fun.

Recently I decided that if I have daughters I want to give them male first names (like Kyle or Ryan- at least in my circles and heritage, those are male names, but I realize they could totally be female names elsewhere) just to further their chances in their careers. My boyfriend thinks this is an atrocious idea, but I've heard from women like MsMaquillage that they think it really helps.

I have an extremely unusual name (although apparently it is an old-time name), and I hate it so much that I'm embarrassed to even write it here. It has two meanings, one of which is so uncomfortable that it makes people do a double take and laugh. I was made fun of so much as a child and surprisingly it still happens as an adult. When I get the occasional "that's such a pretty name," I am so blown away and I always ask if they really mean it.

Because of that I can honestly say I am a more introverted person when first meeting people. I very rarely introduce myself because I just hate saying my name and the reactions I get. I constantly wonder what my parents were thinking when they named me.

So for all you parent-to-be out there, spell your kids' names as crazy as you want, just please please be sensitive to their self esteem. Imagine what it would be like with that name if you had to introduce yourself to people. Would you be embarrassed at all? It doesn't have to be a plain or common name, just put some thought into living with that name.

While I do agree that the unique spellings of common names can be out of control, the bigoted comments and condescending judgment are even more out of control!

Based on some of the comments here, should I assume that if I meet a person with a "classic" name that s/he will be a bigot?!? Here's the opposite spin on this: to all prospective candidates with unique and different names, be wary of hiring managers with "classic" names as they are probably bigots.

If I actually applied either side of this rationale when I met folks with names like Makaylas, Michelles, Jennifers, Venetias, or Vanishas there would be a great number of cool and interesting people that I'd never get to know.

So disappointed.

My first name was Kristin, and I always hated it. I'm a stickler for correct spelling, so it was doubly frustrating when it was spelled Kristen, or mistaken as Krista, Kristine, so on. I also felt that it wasn't a very serious name, and I disliked its blonde cheerleader stereotype--I'm a brunette bookworm!

I finally started going by my middle name, Elizabeth, about six years ago, and recently had it legally changed. Yes, it is an always popular name--and that is its appeal! (And there is the "Elisabeth" spelling, but it's not very common in the states; I haven't once had it misspelled.) Just one more vote for at least giving your babies standard middle names. I've always envied simple names like Jane, Anna, and Kate.

We're totally unoriginal I suppose. Named our son Alexander (traditional) but nickname Lex (economical, X, L). Oh well -- he fits his name perfectly so I'm content! Love all the beautiful names cropping up these days, trend or not.

My parents named me Julia for several reasons. I am 1/2 German and 1/2 African American and they need a name that could be spoken in German and English. Secondly, my mom wanted a name that was race neutral. Unfortunately, racism still exists (as evident in these postings) and parents didn't want to limit me from potential job interviews by giving me a name that was stereotypically one race or another. Basically, they didn't want an employer to look at my resume and say "She's mixed," just by looking at my name. The funny thing is, Julia was my great- grandmother's name. She was a former slave. None of my African- American family members have "black baby names" (as one AT member so eloquently put it). They have names like Karen, Kelly, Grace, James, Dale, and Cynthia. Which makes me think it's silly that people would even look at a name and consider someone's race, especially with our society becoming more and more diverse.
Personally, when I have kids, I am leaning towards name like Grace, Delta, Georgia, Chet, Ethan... I like stereotypically southern names.

We had a terrible time naming all our children, simply because I'm a New Zealander and my husband is full German raised in the South. His mothers b.f was named Fanny and she herself named Behulla. He hated NZ names like Tracy, Johanna, Fergus and Angus and so we had some whopping arguements.
Finally we just opened the baby books and pointed at a name and that was that.
Now that we are expecting our fifth child ( I know, seriously over populating the planet) we will just pick a simple name when the time comes.
What is so funny - no one has ever given us grief over the child's name even though they are all Southern and so unusual to my Scottish and New Zealand family. Yet the fact that we had more than two children after having one of each sex has thrown everyone. The comments are just plain rude....

@ SJC - I'm a 20 year old Olivia, and it was an uncommon name when I was named it... But I guess now it is very common. I only ever met one other Olivia when I was in school, and she was several years older than me. My family calls me Liv or Livi, and it's nice to have the option. I also tried to go by Via once but it never caught on... Anyway, I love the name myself, so I hope your daughter will be fond of it too.

I also have an Olivia (3) and we all call her Livi. We haven't met another little girl with the name where we live, but we have met an older lady who was named Olivia. I love the name. Our other daughter's name is Grace and I think it is classic and beautiful. We are now expecting our third child, so all these comments have been quite helpful. I have over a dozen girl names I love, but we are having quite a bit of trouble with boys names. Any suggestions on classic, not terribly popular, boy names?

bowsandbeaus, my name is also Kristin and I've always thought that it WAS one of the standard, classic names! I have NEVER heard of it being a blond, cheerleader stereotype and growing up, it was usually about half-and-half that people would spell it Kristen. (There was a Kristen a grade below me and I think people just didn't know which of us was E and which was I.) There was also a BOY named Kristen a couple years above me - I haven't looked this up, but his parents told me that in its original incarnations in Scandinavian countries, Kristen was the boy's name and Kristin was the girl's name. But I've never thought of it as "unique" or creative in any way, really - shows how people's interpretations of names can be different even growing up with the same name!

These are great trends - hopefully the "-ies" and funky spellings really are on the way out. However, one of my 9 month old twins is Margaret (Maggie), named after my grandmother. I do hope that's one that doesn't fall within the "retro" revival.

