Still use a name if it's top 10?

[kissum]

DH and I are pretty set on Finnegan, but apparently on Today show this am they said it's in the top 10 names. Well, Finn is.

Would you still use it? I love that my DD doesn't know anyone else with her name, and so does she. And I always hated having 3 other Allison's in my class when I was growing up.

Apparently Aidan and Liam are the top two boy names, Sophia and Isabella the top two for girls.

WWYD?

[Lauren82]

I'm not sure how entirely true that is. Social Security keeps track of the top 1000 baby names for each year. For 2009, Finnegan was number 548 and I really doubt it shot up into top 10. Finn was 343 last year. I'm a total name nerd so I always look at this stuff. ;)

The 2010 data is not out yet but in 2009, Jacob was number one boy's name with Ethan in 2nd place. I wonder what their source is?

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

I would say use the name. I think it's adorable and it's certainly NOT as popular as they stated.

[Oregonicmama]

Fynn is at the top of my list of boy names too.  I also find it hard to believe that it's in the top 10 names this year, I think Social Security has more accurate info.  I would use it anyway.

People in our town tend to give their kids pretty unusual names.  Sometimes I feel like it would be more unusual to name the baby Robert or Christopher than Logan or Leif!  

Lauren82- thanks for the SS link! I'll be using that info for sure! 

[TinyFrog]

I definitely want to avoid the top 10. It sounds like your choice is not in that range though. 

[kissum]

Originally Posted by Lauren82 

I'm not sure how entirely true that is. Social Security keeps track of the top 1000 baby names for each year. For 2009, Finnegan was number 548 and I really doubt it shot up into top 10. Finn was 343 last year. I'm a total name nerd so I always look at this stuff. ;)

The 2010 data is not out yet but in 2009, Jacob was number one boy's name with Ethan in 2nd place. I wonder what their source is?

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

I would say use the name. I think it's adorable and it's certainly NOT as popular as they stated.

Yeah, I don't even look at top 100, I always use that site to avoid them. I wonder their source too. I just know I'll be kicking myself if it really has jumped that high this year.
 

[philomom]

DDC to say that anything in the top 150 or so gets thrown out in my book. My kids have names that were 348th and 425th for their birth years. They seldom encounter another child with their name but their names are not unheard or or unique...... we just went back on the family tree a couple of generations for their names.

[Liora]

They might just be trending.  Aparently "Asher" is the next big thing (as well as "Isla" which was our girl choice).  I don't like common names but every time I say Asher people have me repeat it so it isn't common where I'm living.  I'm guessing if it is the next big thing it will start on the coasts in the big cities and slowly move to the midwest.  So I have time!

I think naming is a heart thing so follow yours.  Also, there are alternatives with the nn Finn - Phinneas?  I don't think that will be as popular as Finnegan. I like both names though.

[Stayseeliz]

If you like the name don't worry about how popular it is. Half the time it might not be popular in your area, etc. My oldest is Jacob and I had no idea that was the most popular name for boys that year. This was before we had internet at home, etc. We named him for personal, religious beliefs and we love his name. And honestly it's not a popular name around here. I think we know maybe 4 boys named that? I'm not worried. My girls both have less popular names that we named them again for the same reason. We started talking about a name for the baby last night that is 80 on the list. I know one child named that in our area. We're not set on it but I say if you like a name just go for it!

[othersomethings]

Finn is popular in 2010 (I'm guessing) cause it's the name of one of the main "hunky" male characters on the show "Glee." So I'd imagine young new moms (think maybe twilight type fans?) are latching on to it. 

That said, I named my daughter a "top 20" name back in '08 and while I know a few other girls named Ella in my circle of acquaintances, she has no peers with that name currently (at age 3) and as she gets older, at this rate, I'd say she might have 2 or 3 at any given time in her life, and not necessarily in a "2 other girls in my class" type of way but in a "2 other girls in my whole life" type of way. Which is acceptable enough for me. 

Growing up, MY name was pretty unusual. I only knew 1 other girl my age named Leah and we weren't really friends or anything. I knew an adult woman with the same name. And as an adult myself, I have met 1 other Leah. So that's 3 in my lifetime. But guess what? "Jon & Kate + 8" came out however many years ago, and guess what name suddenly appears on the popular lists? Leah. So I'm starting to see babies and toddlers with the name. 

Don't discount the power of TV shows on the masses and their perception of names. A hunky guy that sings, or an adorable half asian baby girl can make somewhat obscure names suddenly very appealing. 

And also don't discount the lessening power of "top" names these days. I read an article (posted on here) the other day about how in the '50s every single class had a boy named James (in the top 5 names.) While today, you'd have to search six class rooms to find a Jacob (current top 5). So like I said with my daughter's name...yeah, it's popular right now. But popular is a lot more relative than it has been in the past. 

