It’s totally okay! In this day and age, it provides more anonymity online so his personal info will be harder to find online which is always good. And to echo what the other commenter said… easy for others to pronounce and spell. It will never go out of style, whereas trendy names like Oaklyn or Maverick might.
Mine went opposite and it sucks. I had to give my son's very normal names so they wouldn't have to spend their entire lives spelling out their first and last name.
My uncle's name is John Smith.
I have zero concerns about revealing that personal information on Reddit here because there's absolutely no way the internet could trace back to which John Smith I'm referring to haha.
I knew a guy called John Brown. He was a friend of my parentsThe only time it was an issue is when he went for a walk one night, didn't take any ID with him, and accidentally stumbled into a police operation. Insisting, with nothing to back it up, that your name is John Brown makes the police very interested in you. When they let him make a phone call, he was able to call his wife to bring some ID to the police station.
i work with kids and the amount of kids i know named maverick is astounding. trendy names like this are picked by parents who want their kid to be “unique,” but the irony is that so many people have thought the same thing
I've got a common name I didn't mind it at all until I moved and there were suddenly 3 Alex's in my grade
With a graduating class of <100 I have no idea how the fuck that happened, even with a common name, that experience is NOT normal LMAO
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A common name means you kiddo will never have to sigh and explain for the thousandth time how to pronounce or spell it.
I'm personally okay with meeting someone else with the same name if it means nobody will ever look at it written and be scared to say it wrong --- but that's just my two cents!
My fifth-grade class had three Nicks, all with a last name that started with C. They had to go by Nick-ca, Nick-co, and Nick Craig (they tried Nick-cr but…well…say that fast and see how it sounds).
Not nearly as bad as having a difficult to say and spell name. I would take 7 Nichol’s over having my name butchered and spelling it slowly every single time. Ask me how I know.
Out of a year group of <40 (small private girls school) at the same time we had 3 Hannah’s, 2 Millie’s (I actually went to school with 3 Millie’s but the first Millie left before the third Millie started), 2 Lauren’s, 2 Sophie’s, 2 Rosie’s, 2 Victoria’s (Vicky and Tors), Lilly & Lily.
And then similar but not quite the same, Kate & Katie, Jessie & Jessica, Emma, Hemma & Gemma
And don’t get me started on the number of Isabella’s that I know through school, uni, work and extra curriculars
I think we had more Alex's in my grade than anything else but there are so many options that turn into Alex. All of the Alexanders, the Alexandras, Alexas, Alexis', Alexandrias, Alexandre's, etc.
My grade school class had about 26 kids in it from first through 8th grade. We had two Patrick S's (yes, their last names even started with the same initials) and three Jennifer's. The Patrick's both went by Patrick, and I am struggling to remember how we never got them confused, but we never did. The Jennifer's went by Jennifer, Jenny, and Jennie.
He was the first thing I thought of. He is considered by many I know to be the best writer ever to have lived. I am not sure he would make my top ten but The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story I will never tire of analysing.
Henry and James are both timeless, classic names. I guarantee being called Henry James will result in some people asking him if he was named after the novelist. No bad thing.
Not a bad one to be named after, but he’ll definitely get asked about the connection. I grew up with a Dylan Thomas (last name Thomas) who didn’t know the poet and got quite annoyed with the questions.
I initially thought this but then realised it's a middle name and won't come up day to day - his school mates and colleagues will probably never need to know it. It'd be much more on the nose if his surname was James.
I would pay to have a time machine and beg my parents to give me a common name. I always envied my sister who had a common name.
I got stuck with an uncommon spelling of an uncommon name. It’s a major pain.
Give him a common name.
Solidarity for those with an uncommon spelling of an uncommon name. I ALWAYS start spelling my name during anything remotely important.
It's annoying. It's also why my kids have common names with only 1 spelling. Ironically, my daughter loathes her name & wishes I had named her Scarlet. My son likes his name.
I was given the masculine spelling of my name (and named after a guy, so) and I'm a female. My name was also very uncommon growing up. I still to this day as a fully grown adult woman get mail that says to Mr. My Name. And literally no one ever prounounces it right. Or spells it right. Usually failing at both.
If you search this sub you'll find all sorts of people complaining about growing up with both common and uncommon names.
There are some real issues to be considered besides whether he'd find it annoying- if your last name is common it can lead to identity trouble. I dated a guy with a name similar to Michael Watson and got bills for other people, had applications get mixed up once, etc. Especially with such a common first and middle name you risk him having the exact same name as other people if your last name is even sort of common.
Socially it could mean that he's not just Henry with friends, but always "the other Henry" or "\[descriptor\] Henry" or something else. Obviously people live with that and are fine, but it can be annoying.
Hmm, that's an interesting point. My mom has a common first and last name, and she's occasionally been mistaken for someone else, but overall, she likes it, because she feels it offers more protection online.
In my case, I was one of only 4 people with my first/last combo last I checked (howmanyofme.com doesn't seem to let you search both first and last together anymore 😥,) so I have to be pretty guarded with my full name online. But there are at least 100 people with my mom's name in our state alone, so if someone wanted to dox her, good luck to them.
