Babies being given unusual names.

Hetty People give children popular names because they like them.
I have a daughter with a name that was is not popular, she was the only one in the class, my son had a very popular name which I love and so does he, timid or lack of imagination does not come into it.
Also just because a name is unusual does not mean it is nice. I find your statement a bit patronising. I would never say this about someone with a unusual name even if I find the name a weak or silly one, it is personnel choice.
Mumsnet has a naming baby section, and some of the posters absolutly love a name, and are worried about using it because it is popular, why, if you love it use it.

Some children are given really daft names just so their parents can be different. I won’t give any examples or I’m bound to upset someone. I always wonder how the children thus lumbered get on at school and work.

I gave mine normal names.though they always had to spell their surnames out.
I think first names can put you in an era mine stops at 1960 I have always had to spell my surname out both before and after marriage .
As an ex teacher I pity the poor children who have very unusual names,I remember a collegue looking at a child and quoting a comedian I think it was Jasper Carrot.
"When I look at him and see his name I automatically put him in green group in the corner with the ones who need extra help".
Though you never know maybe they like them and standing out from the crowd their parents obviously did.

Elusivebutterfly, because popular names are 'safe', reliable, uncontroversial - parents with little imagination?

I have an unusual name, also Gaelic, though I have come across others with the name, including some in the public eye and two girls in my year at school.
I have spent my life spelling my name out and hearing it mispronounced. I deliberately gave my children popular names as I did not want them to have the same problem.
Hetty - it would never occur to me that parents of those with popular names are timid - that seems a strange idea to me.

I like unusual names and my children and grandchildren all have them.

I do feel sorry for those given poplar names. They'll find others in their class or peer group with the same name.

People will assume that their parents are timid - also tend to guess their age by their name later on.

I know what you mean living in France. However, even English people had to be corrected on the prononciation and spelling when I was young. Things have got better the last twenty years because of television but unfortunately not the spelling.

Gave both children very unusual (at the time) names. Neither has ever had any problem with them.

Happened to me - my name is unusual in the UK though not in some parts of the world. I've spent my life correcting people and even being corrected by them, when they think I don't know how to say my own name! It happens less often now as it is becoming more known here.

My Mum used her Grandmothers maiden name as my name , it’s unusual even as a surname and made me stand out from School on ! Letters to be taken home were left out to be lifted , mine stood out because the Nuns didn’t add my surname , just my forename !
Still have to spell/explain it at 83 yrs old
I would rather have had a plain name so I could melt into the background

My first name is Stefanie - I always have to say ‘with an f not a ph’ whenever someone needs to write it down.

Yes, there were names I didn't call my children so they wouldn't have to spend their life spelling it to people. I sometimes think that if I could do it again I would give my children unusual names, just with usual spellings.