I am so fascinated with name trends that I blog about it.
As stylish trendsetters, Ohdeedoh babies' names frequently make an appearance. Check out the monikers of some of the recent children I've met in NYC: http://youcantcallitit.com/2010/01/17/yew-nork-babies/

My name is Vanessa and my middle name is Jeanette (accent mark over the first 'e' to make it sound French). I am 29. When I was growing up, I hated my name. I was surrounded by Jennifers, Kellys and Sarahs. Now, though, I love my name. Vanessa perfectly suits me, as it's both a pretty and strong name. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Incidentally, when my mom was trying to figure out my first name, she was also thinking of "Kendal," which is not me at all. Also, it's interesting to me that my mom had me when she was 22. I think the age of the mother and the birth year have something to do with it too.

Chiming in late, but I tend to agree that the ~creative spellings need to show themselves to the door. I'm not really going to jude the person who HAS the name, but I'm sure as hell going to stop and .... a little.

I have actually never met a person with my name, most likely because my parents literally made it up (Amandelin Anntoinette), and I have heard every possible butchering of it. Including one "Angela," which is...really? What? No. No sir. Still, I liked that it was unique, and that I wasn't one of the thirty Rachels or Rebeccas I've met in my life.

When it came to naming my son, I wanted him to have something that was simple, easily pronouncable, had a certain elegance, and was uncommon but not so "unique" that he'd get double takes. I went with Jude, which a lot of people imagine is inspired by a certain famous song, but which was actually inspired by my very favorite indie singer/songwriter. I've yet to meet another Jude, but no one has any problems handling his name when they meet him. Also, as far as the nickname test goes, the easiest association is "dude", which is a word I use approximately three dozen times a day, so it doesn't bother me much. For his middle name I went with Malcolm, which is a nice, solid, strong sounding name to me. And also the name of a certain captain with a fondness for snug trousers :D

When my *father*, however, went to name his most recent child (who is six months older than my son, and no, I did not start breeding before my mid-twenties), he went with Baylian. Baylian Valentine. Why would you even do that? It rhymes with alien, for the love of god.

Oh, and as bad as Bronx is (thanks, Wentzes), there is another band person who has named his daughter "Bandit." I cringe when I imagine her as a thirty-year-old woman trying to be taken seriously with a name that literally means criminal.

What I find strange is that most of the people who picked a very popular name at the time claim to be surprised their chosen name made it to the top of the list.
Do people not realize that things like baby names creep into our collective consciousness through things like movies, tv shoes, or other media? For example, if it's hip again to read classic literature (and thereby discover old names like Emma again) or picking an old-fashioned name is a response to the made-up name trend, tons of other folks are jumping on that train too, not just you!
What's more, name data is so readily available, I have a hard time imagining not being able to see a trend on the rise...like "Isabella" or other Italian-sounding girls' names that have taken top spot for years now.

I love my name Claire. I was always the only one until high school, and it has a timeless quality to it. I love it so much if I thought it wasn't too self-centered, I'd name my daughter Claire too.

sar3j, while I was pregnant with our son, my husband and I were stumped for a classic, not terribly popular boy's name. I think we managed to find a name that filled the bill perfectly: Simon. (Middle name is Oliver, a family name, just in case Simon doesn't like being Simon!) It's hovered at around the 250th most popular name with Social Security for the past 20 years, it's easy to spell and the only "famous" Simon is Simple Simon, which is relatively obscure and pretty harmless. (Also, "Simon says," but who cares?) As for that horror Simon Cowell from American Idol (which people ask me about sometimes): I don't watch that show, so it's not at all on my radar!
And to boot, my Simon has turned out to be the cutest, sweetest little boy in the world! So there's at least one great Simon running around out there...

I work on a Maternity ward in Australia and at the moment the names that seem popular are the more traditional names like William, Thomas, Charlotte. Another tread is the letter V, like Vivienne, Vera etc.

interesting article:

http://www.news4jax.com/education/4482169/detail.html

if you ever get a chance to watch the Maury Show, try to catch all the black baby names (the ones looking for their daddies). i work with a lot of africans (from somalia to ghana) and they all tell me these are not african names.

the white baby names are mostly trashy too.

Ostendaise, that is the most miserably cruel name I have ever heard for a child. CPS should step in.

PS I'm glad my picks are not and never will be trendy. They are both names of popular literary characters and sound good with my husband's last name, which always confuses people, even though it's pronounced phonetically.

My favorite name is that of the artist Pipilotti Rist, who was named after Pipi Longstocking, and that's from where I take my cue. Hats off to the Trixie Belden fans ;)

I love my name but it has a lot of letters. When I have to sign things, it takes a long time. I think a short name is nice for that reason! I don't have kids but my great-nieces have all been getting long names and I wonder if they will feel the same way I do about it when they are older.

It's unfortunate, but sometimes, people judge my son's name as if we invented an unusual spelling a classic name. we didn't. It merely is the polish spelling of a classic name. It didn't occur to us that Americans would assume we were being creative spellers. I thought it was obvious that it was a foreign spelling. I hope my son's name does not cause people to judge him more harshly.