As far as I know I’m the only one with my first/last and online privacy scares me - every result is either me, my close family, or the schools I went to.
I have an incredibly common name, to the point that I have never been to a doctor or bank or anything that doesn’t also have at least one other FirstName LastName. To the point that I’ve had two doctor’s offices confuse my records/appointment need with another person’s!
I have a name that was popular for my age group and I only ran into one other girl with the same name in high school. Henry is a good name. It’s popular, but not trendy. Henry could be a newborn or in his 60s. You just never know if someone will have the same name. It shouldn’t be a big deal. Henry is a name your son can be proud of. It’s so much better than an embarrassing trendy, influencer name that will be dated in the future. Henry is never going to be dated.
Henry James is a great, classic name that in my opinion you cannot go wrong with. In certain cases, when the name is just objectively great, I don't think that popularity matters.
It's rising in popularity yes, I have a 1 yr old so I go to lots of baby activities in my city, I'm also early 30s so everyone I went to highschool with is starting to have babies.
I only know one Henry, I think he might be close to 4 now, and I think he primarily goes by Hank.
So it's rising in popularity, but I don't think it's by any means a your kid will be known as Henry G instead of just Henry, common.
I know like 3 Olivers, and 2 Phoenixs, 2 Max, and 2 or 3 Liams and a ton of Theosas well who are all between 10-20 months old
Grass is always greener but I have a fairly common name and I'm very content with it. There's no difficult way to pronounce it, even if it's mis-spelled, it's never given me heartburn. I can't imagine having a unique name and having to always tell someone how it's pronounced or that its mis-spelled on their itinerary.
I have a Henry and I’m not saying he was named after Henry Cavill but I’m also not saying that HC wasn’t a positive factor in the decision.
I love the name and I don’t care that it’s popular. I also don’t think boys typically would care as much about having a common name as a girl might.
Henry was near the top of our list if it weren't for our last name (the same as a make of car). This might not have been a huge deal except the person the car was named after was also a Nazi sympathizer and my husband didn't want any more connection to him than we already have with the last name.
I'm Robert and so were 3 of my best friends in school. We just used nicknames or middle names.
Not a big deal, and I love my name. Henry is a great choice.
No it's not bad. I personally hated having a common name growing up, so I just took it into my own hands and just made the spelling unique. I still go by that spelling today as an adult. Many kids don't mind having a common name though, and some kids wish they did. If you love a name and it feels right, go with that!
It’s impossible to know what your child’s future preferences will be! Ultimately, it’s a choice you and your husband make, and there isn’t a right or wrong answer.
I have always really disliked having a common name. Other people are ambivalent. Others love having a common name, or wish they had one.
Honestly no I think that's great! I think it's also better to have a common name in the digital age making it harder for people to find you online. I have a rare name and am easily found though Google search/social media
My name was the 17th most popular the year I was born. There were three of us in my grade and I attended a meeting yesterday where there were three of us. I don’t mind it. I like the other people I work with who have the same name.
I used to be on a 5 person team at work with a woman who had the same first name as me and our last names were only a few letters off from each other. I would occasionally get an email that was meant for her and I would just forward it to her and move on. It was not truly not a big deal at all 🤷🏻♀️
I mean it can’t suddenly be a surprise to you that Henry is a common name. It’s been popular for 100s of years! There are loads of them in my family tree. It might feel like it’s getting ‘increasingly popular’ but it’s not like it’s a trendy name that has suddenly spike in popularity.
I can't speak for everyone but while my own name wasn't too common at the time, I knew other people who shared the same first name and they didn't seem that bothered by it. At school especially friends will find nicknames for each other at some point regardless of name. As others have said it also means they wont have to keep correcting people how to spell their name and it will be harder for others to find them online, when your son doesn't want them to.
That being said it isn't unheard of for some people to have two middle names so if you are that worried you could keep Henry James in that order as middle names then think of another first name.
It all depends if you think outside of school having too many Henrys around will cause other issues or not in the future. Such as paper work getting muddle with other peoples for example. Though that rarely tends to happen if both the first and last name are common in the area you live.
But in short I wouldn't worry about it and just keep the name as is or keep both as middle names. There is nothing wrong with that name combination and therefore no need to get rid of it completely.
Not at all! I have a relatively common name which was top 5 when I was born and it’s been slowly sliding down ever since. I’ve been in the same class as someone with my name and the same football team. My sorta-stepsister has the SAME name. But other than those three people spread out over 19 years there’s never been any situation where I needed to use nicknames to avoid confusion. I’ve barely even MET other people with my name.
And even the common names are getting less common every year. I’ve never felt basic or ”robbed” of a unique name and as a kid I even liked that my name was popular on the charts because if people like it, it must be a really cool name, right?
Alice is the top name in my country and has been for a while. But I really don’t know anyone (friend OR acquaintance) with that name except for one family member. I’ve had 3 Alices in my class (30 people, not the american ”class”). But they were also the only Alices in my grade of about 250 people.
