What are the benefits of common/traditional names?

Question

What are the benefits of common and traditional names?

What are the benefits of rare and unique names?

Answer 1

I have done a lot of research in this area.  Citing many different sources, here are some pros and cons of each.

Common Names

Pros: Easy to pronounce.  Easy to spell.  Children less embarrassed when they are young since at that time they want to fit in.  Will be taken seriously as job applicant.  

Cons: Name can be confused with other common names. (I spoke to someone at your location.  Jennifer?  Julia?)  Most teens want to be unique, common name can make them feel need to stand out in other ways.  If there is a like-named peer in your class/office, you may have to go by Jake B. or Madison H.  If the name has a standard nickname (Mike, Greg, Jake) people tend to call you that without asking, even if you prefer the full name.  

Unique Names

Pros: More memorable, as long as it is not too complex.  Once over insecurities of childhood, pride in being one of select few.  Makes teens less suceptible to peer pressure since they are already used to standing out. Tend to have more self-confidence later in life.

Cons: Having to explain spelling, pronounciation, and meaning of name often can be tiresome at times.  If name is too out there, can be a hinderance on job applications.  (i.e. Interviewer may assume applicant does not speak English, or if name like Sparkle may assume person doesn't take themself seriously.)  Although if an interview is granted, the personality will trump the name every time.

Based on what I have found, I avoid names in the top 50 and also avoid anything too out there.  I want something memorable, but not confusing.  Something familiar, but not common.  My first son is named Hunter and my child due in 2 1/2 weeks will be named Genevieve if it is a girl and Roman if it is a boy.  I hope this information was helpful, it has been priceless to me during my quest for *perfect* baby names.

Answer 2

because they command respect.

made up,misspelled names conjure up a vision of ignorance,illegitimacy and poverty!

rare or unique names should not be so off the wall that a child is ridiculed for them such as t-bone or Rumpelstiltskin or some other stupid farce of a name.or some dumb thing off a video game,movie or a soap opera!!! keep it real and keep it simple! good luck!

Answer 3

I dont think there are benefits of names, names are just names, sometimes they have meaning and sometimes not...read the name section from the book "freakanomics"

Answer 4

Traditional names have been proven to be beneficial while applying for schools/jobs.  Not that it is right, but some employers discriminate and profile people based on their names.  In this case, a common name would be better.  

Unique names are beneficial because they are often very pretty and have a signature to them.  I have a very common name (first and last) and I can't tell you how many times people have mixed up my accounts with someone of the same name (i.e. perscriptions, video rental store....).

Answer 5

I think the benefits of common and traditional names are that the children can have cute names when they are young, and still grow up and have a name that everyone can pronounce and has    heard of. The thing with rare and unique names are they can soon outgrow the child,. They can not stay young forever and with unique names I dont thing names like Temperance will last a long time

Answer 6

Ultimately, there are no benefits from either type of name. You are who you are and your name really doesn't matter too much in that. You could be named Charlotte and be the most amazing person in the world or you could be named Unique Diamond Sapphire Joy and be as boring as a political speech about agriculture.

But, a name certainly could say a lot about you for first impressions; which are important for job interviews, meeting new people, etc. This is a huge reason why it's so important that people consider that naming a child is not like bedazzling a jean jacket. You don't have to try to make them stand out from the crowd, you don't have to make the name so awkwardly spelled that people assume that it's from another culture, and you don't have to be so "creative" that the name ultimately would fit a city or a squirrel better than a person. A child's personality should be what makes people think they are unique, not their name.

You can definitely be creative while naming your child without making it sound like all you wanted out of your child was people to notice their name and compliment you on it.

So what's the difference between Charlotte and Unique Diamond Sapphire Joy personality wise? It doesn't matter. But we know that Charlotte will have an easier time getting hired than Unique will. Charlotte won't have to confirm that Charlotte is indeed her actually name. Charlotte will never have to live up to her name, she can mold her name into whatever she wills it to be. But Unique? What if she isn't unique at all?

Let's be honest, you expect someone named Unique to be more personable than you would someone named Charlotte. It's just how we all think. Unique sounds crazy, fun, and exciting, but Unique may not always want to be crazy, fun, and exciting. Unique may just want to be herself. That's why we should let the child define the name and not the other way around.

There are some unique and rare names out there that are absolutely acceptable and easy to live with. It's the "unique" names like MacKenzii, Dya'mond, and Pryncess that drive me up a wall. If you're going to name your child a noun, an adjective, or a misspelled word or name, you might as well just name them Sarah or Bob because you aren't doing them any favors.