A baby name expert asked parents to share the names they love but don't feel confident enough to use. Take some inspiration from their 'daring' choices...
Settling on a baby name is one of the first things parents will want to tick off their list once they find out they're expecting. And while many are hoping to settle on a cool baby name or a unique baby name that will stand out on the class register, others aren't quite brave enough to choose a name that's so 'out-there' - and decide to settle on one of the most popular baby names instead.
One professional baby namer has revealed some of the 'guilty pleasure' baby names that mums 'don't feel cool enough' to use. Mum-of-three SJ Strum, who has over 41,000 followers on Instagram for her posts about parenting and baby names, recently conducted a poll asking her followers to share some of the "more daring names" that parents love, but don't feel confident enough to give their child.
More than 7,000 mums responded to the poll, which revealed some unusual choices for both girls and boys. The two most popular choices for girls were Honey and Calliope, while Wilder and Atlas were most popular for boys.
SJ thinks that 'Honey' may be on the rise in popularity thanks to Fearne Cotton, who used the endearing moniker. She also thinks 'Calliope' would be more common but people steer clear as they "know it might be mispronounced". (Calliope is pronounced 'kuh·lai·uh·pee'.)
Explaining in an Instagram story, SJ said, "People want a name that's not popular, but everyone likes it. People think 'am I cool enough to call my child a daring name?'. But in the playground, children are used to kids having more unique names. Just because a name is less used doesn't mean it's less liked."
Top 'guilty pleasure' names for girls
- Honey
- Calliope
- Tallulah
- Tigerlily
- Lavender
- Clover
Top 'guilty pleasure' names for boys
- Wilder
- Atlas
- Ziggy
- Rex
- Cosmo
- Peregrine
- Chase
- Wulfric (shortened to 'Wolfie')
- Ernest
If you're shying away from a bold baby name but like some of these choices, SJ suggests using a more unique moniker as a middle name. "With the middle name, you can be a bit braver," she explains. "You don't have to say it, and it's not asked often, but you’ll know it’s there."
But, ultimately, SJ says if you like a name, you should be brave and use it. She said: "If you use it as a first name or a middle name, you’ll always love it. If you throw it away, ask yourself – will you regret it?"
If you're still searching for that perfect baby name, why not give our baby name generator a whirl or this Tinder for baby names app? You can also find inspiration in the oddest of places, from country music to these priceless millionaire baby names!
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