I stopped for lunch the other day, midway through an endless day of errand-running. The cashier asked for my name, and when I replied, “Abby,” she smiled and told me, “That’s my daughter’s name!”
When we’re choosing names, we fear sharing. When it happens in real life, we’re often delighted. It’s a source of instant connection. An affirmation of our own decision. A feeling that this random stranger in your path isn’t so unknown after all.
During those anxious first few months, we’re often worried about how others will perceive Knox or Eloise or Remy. But once our child heads out into the wider world, at least a little? Our reaction to sharing a name – if it doesn’t happen too often – changes.
Did you worry about your child’s name repeating? How has it turned out?
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Speaking of name sharing, check out that trio of boys named Jude in the most recent British Baby Names birth announcements. Jude is one of those names with broad appeal. It’s saintly, literary, serious. But it’s also at home in cowboy boots or hiking the AT. And I’ve just added it to my list of possible future Top Ten boy names in the US. (Though it’s in the very bottom section, because Jude still has a ways to go!)
There’s no reason why Wren can’t be a boy name, too. And now that Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have welcomed son Wren Alexander, I think it’s worth watching the numbers. I mean … the first Ren I’d ever heard of was Kevin Bacon’s character in the original Footloose, so …
Intriguing rare word alert: redamancy. With choices like Rhapsody and Reverie on long lists, it’s only a twist of the dial to add Redamancy to the list, or even the Latin root, Redamo. It means “to love in return.”
Just for fun, more name challenges from Laura. I knew #4 immediately because of this list.
Want to talk about your naming decision? My calendar is updated through August. Join the AM Baby Names Patreon community, and you can get a discount on Quick Calls, and more.
Thank you so much, Abby!
2 of my boys have names within the top 50 (when they were born) so I was expecting that we would hear repeats often. Surprisingly, we’ve only heard my oldest son’s name repeated by someone under 20 once in his 5 years and his brother’s name has only been repeated 3 times. Their sister’s name is in the 400’s so I wasn’t expecting repeats often but we’ve met at least 7 little girls under 10 with the name.
It’s been nice since I felt like my own name, Emily, would repeat so often growing up that I actually hated having a common name. My kids think it’s cool when meeting someone with their own name but since it doesn’t happen often they certain don’t expect it the way I came to.
My old friend gave birth to her first baby son last month- Jude Ryan! Ryan is after her brother.
What a lovely name – congrats to your friend!
My boys’ names are Gabriel and Charles (Gabe and Charlie). Gabe is 7 and we’ve only met three other Gabriels! It’s always fun to meet them. One was Gabe’s age and only went by Gabriel in full. The other was 2 and went by Gabriel in full, his family is Latino and they’d never even met anyone named Gabriel who was called Gabe. Charlie is almost 2 and we’ve never met a boy Charlie in person! But we’ve met 3 girl Charlies!! So funny how that happens. One was a Charlotte called Charlie and the other two were just Charlie.
Our daughter is named Rebecca after a dear friend, we call her Rue because she needed her own nickname. She’s almost 5 and we’ve never met a Rebecca her own age! Of course, there are Rebeccas my age and her grandmother’s age. People compliment us on her name more than the boys, I’m guessing because it’s more unexpected on a little girl at this point!
We’re having our 4th in November. It’s a boy who we’re naming Silas. I love the name and it fits so well with his siblings but I do worry about the trendiness of it. I know 3 Silases that are my older kids’ ages. But I’m sure once he’s born it won’t matter to me much. I’ve worried about popularity with all of my boys’ names.
I’m a Meghan so while I haven’t heard of many people with my particular spelling, I’ve been around other spellings of Meghan my whole life! But I don’t usually begrudge the fact that my name was popular at the time I was born because my parents gave me the name for a very specific reason and there’s a story behind it! I’m hoping my own kids will feel the same way about their own names!!
Oh, what great names + congrats on your fourth!
And I agree re: Rebecca. It’s the kind of name that’s so charming to hear on a child now.