[Lauren82]

For my entire school career my name was in the top 20 and I was the only Lauren in my school. I used to think my name was weird and when I found out that it was considered common, I was shocked.

[JollyGG]

I found this article really interesting - http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101201/sc_livescience/babynamesrevealmoreaboutparentsthaneverbefore

"As Wattenberg points out, in the 1950s, the top 25 most common boy's names and the top 50 girl's names accounted for half of babies born. Today, however, those top names are given to fewer babies. In fact, you'd have to include the most popular 134 boy's names and the top 320 girl's names to cover half of all babies born every year. [Most Popular Baby Names in History]"

I named my son a name that was ranked 36 for his birth year and has been in the top 50 for the past 100 years. So it is clearly a popular name. He's only 7, but so far he hasn't met a single other child named Thomas.

Edited by JollyGG - 12/3/10 at 7:55am

[capretta]

DDCC - I don't think Finn is top 10 right now, but it looks like it could be soon. www.babynamewizard.com/voyager will show you a graph of the name's popularity over the last 130 years. Both Finn and Finnegan have shot up in the last decade.

Incidentally, I wouldn't give a kid a popular name - top 10 or even top 100 - but I'm completely biased by having a popular name that peaked around the time of my birth. 

[dayiscoming2006]

My name was somewhat popular but it never bothered me. My oldest was a top 50 name and my youngest had a top 2 name. I didn't end up caring though. I loved the name way too much. So, it's up to you. Sure Finn is gaining popularity but it doesn't seem too terribly common to me. I have never ever met or heard of a baby named Finn. I do know of a kid with my DS2 top 2 name but I am not close to anyone with that name. With my oldest, I don't know anyone else personally with his name. 

[othersomethings]

Originally Posted by JollyGG 

I found this article really interesting - http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101201/sc_livescience/babynamesrevealmoreaboutparentsthaneverbefore

"As Wattenberg points out, in the 1950s, the top 25 most common boy's names and the top 50 girl's names accounted for half of babies born. Today, however, those top names are given to fewer babies. In fact, you'd have to include the most popular 134 boy's names and the top 320 girl's names to cover half of all babies born every year. [Most Popular Baby Names in History]"

I named my son a name that was ranked 36 for his birth year and has been in the top 50 for the past 100 years. So it is clearly a popular name. He's only 7, but so far he hasn't met a single other child named Thomas.

that's the article I was referring to. thanks for linking!
 

[ibusymomto5]

Originally Posted by Stayseeliz 

If you like the name don't worry about how popular it is. Half the time it might not be popular in your area, etc. My oldest is Jacob and I had no idea that was the most popular name for boys that year. This was before we had internet at home, etc. We named him for personal, religious beliefs and we love his name. And honestly it's not a popular name around here. I think we know maybe 4 boys named that? I'm not worried. My girls both have less popular names that we named them again for the same reason. We started talking about a name for the baby last night that is 80 on the list. I know one child named that in our area. We're not set on it but I say if you like a name just go for it!

I agree with this. Our top boys name is in the top 100(in the 80's to be exact), but we don't know a single person young or old named that around here. So, it must not be "that" common around here yet.

[mrsberman]

We had three names we liked for DD and found out after we named her that they were one of the top's for 2009 (Emma, Isabella and Sophia). For us it doesn't matter much because we usually use one of her middle names along with her first name when we talk to her. I grew up with a very common name. In high school I played volleyball and there were five of us from freshman to seniors and 3 of us had dark hair. Very confusing for the coaches :) My name is spelled very different (Brittnae) and I like that it makes me stand out from all of the other Brittany/Britney/Brittnay's out there. If you really like a name go with it, but maybe make something unique about the way you spell it.

Also, love the SS site!

[nerdymom]

I just don't get why you would stop considering a name simply because some list says it is popular. Name your child whatever your heart leads you to and have peace with that. To h* with the rest of the world.

[opera mom]

I say if you like it, use it. I decided on Isabella for my first girl back in high school before it was popular and we decided this week to name our baby(found out it's a girl) Sophia.  I know I will have the 2 most popular girls names but my 4 year old is the only Isabella we know ironically.  Our sone is Leo which is less popular but I just pick names I love and don't worry about everybody else.

[mclisa]

If you love the name, then use it.

[nadia105]

As someone mentioned, just because a name was in the top 10 doesn't mean it is common in your area.  Jacob is supposedly the number one name, but I only know 1 boy under the age of 10 or so with that name. 

Personally I want to stay away from trendy, but "popular" doesn't really bother me.  My sons are William and Michael and neither one has had another boy in his class (or grade in the case of my older one) with the same name.