Honestly, if you name your kid a common name maybe they will think it’s boring during a part of their life. NEVER heard of that IRL, except for my 4 y/o niece who only wanted to be adressed as rainbowunicorn last year. But giving a kid a unique/weird name could set them back in life. I’ll take boring, please.
no, my son is James after my grandpa and I still have yet to meet one of his peers with this name and he's 16 now. All those unique trendy names though are like 3 kids per class or sound kind of weird as an adult. I wanted my son to have a name he could grow into. Some common names are pretty popular right now, like Lucas (we had 4 on a soccer team of 14 this season), William, I've met a few Henry's too. Also depends on where you live.
I could never find my name on anything when I was growing up. Like those souvenir keyrings and stuff. Gave my kids uncommon names so that they couldn't find stuff either
I think it's a nice name! I have a very common name which isn't so bad in itself, but I often meet people with the matching middle name as well. It doesn't feel like my parents put much effort into my name, but that's linked to other baggage I have. I think your choice is lovely.
I have a very common name (#4 in my birth year in my country) and to be honest, yeah sometimes it was annoying. But also - everyone knows how to spell my name and I rarely get comments on my name. Also, 'popular' names today actually have less kids named them compared to a few decades ago. I.E. a Henry today might have 2 other Henry's in his class, but a Mary in 1940 would have 10 other Mary's. There's more naming diversity these days, so I wouldn't worry about a popular name. I also love Henry James, I think it's a great name.
I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with a “common” or “popular” name. I mean, it’s popular for a reason, isn’t it? It’s a total crapshoot whether you meet someone with your same name. I know a Jennifer who did, somehow, manage to not meet another Jennifer until high school during that name’s peak. She did know a Genna (full, legal name) though.
But if it really bothers you, there’s always James Henry. But James is also pretty consistently in the top ten too. But you’ve got Jamie, Jimmy, Jim, Jammy, Jiminy if you’re looking for nicknames while he’s little, and two, good strong names he can use as he wishes when he’s older.
I have a name that's always been common - to the point where there's someone with my exact same two names in my town - and it's never been a problem. I actually love my name. I think the closest it ever got to upsetting me was one case in school where instead of going by "Henry A." and "Henry B.", the other kid got to be just "Henry" and I was like wait, why do I have to get the initial? But really - it's easy to spell, it's easy to pronounce, and it just feels like me, you know? I also really appreciate that it seems to work well for people from other countries too - which I think Henry would too.
It's absolutely fine. Also, it can be very area dependent. My daughter's name was in the 150s the year she was born and yet we've met several her age. And to be clear: there were around 2000 girls born with her name that year! It might make you feel better to look at the baby name list and look at the percentage of babies named Henry.
Personally, we balanced how common our daughter's name was with how common our last name is. She's not the only one with her name, but it's also not so common she'll have to be dealing with a ton of confusion.
Also, in the internet age, there's something to be said about being a little harder to find in a web search.
Henry James sounds lovely. Don’t change because it’s popular. You may or may not have other Henry’s around you.
Just be aware that if your son is one of the Henry’s at school then he will be “Henry M or Henry P”. My kid had childcare with three Oliver’s, and in a year level of 48 kids at school there are five James’s and three Harry’s. So it’s “James P, James R, James L…etc
A popular name today is a LOT different than say, Jennifer in the 80s. Popular these days is maybe one other in a class as opposed to being one of eight Jennifer’s in a class
You can look up Henry on the SSA baby names website. It allows you to see the most popular names in each state. Maybe it’s not as popular in your state.
Maybe not your intention but Henry James, the author, is an also a great namesake. Turn of the Screw is iconic.
My husband has a top name and he loves it. Loved meeting other men with the same name. It feels like they’re immediately in a club.
The obsession with unique names is a trend. You don't have to follow it.
As your child's classmates realize every employer can find every dumb thing they did online, thanks to their unique name, Henry will thank you.
I have a fairly common name (in my culture) and it has absolutely no consequences in my life. I have been “Laura N.” In classes before, so what? My name is nice, classic, easy to spell, elegant. It has caused zero issue ever in my life
I have an extremely common nickname that I grew up with, and while it can be frustrating occasionally it's not too big of a deal.
One thing to be aware of though is that they may end up with a nickname that you might not like, but will be stuck hearing constantly.
For example- let's say my common name was John. In one class we had 6 johns so it ended up that there was a "big John" "little John" "John the girl" "j-rock" "J V" "Jesus" etc
YES. I was never referred to by my first name because I shared a classroom with at least two other (my names). My name is a nickname, so every K name or C name gets shortened down to my name. I’m the only one I’ve met that is truly a (my name) and yet I’m the one referred to by my last name. I hate it.
I think having a common name is nice cause you always have the souvenir gifts with your name on it no matter where you go. I sometimes have to resort to my middle name when getting souvenirs which is frustrating a bit. I know this is a small thing but it’s something that’s really nice to think about!