Wow. I clicked on the posting just to see what the trendy names are for curiousity sake, and am surprised by how passionate some people are about names. Like design, it's all a matter of personal taste. I find some names entertaining, like naming your child a fruit or vegetable. I volunteer in a kindergarten class and some of the less common names trip up teachers, parents, classmates, etc. and make it difficult for the children. To each his own. My children are named Olivia, Grace & Claire. Cute for little girls, appropriate and professional as they become adults, easy to pronounce and spell. I don't have to worry when I call their names from the back door or at the schoolyard. I would only hope that everyone making comments keeps it light - no one wants to get into a race debate. It's a fact of life (unfortunately) that society judges skin colour, weight, the whiteness of teeth, first impressions, etc. It's undeniable. We do the best we can to love and raise good children who treat others well, irregardless of their potentially crazy names. That is what (should) REALLY matters.

Something that no one seems to have touched on is what name is right for your child. A lot of parents have the name picked out months before their baby is born. How do they know if that name will really fit the child they have?

Both of my daughters have beautiful and unusual names, though neither is made up. While I was pregnant, I made huge lists of names that I liked, and the dads (they have two different fathers) and I couldn't agree on anything. Once they were actually born, it was obvious to us that most of those many names on those lists just wouldn't be right for either of them, no matter how much we might (or might not) like them! After the births picking names became suddenly very easy -- a matter of an hour or so at most, and not any of the names we might have guessed we would choose. The girls both like their names (my older daughter to the extent that she will not tolerate nicknames at all) and everyone seems to agree that their names fit them well.

Wouldn't it make more sense to pick names that are suited to the child, than trying to force your child to fit a particular name and therefore some idea you have of who they should be? Reading what so many people have had to say about their own names, whether unusual or not, and how they feel it affected them either positively or negatively, it's obvious that one rule won't work for everyone. Some people love their unusual name, and feel that it has benefited them, while others resent it. Some love their classic names, while others just don't.

My mother had an unusual name growing up and didn't like it as a result -- she attempted to protect me from the same fate by giving me a name that she perceived as normal, common. Ironically, my name was only popular for a very short period of time when my mother was growing up, so she didn't quite succeed. I would have loved to have a more exotic name and when I was a child I thought about changing it. However I am glad that despite the fact that my name is hardly unique, it's not very common. I've only known a handful of other women/girls who share it. And now, although perhaps on some level it may not quite fit, I don't know of one that would fit me better; it's who I've (for better or worse) become.

"Of course this shouldn't reflect on the kids, but really--who would you want doing your emergency C-section--a Thomas or a Crayten? An Elizabeth or a MaKayli?"

Ummm...I'd like my surgery performed by an educated and trained surgeon, even if her name is Dr. Poopypants.

I'd want a better surgeon. One who realized I was in for an appendectomy, not a C-section.

Btw, hilarious those who have posted about names they love, yet aren't sharing them here... like it's the formula for Coca-Cola or something!

Wow. "Guess my ethnicity." Really? And to the poster who was not surprised that the babysitter named Vanisha didn't attack the ironing while the kids were asleep: you hired a babysitter, not a freakin' maid. Some of these comments are a trainwreck of barely veiled bigotry and ignorance.

Thank you, my thoughts exactly. Wow, just wow.

I love my name, Jillian. I guess it's unique, but it's definitely not made up. I like the way it looks written out; combined with my last name it's full of verticals.

The rest of the people in my family have good, Catholic names. :)

This post fascinates me.

Really as someone with a fairly "common" name that I dislike (it was more popular in the 80s when I was born than it is now) I take solice in the fact there is a story that goes with my name. I was named after a song by the Velvet Underground, which was considered "cool" when I then went to college.

The family name I should have had was Angelina....a blessing in disguise really after Angelina Jolie became famous.

Also, if I may chime in on the side of naming one's child more unusual first names? I think that we are not considering how first names fit with surnames. Every Leviatress or Kashawna I have met has had a very simple last name like White or James. Really, if you were picking out baby names would Annie White or Susan James sound super exciting to you? So when you have a more classic last name, I feel the first name needs to have more flare to it, to make it balanced.

My aunt's given name was Jane Smith....she proceeded to change the spelling of Jane just to save herself from bordom. I am also threatening that if I have twin girls they are being called Mercy and Justice, no if ands or buts about it :)

Wow, interesting discussion. I stumbled in from AT thinking it would be interesting to see the new trend in baby names, was surprised by the interesting comments.
I don't yet have a kid(s) yet, but hope to some day and I have often thought about what that kids name should be. As a former teacher, I love the "playground rule"

In the interest of full disclosure, my name's Ian and yes I had to put up with Ianne, Ion, Eon, teachers thinking it was a typo and my name was really Dan or Brian. I hated my name then, but I love it now. As others have mentioned, names depend on culture. Ian was an uncommon name for a kid in the South in the 1970s, but at the same time it was one of the most common names for a boy in the UK. My mom was 21 when she had me and she liked Jethro Tull, whose lead singer is named Ian. The other choice was Oliver (from Love Story), but my Grandma put the kibosh on that, thanks Gram!

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the book Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. There is actually a whole chapter dedicated to this very subject.

An example:

Top Twenty White Boy Names That Best Signify Low Education Parents (In the interest of space, I'll include 10)

1. Ricky 6. Bobby
2. Joey 7. Johnny
3. Jessie 8. Larry
4. Jimmy 9. Edgar
5. Billy 10. Steve

Top Twenty White Boy Names That Best Signify High Education Parents:

1. Dov 6. Guillaume
2. Akiva 7. Elon
3. Sander 8. Ansel
4. Yannick 9. Yonah
5. Sacha 10. Tor

Unusual names do not seem to be the exclusive purview of poor, low educated "minority" parents.

