Cannot pick between these two names for daughter

[Anonymous]

I’m not a fan of either name, OP. Plus I wouldn’t want my child to have to go by first name + initial “Sophia B” and “Charlotte R” because there were so many kids with the same name in their class.

And then by their last name in high school and college and workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just so we know what we're talking about here, there were 3200 girls named Sophie in 2020. UVA has about 4200 students per class year. So you're likely to be the ONLY SOPHIE in your college graduation class.

Maybe, except naming is a peer group trend, closely tied to SES and/or ethnicity. Which is who kids wind up going to college with.

Put all the Sophia/Sofia/Sophie/Sofie names together and the umbers get larger

[Anonymous]

Numbers get larger - sorry, iphone typing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of women like me avoid the trendy-overused names of this generation because we have one of the trendy-overused names of our generation (and HATE it).

My name is Emily. It was the #1 name in the US for most of my childhood. I remember asking my mom once why she gave me such a popular name and she was kind of sheepish and said "I didn't realize it was popular! No one I knew had that name." And of course she was right -- she had no way of knowing that it would become so popular.

Now, posters on here will tell you that because of the Internet that shouldn't happen anymore, but it does. Names just kind of move into the zeitgeist. It happens constantly. You'll pick a name ranked in the 200s or the 400s, and five years later it will be in the top 100 and you'll wonder why, but it's because the same influences that subconsciously drew you to the name also impacted others. You are not that special, nor is your kid.

I know several people who have purposely given their kids names out of the top 1000 in the last few years. Guess what? They are all in the top 1000 now, and rising. Maybe they'll go high, or not, but no one is as original as they think they are. No one is going to think "Oh wow, your parents were really on the cutting edge of that naming trend in 2020, weren't they?" No one. This will never happen. No one will care. They will like the name or they won't. The end.

Anyway, I have a common name and it is a bummer sometimes. It's also convenient a lot. People usually know how to pronounce and spell my name. Lots of people will tell me "Oh, that's my sister's name!" Or "That was my best friend's name growing up!" And I think it can make them predisposed to like me. But it's truly not the best or worst thing about me, thank goodness. It doesn't define me, I define it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What result? That you're going to run into another kid with the same name? THE HORROR!

I think we all know why people like PP are worried about their kid having the same name as someone else in the class. They think they are just oh so special and their special unique snowflake has to have a special unique name, when the reality is they know they're so basic if they don't name their kid something like "Brixton" no one will pay attention to them.

This, 100%.

I also think it stems from this very deep seated insecurity about their own place in the world. They fear that they don't matter and they are determined to make their child matter, and it starts with giving them a name that NO ONE else will have. But they don't get that a lot of parents don't think that way at all, that we give our kids names that sound nice and make us feel good, and if they are common oh well. Our child will be special and important to us and that is what matters most. My child has a popular-sh name but she is my only child of that name, and my only child period, and the fact that there may be other kids out there with the same name doesn't even cross my mind when we are together. Nor does the fact that there are likely other children who have similar interests or similar senses of humor. There are billions of people on the planet. We all share lots in common. That doesn't mean we don't matter, it just means we aren't the only ones who matter.

Kudos to OP for not caring about this stuff and just picking a name she likes.

Lol. Ok, desperate person.

[Anonymous]

There are two Sophia’s and one Sophie in DD’s daycare class.

DS has two Charlottes in his kindergarten class.

If that doesn’t bother you, OP, I think Charlotte is a prettier name. Sophia has always sounded awful to me - like spitting out a mouthful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What result? That you're going to run into another kid with the same name? THE HORROR!

I think we all know why people like PP are worried about their kid having the same name as someone else in the class. They think they are just oh so special and their special unique snowflake has to have a special unique name, when the reality is they know they're so basic if they don't name their kid something like "Brixton" no one will pay attention to them.

This, 100%.