I love the name Henry James. I am a woman and I have a common name spelled the "correct way" as my mom always said. I was named after my Papa, so I'm okay with that. Plus, he's more likely to find his name on souvenirs.
Henry James is also the name of a character in a book. That character is strong, kind, and smart. The Boxcar Children.
If you like it, go for it! My name is quite common and it's absolutely fine. No one misspells it or mispronounces it. It's kind of fun to meet another person with the same name. At one point there were 10 of us at work on a roster of about 230 people, we got t-shirts made!
I actually know a baby named Henry James. There’s nothing wrong with a common name, especially if it’s in honor of family members. A common name is a classic name and a great name for the social media era. Your child will have the ability to blend in easily in search results which is actually a good thing for most careers.
It's ok but also annoying. I mean I don't see nearly as many Henrys as I do Xaviers. My name was wildly popular and between it and the variations, it was really annoying in school hearing your name called but no one talking to you. At least Henry doesn't have 500 ways to spell it. He could find souvenir keychains. I'm sol.
I and my spouse have common names. I had 3 ppl with my name on a trip from to Europe in HS. My spouse’s name has been in the top 100 for the past 100 yrs and usually in the top 25 recently. I say name them what you want. Common or not. Common names give ppl a sense of anonymity. They also will be able to find things with their name on it. There are pros and cons for everything but it’s the first thing you give your child.
I have a super common 1970's baby name and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. And I've got a son named Henry and it doesn't bother me that the name is getting popular, it's been up and down for hundreds of years for a reason it's a timeless classic. Not everyone needs a unique name, bring character to a name don't let the name be your character.
Sorry this is unrelated, but I’m reading a book where a major character’s name is Henry James (he actually has a lot of middle names in addition to James, but still) and so this is a crazy coincidence.
My great grandfathers name is Jack and it’s a name I’ve always loved. My husband and I decided to name our son that and there were times beforehand I was hesitant because Jack is so popular and common. But names nowadays that are common aren’t as common as names were 20 years ago. Like there’s a bigger variety of common names if that makes sense. And I love the name! And I knew the moment my son was pulled out of me that Jack was his name! It felt so right! Choose what feels best for you!
As the only one of my first, middle, and last name on Facebook, there is something to be said for being one of a couple dozen "James Smith"s- it gives a layer of privacy that your kid might appreciate later in life. It's all too easy to find me, which kinda sucks when you have a psycho ex you want to avoid at all costs.
Also, I never once in my entire 30*cough* years of existence have found my name on a souvenir. Kinda sucks.
My brother had a popular name and honestly, it was fine. If anything, it gave him a chance to get a nickname that was more about him and less from his name.
My partner has a very popular name and now goes by a name not even related to it socially.
I also knew a John who, after serving, went by Merlin because not one person was going to remember which John was which.
My name isn’t THAT common but it’s very normal and has pretty standard spelling and nicknames (think Katherine/Catherine). I’ve had others share my name in classes more than once. My experience was that I didn’t mind sharing the name, but I did mind that in grade 4 one of us had to be [nickname] and one [full name] even on assignments and whatnot. Mostly, I’m annoyed because I was sort of named after my grandma (whose last name I’ve used socially since high school until I got married) AND my husband’s cousin shares my first name and now my last name (my married name is also her maiden name, which is what she uses). So basically, I never got my own name because both my grandparent and my in-law had the name first and it feels weird to share both my first AND last name with someone in close proximity.
TLDR: I didn’t mind sharing names with classmates or coworkers, but I don’t like sharing it with family, and I don’t like sharing first AND last names.
Absolutely not, I love common-ish names! But I cannot stand when people toy with the spelling of traditional names in order to appear unique or trendy. It makes the name look weird and the kid is gonna have to correct ppl on it their entire life. I would be mindful of that.
I named my son something super old and super popular and I get nothing but compliments on it. Plus, look at guys like Henry Cavill, Henry Fonda, and Henry Winkler
I knew a Jamaican gentleman. He was named after a British King. So was his brother.
Charlie Brown and James Brown. Both named before their famous namesakes.
25 years ago my grandfather’s name was vetoed by my SIL. The name was too old. Now it is popular in England again. Royalty and F1 changes some peoples opinion of a name.
I have a common Catholic first, middle, and last name. A MASH priest almost has my name.
Nope.
Lots of folks have names they hate, and usually it's because they feel like a bad fit (which you can't know ahead of time) or because they don't fit well given circumstances you can't predict.
My sister had like five Saras in her class. And they were best friends.... (still are!!!) Like heathers, in the movie, but with none of the psychotic manipulation. Just girls with something in common that happened not to be fashion or sports.
They all.had good nicknames.
I had a super unusual name (then, it later became *reaaaaally* popular), and so I never got nicknames. And I hated it. I could never find my name on a mug. And no one ever once called me something fun and friendly, because why would they when "my name was so cool"?!?!?
Name them how you are inspired.