Nobody mentioned the study by David Kalist and Daniel Lee that specifically looked at the correlation between boys first names and criminality. They ranked the names of boys born between 1987 and 1991 in order of popularity and compared that ranked list or "Popularity Name Index" to a list of all boys who entered into juvenile hall between 1997 and 2005. They found that the more common a first name was, the less likely the boy would be to commit a crime. Children named Michael were the least likely, while children with names like Ivan, Ernest and Alec were more commonly delinquents.

Or how about the study by Saka Aura and Gregory Hess that found that common names with common spellings, less syllables, fewer vowel beginnings or "oh" sound endings were correlated with better life outcomes and linked to parent level of education.

There have numerous sociologic experiments were people attempt to get job interviews or rent apartments by submitting identical resumes or rental applications: one with a "white" sounding name and one with a "minority" sounding name. Those with the "white" names got called to interview or look at the apartment a higher percentage of the time than those with "minority" sounding names.

Is it right? No. Is it reality? For many who do not live in the urban multicultural enclaves that most AT readers live in, it is in fact reality.

Just food for thought.

I really love to see all the racism on OhDeeDoh. It's one of the reasons I stick around. It's amazing to see how people let their guard down when they think the only audience is a bunch of white mommies. This isn't the first time that I have witnessed a multitude of commenters discuss an issue with open racism. Remember that "Native American Birthday Teepee Party" that no one took issue with except for two, apparently American Indian readers, including myself.

Thank God my parents had the sense to give me a common white name so no one would know that I am a minority.

At my job, when we're recruiting interns, we black out the names so that people don't eliminate students by their own prejudices. They end up choosing people based on their skills- and they sometimes get people with weird names. Either way, they almost always end up being the best people for the job.

I also think it's ridiculous to justify behavior that you admit is wrong just because other people do it. What difference does it make if the parents are educated? They're not applying for the job! You may want to justify your behavior, but it sounds like plain old discrimination to me.

And expecting your babysitter to clean your home and iron your clothes: I'm betting your given name is Jack Ass.

Wow. Just proof positive that the solution to the worlds problems is to kill all the white people. Sadly not all of the white people are white and thankfully not all white people are the white people.
I have to remind myself just beacuse people are into art and have taste doesn;t make them any less racist. We destroy racism not by throwing our hands up and saying ohwell thats how it is, but personally challenging and changing our thinking. To the lady that judges people based on the name their parents gave them, why are you alive?

heymisslady... Ironic that your commenting on racism while presuming almost everyone on this site is a white female and therefore racist. It seems your prejudices run just as deep as many others on this post.

I try to avoid reading off-putting posts that degrade others. That being said, I get the general idea of some of the less than polite sentiments above.

Everyone should try to keep in mind that this world is beautiful becuase there is so much diversity. NYC would be a very dull place if everyone was the same religion, race, and culture. It's our differences that make life fun.

Maybe my son's name (Eryk), a traditional Polish name, isn't for everyone, but it's right for him and our family. Similarly, more unique American names are best for other kids. A name doesn't make a person less intelligent or more prone to crime.

I will say that names DO affect employment, but that's merely becuase people have pre-conceived (and often incorrect) notions on what a person should be.

But as you can see here, it's an uphill battle to encourage people to see individuals for what they are rather than relying on stereotypes

Wow. Two posters in a row who can't comprehend what they read.

heymisslady said:

It's amazing to see how people let their guard down when they think the only audience is a bunch of white mommies.

Guess what. This does not translate to "kill all the white people" or suggest that heymisslady is "presuming almost everyone on this site is a white female and therefore racist." She is referring to the people who feel free to make thinly-veiled racist remarks about African Americans on the internet, for god's sake, who appear to think they are in like company. And she's right.

Get a grip.

And yes, I realize heymisslady was concerned with racist remarks generally (and that I'm assuming heymisslady is a she), but the egregious comments on this thread alluded to African Americans, it seems to me.

hmm I wandered over from AT also just to see the top names....I am a teacher and I could have made this list very easily based on the students at my school. If I see one more Olivia, Aidan, Sophia, Isabella or something like that, I get really frustrated. There is a difference between being original and being trendy. Trendy names get so common that they turn ordinary too. But please don't name your kid something I can't pronounce (not talking ethnicity here, I am talking parents who wanted to be different)...it just ends up embarrassing the kid when I call attendance the first day.

kgenesius -

When you call attendance the first day, why not just go down the rows and ask each child to say his or her first name. Then you'll hear how to correctly pronounce each name.

Done! No awkwardness! As the teacher, you'll set the tone for acceptance of unfamiliar concepts.

Taxpayer to kgenesius: You're fired!

@ Henrietta the terrible: I did not misunderstand what I read. You've misunderstood what I wrote and also I was not referencing hey misslady.

@Henrietta the terrible. I also misunderstood nothing. The white mommy comment is racist in itself. and it DOES imply that most of the posters are white mommies, as it also implies that when white people think they're alone, racist comments begin to pour out of our mouths.

Easy way to tell if something is biased. Change the group the statement is referring to, and see if it sounds offensive then. This one surely does.

Give me a break pleading reverse racism. Cheapest trick in the book. For starters, misslady referred to posters' assumptions about the AT audience, not "most of the posters". I also assume that white mothers make up the majority of the ohdeedoh audience (in the US). Does that make me a racist? And are you really making the argument that misslady accuses all white people of making racist remarks when they think they're alone? That is quite a stretch and wrong to boot.

I think you're being disingenuous and stand by what I wrote.