I also think it stems from this very deep seated insecurity about their own place in the world. They fear that they don't matter and they are determined to make their child matter, and it starts with giving them a name that NO ONE else will have. But they don't get that a lot of parents don't think that way at all, that we give our kids names that sound nice and make us feel good, and if they are common oh well. Our child will be special and important to us and that is what matters most. My child has a popular-sh name but she is my only child of that name, and my only child period, and the fact that there may be other kids out there with the same name doesn't even cross my mind when we are together. Nor does the fact that there are likely other children who have similar interests or similar senses of humor. There are billions of people on the planet. We all share lots in common. That doesn't mean we don't matter, it just means we aren't the only ones who matter.

Kudos to OP for not caring about this stuff and just picking a name she likes.

Lol. Ok, desperate person.

[Anonymous]

There are very few names that go from out of top 1000 to top 100 out of nowhere. Ssa will give you 15 years of data, so you can usually see upward or downward trends.

My second child’s name is still on a downward trend, including both common spellings.

My first child’s name is just unlikely to make a comeback anytime soon - reasons. It has multiple spellings, too, and none of them have really been popular for close to 30 years.

We all have our reasons for what criteria we use to pick our children’s names. And much of it is personal, including our own experiences and family traditions .

I honestly wasn’t trying to be special or better or anything. I took the things I liked and disliked about my experience with my name and tried to use it to come up with a list of what I wanted for my kids names. I looked at the popularity trends, but also meanings (some people don’t care at all, but I liked that my name meaning “fit” me) and also wanted a name that was not too out there/familiar name. I landed on names more popular when I was younger, honestly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I think you are very late to the Sophia / Charlotte trend. It’s not classic name in the sense of common usage for “hundreds of years”. Yes you can find them in history.
It’s the Heather/ Alexa/ Jennifer/ Emily/ Emma /Ava stage right now. A trend that’s old. But that’s fine. Just kind of a dated trend.

How old are you kids that you think any of these are popular now? The only kids I know named Emily/Emma/Ava/Alexa are teens. Heather and Jennifer are in their 40s.

PP here that was my point. Some names trend so hard for a few years then after the trend is over they seem dated. I tried a spread to show how trendy/ dated some names were and are. Try Alexa now. Sounds so …

[Anonymous]

The other thing is … the kind of person who names their kid a certain trendy name is a certain kind of person and apt to be around others like them. Like years ago you knew “Zackary” was a trendy mom. Along with her friends son Max.
Charlotte and Sophia are the Emily/ Emma of now. But if you love the name then you love the name.

[Anonymous]

There is someone who frequents this board who has a younger Heather. I seriously considered it for my second, but our first has an H name and we didn’t want to be Duggar-ish.

[Anonymous]

This is the first year since I started teaching 10 years ago that I don't have duplicate names in any of my high school classes. It's not the Michael/Mikey/Mike, Sarah/Sara/Sah-ruh of the 90s.

Charlotte or Sophie will be loved and cherished and have a beautiful name that everyone will pronounce and spell correctly. Enjoy your soon to be daughter, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is someone who frequents this board who has a younger Heather. I seriously considered it for my second, but our first has an H name and we didn’t want to be Duggar-ish.

There’s also the mother of a baby Kelly and baby Susie/Susan. Those girls are apt to never have another with their names in their classes and possibly generation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is someone who frequents this board who has a younger Heather. I seriously considered it for my second, but our first has an H name and we didn’t want to be Duggar-ish.

There’s also the mother of a baby Kelly and baby Susie/Susan. Those girls are apt to never have another with their names in their classes and possibly generation.

I have two nieces named Susan, two unrelated families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is someone who frequents this board who has a younger Heather. I seriously considered it for my second, but our first has an H name and we didn’t want to be Duggar-ish.

There’s also the mother of a baby Kelly and baby Susie/Susan. Those girls are apt to never have another with their names in their classes and possibly generation.

I have two nieces named Susan, two unrelated families.

Interesting! DP here and I have not heard the name Susan on anyone under 55 in my life. Same with Linda.