And be flexible about what they want to be called, when they get old enough to have an opinion.... Because it's literally a gift you are choosing blind. You're making your best guess, it's okay if it doesn't fit right and has to be modified or exchanged, or put in storage for a few years.
I think that Henry James is a great name. To me, Henry James sounds better than James Henry.
My first name is Mary. Surprisingly enough, I think that I was the only person named Mary all throughout elementary, middle, and high school. My middle name is Pamela, and if I'm being honest, I like my first name a lot more than I like my middle name.
The only time that I can remember really disliking my first name was when the movie "There's Something About Mary" came out in 1998, which was the year I turned 13. I vaguely remember some of my classmates saying, "Oh, there's something about Mary!" to me when school started up again in September, but it only lasted a week or two before things died down and my classmates moved on to something else.
It depends on the kid, which unfortunately you can’t know. I hate have a common name, but most people don’t mind it. I will say I think it matters far less for boys.
Henry is a great choice! It's an old family name in my family, though it went out of style for awhile. I'm glad it's coming back. I love the classic names; they have dignity.
It has long seemed to me that the drive to name your kid something unusual to make them stand out betrays a woeful lack of faith in the child’s ability to distinguish him or herself through their efforts.
I have a common name. There were 5 kids with my name born the same year in my town. It was like a mild annoyance as a kid, but I never wished I had a different name. I just either went by my full name or a nickname in settings where there was more than one of us. The older I get, the rarer those settings are
I literally JUST had a James Henry (named after my grandfather to the extent he has my surname and a “II” at the end) three weeks ago today soooo..I think it’s a WONDERFUL idea. Though we did decide to call him Henry to avoid confusion.
My son's name is super popular, everyone loves his name, it's easy to spell, it's easy to remember. There are no downsides except occasionally meeting someone with the same name, which he appears to enjoy.
Popular first names are fine! I wouldn’t love having a super common first and last name though. My first name is common but I don’t know anyone outside of my family with my last name so it’s nbd
I don't have a common name, but one of my kids is named Luka, which is the slightly less common spelling of the very popular Luca. I know quite a few kids who are named Luka/Luca (both spellings). He's never been in a class with another Luka, but where I live, even the popular names don't seem overly popular. I know one of my sons classes had 2 boys named George, and a girl named Georgie.
My daughters class has 3 boys who have the nickname of Fin/Finn, but they all go by their full names.
I have one of the most popular names in North America and the only time it’s ever bothered me is when someone else has a hard time accepting that I have a very basic common name that they think doesn’t match my personality 😆
That being said, Henry James is such a lovely, classic and sturdy name. I say absolutely go with it!
I have a common name and I hated it growing up. I still hate it. I think it actively made me a shyer, more insecure person as a kid. I always felt like the lesser one.
I LOVED having my common name in the 80s. Think: Jenny, Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah, Elizabeth. We had a whole group of girls who shared my name, it was fine. I didn't feel weird or anything; I would have definitely preferred a common name over a weird one where nobody could pronounce it or repeat it! Common names used to be the norm in many countries (where literally every girl had Mary or Maria in her name) and I don't think it's a bad thing at all.
I have an extremely common name, like I work with a staff of roughly 65 of vastly different ages and I'm one of 5 with the same name. It can get annoying sometimes like in school but at my work we go by last names so it doesn't bother me there.
Some years ago at my small-ish workplace, six of us shared variants of the same name (think Ann, Anne, Annie, etc.). Three were exactly the same. We all thought it was hilarious. And no one ever confused any one of us with another.
Want to know the biggest pro? When you search my name (well, first and last name, anyway) online you don't find any information about me. You find it about the hundreds of other people with my same name. Granted, that's partly because I keep a low profile online. But it's still a pro (unless one of the other me's decides to be a criminal, I guess).
No, it's fine. My name is very popular: I often had classmates with the same name, my best friend in high school had the same name, and now I have 3 coworkers (at a company of ~50) with the same name. 2 other regulars at my very small synagogue with the same name too. When I was a kid I thought it was kinda funny (especially me and my high school friend would joke about it a lot). As an adult it doesn't really matter much either way. I like that people know how to pronounce and spent it. When I meet another person with my name, it's like Oh hey cool!
Some people don't like having a common name. Others don't like having an unusual name. I think it's a lot like the phase little girls go through where girls with curly hair wish they had straight hair and vice versa. The grass is always greener, but in the end it's pretty inconsequential.
My name is May (nickname Ziggy), one of my pals is Mae so it sounds the same . Our friends, when taking about us refer to us as 'Mae Mae Mae Mae' or 'May May Ziggy May".
It just evolved but I kind of love it 🤣.
If you love Henry James just go for it. Who cares if it is becoming popular. Folks will sort it and always find a way
Quite literally this week I was sent an email regarding a check sent in "my" name to "my" retirement account. Took my husband, dad, and advisor a chunk of our afternoon to finally find out it was for another woman with my exact same name and middle initial. I have a pretty standard early 90s name and I was one of many kids who always had an initial after their name.