As a person who was named one thing and called another, completely non- related name, I am very biased towards names you can not mess with. My whole life I've had to explain that my family calls me a name----- for no good reason!! It just gets old.

Dont name your son Michael Dylan so and so and then call him Dylan.(ie call them by their middle name) Name your child what you want to call them please!

This is so sad. How can we make it better?

If you hear the name Antoine or Kiesha or Abdul or Edna or Tubby, certain assumtions are going to be made about that person, right or wrong, like it or not. There is nothing wrong with that. What's wrong is bigotry, racism or discrimination. If we could all get past that, things would be fine. Name your kids what you want and be proud and teach them to be proud.

WOW, this is probably my favorite thread so far. I actually read all the comments! And to have the time & patience with a fireball of a 1 year old running around, that's pretty amazing for me.

It's obvious given all the passion (good, bad, indifferent) written here, the issue with names is super personal!! I'm 31 and have an old-fashioned name (Genevieve) which was butchered to no end when I was growing up. (Geneva? Really? Do you see an "a"?!). I was first nicknamed Genny, but having to always say, "with a G" at the end of that got old real fast. I just bit the bullet and started going by my full name in college. I used to hate it, but since then, I've loved it.

It was my husband, who also has a very un-common, but not hard to pronounce, name, who reminded me of the upsides to having a unique name (that's unique, not "weird" by majority standards). So we named our daughter Olivienne. Like mine, it's got French roots, 9 letters and a v. Selfish? I guess kinda, but we liked it, it sounded soft, sweet, and vintage, and really, isn't just liking the name whatever it is the main standard parents use for naming their kids anyway? With the world getting smaller and smaller, more and more international, we're bound to learn and meet people which all kinds of names, no?

But until she's bigger, we can only guess if our daughter will experience tireless corrections to her name! Sorry in advance sweetie!

(PS- I knew a girl in HS who had a boy and named him Jacob Daniel. Not so different, except that her name was Danielle Jacobs. I guess people will always know they are mother and son. To each their own!)

Oh by the way, I'm not a "white mommy". I'm Asian with a German last name. The surprised look on my teacher's faces when it was me who raised my hand during roll call was always pretty funny.

Reminds me of an experience I had as a high school teacher. I was given the name of a new student, Paco Gonzalez. I was assuming he would be Latino, dark haired and average to short height. (Forgive me my stereotypes.) He was 6 feet tall, albino and African American. It was a lovely experience and he was a wonderful young man. It taught me a lot.

Thank you, gettingthere. That helps.

There's an old theory in the behavioral sciences that holds that having to stand up for an unusual name builds the kind of character that leads to success in life -- which is, after all, the folk teaching buried in "A Boy Named Sue" (referenced above by Arkay.)

Interesting idea.

I have the inverse situation going on from a lot of these posts about judging people by their first names. I've got an unusual name that always tells me more about other people's education than it would tell them about my own. It's a beautiful word that can be found in the dictionary or read in a book, and I wouldn't change it for any other. I will say that if you don't know what it means, I might dock you a point and make you earn it back :) And it looks great on a resume...works like a charm. Thanks, Mom!

I guess I don't mind rare names,but I don't care for invented names and deliberate misspellngs. What is interesting, though, is the trend toward a certain superficiality - naming a child based on the "sound" instead of the name's meaning. Although my name is slightly trendy for the time when I was born (its a french feminization of biblical name) my mother picked our names with the meaning very much a driving force in her decision. Call an old-school consideration or relegate it to an ethnic kind of practice, but doesn't meaning matter anymore?

I will say also, on the bigotry argument, I have a different view. When I meet a "Shaylyn", "Traylyn" for example, (90s trends) what comes to mind are people raised comfortable enough in their white privilege to name their kids whatever they like knowing there's no real social repercussions. I guess that's prejudice, too.

My personal standard for names is "not common, but not weird." As in, I don't want them to be one of five kids in their class with their name. But I don't want it to be so uncommon that they have to spell it constantly (I had to do that with my last name for my whole childhood and I hated it), or get made fun of (there are enough reasons to be picked on as a little kid---why create more?). My name is something that most people have heard of, but there just aren't many people who have it! I love that.

Imagine my dismay, then, when my son's unique (I thought!) name cracked the top-25 list of boy's names this year. Ha ha!!

My husband's name was Clarence, and he was the second. We wanted our son to be the third, but did not wish to call him Clarence. One option that I like for a child who is the third is "Trey". Unfortunately I did not hear of it until my son already had another nick name, but I enter this to help others who wish to have an option for their male child who will end up having the third generation of a family name.

I am DISGUSTED and I find a lot of the comments for this post to be very offensive. Who judges someone based on their name?!

"With our son I didn't want an extremely common or 'cutesy' name that wouldn't last him past age four - like meeting a grown woman named Molly." - dallas10086

I am a grown woman named Molly and the name has definitely lasted long past the age of 4...nice to meet you Dallas :)

Though it more often shows up on the most popular dog name lists (I feel you, Sadie!), I've always loved my name.

Mostly, I don't like names that seem like the parents are trying too hard. I think people should choose a name that fits their child. And, one that means something to them, their family, their heritage etc... not just because they think it makes them cool to pick an unusual name/spelling for their kid.

My name is fairly unusual. Although, it is very popular in another country that has nothing to do with my heritage. My name was generally annoying growing up. I never found it on stickers, stamps or anything a kid might want to buy with their name on it. As an adult, I still have to say my name 3 times before people get it. Then, I have to explain I have nothing to do with the country my name is from.

