Reply to Why are people in the DC area so weird about name popularity?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What’s the name?!

Why is everyone so coy?

What fits in but stands out?

I like the name Maeve.[/quote]

My sister has a Maeve and a Charlotte.  Her Charlotte has always been the only one in her circle (despite it being a top ten name at all times since she was born), but Maeve has 2 or 3 others in various classes and activities (I think it was 400-something when she was born; sometimes you just hit on a microtrend without realizing).[/quote]

It's because Maeve is trending among a specific demographic (UMC white professionals, largely in or near major metropolitan areas). Whereas Charlotte (and really any top 50 name) is more dispersed throughout all demographics and geographies. Charlotte is technically more popular, but less likely to be reoccurring.

Maeve is exactly the kind of name that people desperate to give their kid an original name hone in on, so of course a bunch of people looking for a name like that will hit in the same one. I've seen this happen repeatedly at my kids' school with names like Sebastian, Iris, Viola, and Hugo. It's funny.[/quote]

OP heard parents talking about name popularity. You are making assumptions that other parents are desperate and didn't simply choose a name they liked---the way you did.

One of my relatives named her son Sebastian after the character in Reign. She was fangirling and not desperate for originality. While I don't know about the others, Sebastian started trending after Cruel Intentions.[/quote]

Actually I get it because I'm one of those people -- I'm a UMC white professional living in a major city. I know what names hit that sweet spot because they appeal to me too. Hugo was on our short list for a boy. I've always loved the Apatow sisters names (Maude and Iris). I love Maeve. I met a kid named Harold recently and was like "oh, good name." I know this style of name really well because it's *my* style of name.

But I'm self aware about it. I know I'm part of a specific demographic looking for these very specific names and that's why a lot of us wind up liking the same names. At playgrounds, I chuckle to myself because I constantly hear kids being called the names that we considered for our own kids. It's a reminder that I'm not as original as I think I am. But it's also why those names are surprisingly popular in preschools in DC and NYC and SF, where you will be hard pressed to find an Olivia or a Liam because the parents at these schools dismissed those names as too popular.

So yes, these parents are simply choosing a name they liked. But they are also thinking their likes and dislikes are very unique. But we are a type, and that's never more clear than when you discover your 4 year old has the same first and middle as another kid at school.

We're all following trends! We have to get over ourselves.[/quote]

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