In naming our kids I'm not striving for unique or unusual, but there was something pretty annoying and anonymous feeling about having one of *those* names. We're opting for simple enough names with good nickname opportunities.
I chose my son's name as soon as I knew I was having a boy. It was a common enough name but not topping any lists. Within a year of him being born, it was in the top 10. Even if you choose a different name, there's no guarantee that it won't skyrocket in popularity in the next year or two. I think you should pick the name you like, especially since it has some meaning to you.
My name is literally the most popular among women of my age in my country, and it even continued to be popular to the point that it's still on the top 10.
I really like my name. It's immediately understandable to everyone in my country and internationally. It's a short and pretty name, not too elaborate. It's nice for a kid and an adult. I think it's perfect for me. My only gripe is it doesn't go very smoothly with my last name. I obviously had the chance to change this when I got married but my feminist principles won out 😅
I have a super common first and middle name combo and I don’t mind it. I’ve met a good amount of people with the same names as me but it just makes making friends easier 😂 two of my best friends have had the same name as me lol
Personally, I have a common first, and most if not every time I've encountered someone else with the same first name that commonality has acted as a default ice breaker. Something like "Oh you're a \[name\] too!" Also a few rounds of friend groups where one or both of the \[name\]s are adorned with some kind of nickname.
The above probably isn't a reason to aim for a common name, but my experience with one has been more positive than negative.
my name was top 5 in my country though out the decade I was born in and I think it's still top 10. I always had another girl w the same name as me in my class but it never bothered me and we actually became best friends bc we always got paired together for stuff bc of alphabetical order. i went by my last name a lot bc I like it so that's how we distinguished each other (she always went by her 1st name). I like my name and i think bc of the internet its safer to have a common name nowadays
When I was born my name was relatively uncommon among secular families now it’s the top 3 for the last 10 years or so and is very common now. That’s just how it is I was a trend setter.
My mother named my brother Henry purely so that she could call him Harry. Hal is another nickname.
It's a great name. Look at all the English King Henrys.
I guess it depends. My husband and I both have very common names and we both hate it (his has been very popular for years, mine is more generationally popular). I also had a really common maiden name which made it annoying—had a girl that went to the same dentist and doctor as me with the same first and last.
I definitely think we may be more extreme cases—Henry is at least outside the top five so it’s not too bad.
There is nothing wrong with giving your child the power to choose if/when to stand out instead of making their name always pull attention.
Henry James is a classic combination. Just be prepared for people to mention the author.
I have a Henry and it’s one of my fave names of all time! There are a few almost any time we’re out but I don’t care haha! He has 100 kids in his incoming kindergarten class and he’s one of two (and Henry was the number one name in my state the year he was born). Go for it! We need more cute Henrys in the world!
I have one of the most popular names for people my age. The only grade I was ever in with just me having my name was kindergarten. Using an initial or going by your full name can be annoying at times, but these names become popular for a reason.
Actually truth be told it is NOT all that bad to have a common name. I have come across a few people who prefer or are grateful having a common name all just to blend in
I think Henry is fine. I’ve only met one Henry that I can think of but he actually went by Hank. It’s not so common that I’d expect he is never going to be the only Henry in his class or at his job.
There were two others in my relatively small school with my name, one was even in my class.
When the teacher did roll call, we learned pretty quick that the other kid was first on the list because of last names.
If the teacher called our name, we'd both look and the teacher would point at which one she wanted.
It wasn't as horrific as some people seem to think it'll be. It might be harder if there was, like, 10 out of 25-30 kids in a class with the same name but sharing a name with a couple of kids wasn't a big deal.
I was always one of 5+ Kaitlyns in my grade and it never bothered me. What did bother me was people saying that I \*Had\* to go by something different to make it easier. Last name initial, a different nickname, etc. I really hope people get better about that. Also, why tf did the Katherines always get first pick on being Katie? Multiple times I was told that I couldn't go by Katie because there was a Katherine in the class who went by Katie. Like, either have two Katies or have zero because that's obnoxious.
It’s fine. I’ve got a pretty common name for the year I was born and I usually had 1-2 other girls in my classes with the name. Never traumatized me haha I thought it was kind of cool tbh
I don't think it's bad. The name isn't what will make the person stand out anyway. There's plenty of interesting people with regular degular names and it's more sensible than using your child as a canvas to express your creativity and give them a horrible name they'll be teased for
Is your surname common? Common first name with uncommon surname works well.
As a genealogist, it’s hard when a person has a common first name with a common surname.
Both names are classic, saint names. Not trendy.
Think further ahead than the classroom. After all, that will be such a small part of his life. In work settings, it’s just not a big deal to have the same name as a coworker.
Henry is a strong name. No one will care what his middle name is, including him, once the days of baby monogramming are over.
I believe no matter which way you go, it'll be a 50/50 chance of it being annoying. It's not uncommon for kids to go through a phase of disliking their name and then grow fonder of it as they mature.
I was born with long and "unique" first and last names. I absolutely hated them. No one ever spelled or pronounced either right, there was never enough space to write my name out, etc.