Unfortunately, if your name has a strong association, it is a reality you have to deal with. People automatically assume I'm super sexy. Hahaha! No really, it's a burden.

Malizindie--Molly is a great old (human) name. I guess for some reason it has become a classic dog name, too.

I have another theory about name fads--I notice a lot of the trendy children's names showing up on dogs, especially those belonging to young couples. At our dog park there are a ton of Ellas, Bellas, Codys, Maxes, Dakotas, and Coopers these days. It's as if people are afraid to miss their chance to use their favorite trendy name, because it might be out of fashion by the time they have kids. At least with dogs you seldom have the complication of unconventional spellings, since they can't read or write and thus no one cares if it's "Kamden with a K" or "Makayla, not Michaela."

"At my job, when we're recruiting interns, we black out the names so that people don't eliminate students by their own prejudices. They end up choosing people based on their skills- and they sometimes get people with weird names. Either way, they almost always end up being the best people for the job."

nutterbuddy, that is a FANTASTIC idea that all employers should do. That is so refreshing to hear. Afterall, if you really are being discrimination-free, you shouldn't be judging someone by their name.

My son has an uncommon name, but not crazy weird, or oddly spelled. It fits very well with our irish last name. I refrain from giving it out on posts and websites though, because I don't want people to copy me! :) I just didn't want to give him a SUPER common, boring name. His middle name is Jeremiah though, so if he doesn't like his first name, he can go by that, or Jeremy.

As far as the argument of *not wanting your children to be made fun of thing*.. Kids will find ANYTHING to make fun of! My last name was Crutcher, and kids would say, "haha, CRUTCHES!".. I just would roll my eyes at them. I'd think, "really? That's the best you could come up with?".. And my husband is named Barry and kids would call out to him "Berry-Berry Kix!!". He too, thought it was lame.

Just instill self-esteem in your child no matter what their name! Tell them that they can be whoever they want to be, encourage them, be the best parent you can. If you regret the name you gave them down the road, or they don't like it-- what can you do? We are imperfect people, and trends come and go. :)

Felix, Lulu and Walter are hot, trendy names!?
Oy.

I see a future of Play Therapy Sessions for these poor kids.

Some American names from the Colonial era: Abitha, Amity, Aphra, Aurinda, Azuba, Electa, Hecuba, Henrietta, Hepzibah, Keturah, Keziah, Mahala, Primrose, Remember, Selah, Theodosia, Verity. Americans have a long tradition of using interesting names.

It's mostly the wacky spellings and sound jumbles that I have some bias against these days. I think that's because creativity is ultimately more about ideas than appearances, like it or not. This is one of the essential differences between folk art and fine art.

When I see a name and it appears that the parents thought solely about the look or sound of the name, not the meaning of it or family history or common perceptions of the name, it seems like a shallow choice to me. That doesn't mean it was a shallow choice, it only means their path to deciding on that particular name is obscured to someone with my particular cultural background.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what the parents' intention was. We can choose to be aware of our biases so we can control them, because we can't control what people name their children.

"Karim, Kenji and Kushinga. (Try THAT in North America!) "

Yes, here in Los Angeles, those would certainly be unusual, but not really.

I'm fond of family names--the real family, not the one you wish you had.

Oh and, you do know that Navaeh is actually a place name, right? (Heaven, reversed).

imaginative" new ones (Kryslyn, Nevaeh), or re-appropriated words or places being used for people (Kamden, Ruger, Madysin).

A misspelled name is nothing but a hassle. I'm a girl with a pretty common name whose parents chose to spell it incorrectly. I have to spell my name out everywhere I go, correct files, reorder credit cards, have awkward conversations correcting people for the third time, etc.

Given the choice, I'd much prefer to have an unconventional or less common name than a popular one with a different spelling to make it "unique". My different spelling didn't "save" my name from being so common: There was another person with the same first and last name in my high school. Even though she was a grade above me and our names and middle initials were different, we still had our report cards and classes mixed up all the time.

I never felt unique because of my misspelled name... in fact, since some people don't bother/care enough to spell names in any way other then they're used to, the misspelling of my name can make me feel unimportant at times. And the worst part? I was always one letter off from getting a cool personalized license plate for my awesome hot pink bike. Sad.

Used to LOATHE my unusual name, but now I think it's kinda cool how classmates from elementary school will recognize me if they hear/read my name.

Weird sometimes equals memorable.

Also, I use my name as a kind of litmus test. If the guy can pronounce my name after a few tentative tries, and continues to pronounce it correctly in later meetings, he's worth pursuing.

in the end, names are interesting because they point to how a given culture is using language - how we hear sounds and words. Look at trends in book titles or band names or restaurant names and there may be some underlying code we can't see from here, but a linguist and historian will be able to pick up years from now.

Sadie and Molly, I totally relate to the dog name thing. My name is Lucy and I can't tell you how many times I have introduced myself to someone only to hear: "Lucy? Oh my gosh, I named by new puppy Lucy!" As if I would just be overjoyed to hear this. I mean, I like dogs, but I'm not thrilled that I could easily be confused with the three Jack Russel terriers in the neighborhood.

Also, I lived in England for several months and I never had that happen there. Lucy seems to be a perfectly ordinary name in the U.K. and not reserved for dogs. It's also more common as evidenced by the fact that I could actually find it on those "personalized" bike license plates you see in gift stores for the first time ever.

Err...that would be "my" new puppy.

My name is Patrick.
My sister's name is Peggy.

My father had a Boston Terrier named Pat.
My mother had a dog named Peggy.

You do the math.

Lucy, my youngest's name is Lucia, Lucy for short. We hear the dog comment ALL the time. Oh well...

This thread is great -we are trying to conceive and will have a lot to think about with baby names!

I once knew a girl named Jheremy and a boy named Jeremie.

Wow, many of these comments have truly bummed me out. I can't say that I am shocked, I just wasn't prepared for such a blatant show of prejudice and scapegoating so early in the morning.

I am thankful that there were those who didn't take it lying down, even if its "just the internet." Even more so for those that were able to make fun of it.

My son has a "different" spelling, but only because my husband insisted that it was closer to the original Russian. Then again, Nikolay is already a "different" name, though thankfully a traditional (and even noble) one, and it makes sense given our Russian surname. Our second son, due in May, will be an Alexander, not an Aleksandr, because we wish he'll have a little bit of an easier time of it than his brother. ;)

Our names have to mesh with German (my family), Russian (his family) and American "palates," so there are few options beyond the traditional ones based on Greek or Germanic origins.

That being said, I was a teacher in inner-city Baltimore, and the names I saw there (and had to memorize spelling and pronouncing!) are beyond description. Don't get me started on the scolds I received from students when I didn't know that there were different pronunciations for two nearly identical yet odd names.

What ever happened to choosing a name after an ancestor? All the men on my father's side have had the same middle name for generations. It's a beautiful name and a beautiful way to let your child know from the start that they are a piece of something special! My brother's continued this tradition and I plan to as well. I'm also considering using my grandmother's name if I have a girl.

I'd like to agree that I hate, Hate, HATE when parents give their kids weirdly spelled names! It's annoying right off the bat and (like it or not) implies lower class. Also I always thought (& have been proven correct in several cases) that certain names are "stripper names". Brandy, Electra, Lexus, Kandy, and (sorry!)Trixy. I love Beatrix but there you go! I like the idea of the senator test; Senator Electra Johnson? Doubtful.

I came to this post by accident from a former thread, but felt compelled to sign up just to comment.

First of all, I have really enjoyed reading everyone's comments. It's very interesting to see how people came about to choosing a name. I don't have children yet, but I also agree for choosing a more traditional name. It's important to incorporate your culture or a unique name, but still preserve a name that is more socially acceptable. And trust me, as a recent college graduate, I am extremely thankful I did not have to write something like Krystalle or Nevaeh (I have a friend who named her baby Nevaeh.....yikes!) across my resume.

I feel very fortunate for my name (Miranda Catriona). "Miranda" was a compromise for my parents between "Amanda" and "Mary", and Catriona is my Scottish gran's name. My mom has told me several times she thought carefully about what to call me, and also did the playground test! My mom encountered much teasing for her name since her first and middle name said quickly sounds like an std. Anyhow, I'm in my mid 20s, and I have loved my name since I could remember. It's become more popular recently, but I still rarely meet a Miranda. I also have had to deal with the misspellings though, from Meranda to Maranda, etc., and people often think it is Amanda. I once got a "Amaranda" at a Starbucks. lol.

A couple funny things that came to mind while reading this post....

1. I work at a live performance theater. We have 2 walls in the box offices of saved tickets of customers with strange names. Honestly, the bottom line with names, if it's strange or funny, it's going to be noticed for the wrong reasons.

2. This couple recently named their child "Sin". Poor thing. http://www.dlisted.com/node/35727

3. A teacher of mine from high school said she went to school with some kids with the last name Burger, and the parents did indeed name one son Ham, so his name was Ham Burger. True story. That teacher told us to choose our future children's names carefully, and that always stuck with me!

Don't get me started on the scolds I received from students when I didn't know that there were different pronunciations for two nearly identical yet odd names.

You're right, it's as important to inner-city kids as anyone that you pronounce their names correctly. To be honest, it seems to me that it's even more important to inner-city kids than their more fortunate peers that you get their names right.

Hey Teachers! You're paid for this!

I have zero to add to this slightly bizarre discussion, but to agree with Mircat, and say that people do notice the weird names.
While working retail, I once had a customer named "Apple Smith Newton". Hilarious on many levels. We kept her reciept around for awhile, just to show people.
That said, I have a normal first name (one of the most popular names the year I was born - Stephanie), and so people chose to find hilarity in my last name. Still do.
So basically, chill. People will find anything and everything funny, and you can't really win.

"I think we all know this boils down to a class issue. Educated parents are much more likely to use "real" names (e.g. classic, common spellings) and less educated parents trend toward the creative spellings or invented names. "

Really? I work at a preschool, and we have a boy named Huckleberry Lightning. One of his parents is a relatively well known author with a master's degree, and the other is a professor. Squash that idea- even educated parents pick strange, strange names. Sometimes more so than the "un-educated" and "class" deprived (an offensive label and theory, by the way) parents.

among other things...I'm disheartened to know that people really look to celebrities for baby name inspiration...

@ if1hadwords - I keep an ongoing list of names that I love... unfortunately we are on the later end of our friends in terms of having babies and most of the top choices have been "stolen" by other couples. Sigh.

I have a super common name (for my generation) and was one of 3 Alison (Allyson, Allison, etc)'s from pre-K through graduation. I hated that for most of my life I was referred to as Alison G. or just by my last name (even worse). AND that my name is misspelled (with two L's) by pretty much everyone.

I think names are so important and have a real effect on a child's personality. If I hadn't been "just another Alison" but maybe an Olivia, (which in the 80's would have been unusual) who knows what would be different about me today!