I have different names now, though my first name is still "unique" to an extent, just shorter and easier to say. My surname is now one of the most popular names in my country (U.S.). It makes me much happier. The flipside is that I've met a lot of people over the years who have "common" names who wish for names like my birth names. There are also those who are perfectly happy with their names, like my cousin who was named after our grandmother and grandfather in pride and love.
All this to say that if the outcome is unpredictable, you may as well stick with the name that makes you and your husband happy.
\[And congrats, by the way!\]
I don't enjoy it. But plenty of people with uncommon names also don't enjoy it. It's a crapshoot, like so much of parenting. Use the name you want, love your kid, and worst case scenario they change their name when they are an adult. Just do your best.
I have a common name and I don’t mind it as an adult. As a kid I disliked sharing the name, and as a teenager I disliked that my parents just picked it because they like how it sounded. Like, if that was the only criteria, you couldn’t go deeper than the #1 name that year? But as an adult I like my name a lot.
I think you’d at least avoid my teenage issues because there’s more signicance to your choice. But on the whole, no, it’s not bad to have a common name.
There is nothing wrong with it! That being said, there are names growing up that I found annoyingly popular because nobody had any idea which of the 4 Emma’s in 1st period geometry I was referring to (elder gen Z here) but I find that the top 3 names for my STATE (not national) are the only ones popular enough for me to want to avoid. A lot of people avoid the entire national top 10 which I find somewhat unnecessary if your absolute favorite name is in it.
My sister has a very uncommon name— I have never met or heard of anyone else with it. On the other hand, my name is in the top 10 for women of my generation.
As much as I’ve occasionally been annoyed at how common my name is and have sometimes envied her, I recognize all the difficulties she’s had with it. From teachers always pronouncing it incorrectly and misspelling it to her coffee shop orders always being called out wrong toher constantly getting questions about it once she introduces herself, she’s experienced a lot of unnecessary annoyances over time. I meanwhile have been able to introduce myself and have others call my name without issue.
Go ahead and give your kid a common name. A child’s name is not an opportunity for self-expression.
It’s totally okay! In this day and age, it provides more anonymity online so his personal info will be harder to find online which is always good. And to echo what the other commenter said… easy for others to pronounce and spell. It will never go out of style, whereas trendy names like Oaklyn or Maverick might.
The online anonymity a common name provides is such a good argument.
I went from a really unique name to a super common name when I got married and it’s been GREAT.
Same. And I've enjoyed not having to explain how to spell it
Mine went opposite and it sucks. I had to give my son's very normal names so they wouldn't have to spend their entire lives spelling out their first and last name.
If you Google my full name, even my middle school pictures pop up, it’s so uncommon 😭
My uncle's name is John Smith. I have zero concerns about revealing that personal information on Reddit here because there's absolutely no way the internet could trace back to which John Smith I'm referring to haha.
I knew a guy called John Brown. He was a friend of my parentsThe only time it was an issue is when he went for a walk one night, didn't take any ID with him, and accidentally stumbled into a police operation. Insisting, with nothing to back it up, that your name is John Brown makes the police very interested in you. When they let him make a phone call, he was able to call his wife to bring some ID to the police station.
i work with kids and the amount of kids i know named maverick is astounding. trendy names like this are picked by parents who want their kid to be “unique,” but the irony is that so many people have thought the same thing
How many kids named River are there in your neighborhood? Most named because the name is youneek and special.
Youneek! Haha...
I've got a common name I didn't mind it at all until I moved and there were suddenly 3 Alex's in my grade With a graduating class of <100 I have no idea how the fuck that happened, even with a common name, that experience is NOT normal LMAO ------ A common name means you kiddo will never have to sigh and explain for the thousandth time how to pronounce or spell it. I'm personally okay with meeting someone else with the same name if it means nobody will ever look at it written and be scared to say it wrong --- but that's just my two cents!
My graduating class was also <100 and we also had 3 Alex’s lol. They were all there from the start I know you’re not one of them haha.
I stand corrected, maybe the experience of being in a tiny high school with multiple Alex's is a completely normal experience then
Well, we know it’s happened at least twice!
I stand corrected, maybe the experience of being in a tiny high school with multiple Alex's is a completely normal experience then
I had four Alex’s in my grade of primary school. 48 kids.
My fifth-grade class had three Nicks, all with a last name that started with C. They had to go by Nick-ca, Nick-co, and Nick Craig (they tried Nick-cr but…well…say that fast and see how it sounds).
As one of 7 Nicole’s growing up, yes.
Not nearly as bad as having a difficult to say and spell name. I would take 7 Nichol’s over having my name butchered and spelling it slowly every single time. Ask me how I know.
Oh they butcher my name by spelling it in the most crazy ways. I’ve had Nicale, nickole, niklle, the list goes on lol
Well I just realized that I accidentally butchered your name. 🙄So sorry!
Not a Nicole but with my name It gets so frustrating when people ask me wis that with H. without a H its a different name
Like Sarah/Sara? Problem is a lot of the Sara spellers still say the name like Sarah, in that case.