Fun and interesting topic, but in the end names are names and they're not what make us unique. There are over 6 billion people in the world-- who cares if a name is common or not.

Though I don't plan on having kids for quite a while, I've always loved the names Lillian and Viola (Lilly and Vi for short). Both are my great grandmothers' names, but I guess the fall under the L and older name trends.

seriously? Name your parents chose for you = education/social status or lack thereof? Yowza... Guess I'm screwed then...

I have 4 names and 3 of them are decidedly unusual - so unusual that I've never met anyone else with them. Ever.

Part of the reason is due to my background (Australian and Fijian parents, go figure) but mostly it's cuz my mum was a schoolteacher and had developed an extreme aversion to most names out there. Let's face it, after 10 years of little hellions named John or Jennifer, you'd go out of your way to avoid any reminder of those wee darlings.

As it turns out though, odd as my name is, I'm hardly unique. I grew up in a city where all my friends had wildly diverse backgrounds so "unusual" names were de rigueur. Not only that, those same kids have all gone on to become successful doctors, professors, researchers... clearly the lack of "respectable, solid" names hasn't held *them* back.

oh and to the sally305 camp? I have a master's degree and my values are just fine and dandy, thanks ever so. After some of your comments, I wonder whether the same could be said for yours...

My son will be named Senator. So when he calls for a reservation at a restaurant he can say, "this is Senator Kennedy".

I am also shocked at the comments.

My cousin has a very cute name,she is also barely 5 ft,when she arrests drunk middle class drivers they definitely aren't laughing at her name.

Only repugnant middle management would think they could judge a name without meeting the person.Sad how institutionalized behaviors dictate what some people think is right or wrong.Your boss lets you get away with.A judge named Bluebell won't.

Names come and go.People have been using cute names and spelling for over 40 years now.This 'trend' is many generations away from new. There is nothing new or trendy about it.

My Indian friend is a wonderful educated man who has recently found himself looking for work.Having an Indian-Anglo background, no accent and a very Anglo name,he has stunned many 'Sallys' when he arrives to interview.It is racism plain and simple.

My great grandmother named all her daughters after flowers.That was the fashion then.Women couldn't vote or wear pants either.Didn't matter what the woman's name was.

Plenty of Petunia's and Loulou's helped you get where you are sally305.

I forgot to add that my sister is named after my father.Imagine how she has been treated all her life.Every start of a school year my father had to show up and 'school' a few teachers about how they would be allowed to address her.Some were forced to apologize to her.They were the ones who thought it was ok to give her a 'proper' name.

Names are difficult. In the end we decided on shorter classic names for our daughters, Zara (persian for 'sunrise') and Anna (hebrew for 'graceful'). Gorgeous meanings and timeless!

Our oldest (3 year old) son is Dax, just Dax. A lof of family and friends were skeptics when we told them his name before he was born but they loved it once they saw it on him. I guess it is pretty hispter/city chic but we just liked it, not because of it's "classifications". His middle name Sayer was for my MIL's maiden name. With our twins Elliot Gene and Orson Malachi we felt like we wanted to honor family a bit more. Elliot was for Elizabeth Antonia; my grandmother. Gene was for Eugene; Elizabeth's husband. Orson was for my husband's father John Orlon. Malachi was for my sisters late infant son Machi. Once we had our sweet daughter we decided to go completely feminine. She ended up being named Fiona Allegra but we call her Fia.

So in all, Dax Sayer, Elliot Gene, Orson Malachi and Fiona Allegra. I am not quite sure but I think we may fit in the classic/vintage/city chic/retro/modern/old fashioned category?

We just wanted names that would age well and that are cute right now. I think we did pretty awesome!

Oops hipster* not hispter, haha!

Henrietta the Terrible:

I didn't check this until just now, and saw that you responded to my comment. I understand what you mean, and agree- I think there was a misunderstanding. Rest assured that after the intial first-day confusion, I made it my mission to learn my students' names - and generally had all 160 or so down in the first few days. I am referring to the scolds I received on the first day when, as an example, I didn't know that Asia was pronounced "ah-see-ah" while Asea was pronounced as we would pronounce the continent Asia.

It should be noted that very few of those students ever bothered to learn my name. They generally called me Miz F, which is fine, because when they tried to call me by my surname, they confused me with one of the other two caucasian teachers, whose names also began with F. (Note that none of us taught the same students, so I found it a little odd that there was confusion at all.)

Eloquacious- why didn't you ask the kids? Or point out "hey, I learned your name, so you should try to learn mine". It would have been a good opportunity to have a real discussion.

I never understood the whole "unique" name thing. Growing up, I loved running into other "Carrie"s. I felt finding someone with the same name offered some bond that was hard to find at times growing up. And even though my name is not unusual, I have always had to spell it out every single time, which is just not fun. I think the "unique name" trend is more for the parents than the kids. But to each his own...

I'm a preschool teacher in a hip Los Angeles neighborhood and I've heard some crazy, trying so hard to be cool, names. The most ridiculous, by far, has been Wow. Yes, Wow.

Man I hate when people do a long post about their name, but then dont say what it is! annoying!

My name is Casey and I have always loved it. It is uncommon, but most people have heard of it and know how to spell it. It can also be a boys name, and I knew a girl and a boy with it. The only issue I have with my name is that my last name is actually a boy's first name, so over email a lot of people think I am a boy. But its all good

I hate misspelled names, because you are just giving your child a headache when they grow older.