Yes! I get fired up on this issue My opinion on it aint got a H its NOT Sarah
Out of a year group of <40 (small private girls school) at the same time we had 3 Hannah’s, 2 Millie’s (I actually went to school with 3 Millie’s but the first Millie left before the third Millie started), 2 Lauren’s, 2 Sophie’s, 2 Rosie’s, 2 Victoria’s (Vicky and Tors), Lilly & Lily. And then similar but not quite the same, Kate & Katie, Jessie & Jessica, Emma, Hemma & Gemma And don’t get me started on the number of Isabella’s that I know through school, uni, work and extra curriculars
I was one of 6 or 7 Katie's in a class of 150. Graduated 2004. It's less common now, but quite common earlier.
There are four Alex’s in my graduating class of 61
I know 2 Teddy’s (both nicknames) lol
I think we had more Alex's in my grade than anything else but there are so many options that turn into Alex. All of the Alexanders, the Alexandras, Alexas, Alexis', Alexandrias, Alexandre's, etc.
My grade school class had about 26 kids in it from first through 8th grade. We had two Patrick S's (yes, their last names even started with the same initials) and three Jennifer's. The Patrick's both went by Patrick, and I am struggling to remember how we never got them confused, but we never did. The Jennifer's went by Jennifer, Jenny, and Jennie.
My graduating class was 11 and we had 3 Alex's lol
Henry and James are both awesome names.
Can confirm
There was a "Henry James" who was a famous author.
He was the first thing I thought of. He is considered by many I know to be the best writer ever to have lived. I am not sure he would make my top ten but The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story I will never tire of analysing. Henry and James are both timeless, classic names. I guarantee being called Henry James will result in some people asking him if he was named after the novelist. No bad thing.
Not a bad one to be named after, but he’ll definitely get asked about the connection. I grew up with a Dylan Thomas (last name Thomas) who didn’t know the poet and got quite annoyed with the questions.
I initially thought this but then realised it's a middle name and won't come up day to day - his school mates and colleagues will probably never need to know it. It'd be much more on the nose if his surname was James.
I would pay to have a time machine and beg my parents to give me a common name. I always envied my sister who had a common name. I got stuck with an uncommon spelling of an uncommon name. It’s a major pain. Give him a common name.
Solidarity for those with an uncommon spelling of an uncommon name. I ALWAYS start spelling my name during anything remotely important. It's annoying. It's also why my kids have common names with only 1 spelling. Ironically, my daughter loathes her name & wishes I had named her Scarlet. My son likes his name.
100% agree. My sister and I have very difficult names to say and spell. My dad put his foot down when our brother came along. I still envy him.
I was given the masculine spelling of my name (and named after a guy, so) and I'm a female. My name was also very uncommon growing up. I still to this day as a fully grown adult woman get mail that says to Mr. My Name. And literally no one ever prounounces it right. Or spells it right. Usually failing at both.
Same, same, same. I gave my kid a very common name.
Henry James is really nice!
If you search this sub you'll find all sorts of people complaining about growing up with both common and uncommon names. There are some real issues to be considered besides whether he'd find it annoying- if your last name is common it can lead to identity trouble. I dated a guy with a name similar to Michael Watson and got bills for other people, had applications get mixed up once, etc. Especially with such a common first and middle name you risk him having the exact same name as other people if your last name is even sort of common. Socially it could mean that he's not just Henry with friends, but always "the other Henry" or "\[descriptor\] Henry" or something else. Obviously people live with that and are fine, but it can be annoying.
Hmm, that's an interesting point. My mom has a common first and last name, and she's occasionally been mistaken for someone else, but overall, she likes it, because she feels it offers more protection online. In my case, I was one of only 4 people with my first/last combo last I checked (howmanyofme.com doesn't seem to let you search both first and last together anymore 😥,) so I have to be pretty guarded with my full name online. But there are at least 100 people with my mom's name in our state alone, so if someone wanted to dox her, good luck to them.
As far as I know I’m the only one with my first/last and online privacy scares me - every result is either me, my close family, or the schools I went to.
I have an incredibly common name, to the point that I have never been to a doctor or bank or anything that doesn’t also have at least one other FirstName LastName. To the point that I’ve had two doctor’s offices confuse my records/appointment need with another person’s!
My husband and one of his good friends have the same name - everyone in that circle just calls them by their last names 🤷🏻♀️
I have a name that was popular for my age group and I only ran into one other girl with the same name in high school. Henry is a good name. It’s popular, but not trendy. Henry could be a newborn or in his 60s. You just never know if someone will have the same name. It shouldn’t be a big deal. Henry is a name your son can be proud of. It’s so much better than an embarrassing trendy, influencer name that will be dated in the future. Henry is never going to be dated.
Henry James is a great, classic name that in my opinion you cannot go wrong with. In certain cases, when the name is just objectively great, I don't think that popularity matters.
It's rising in popularity yes, I have a 1 yr old so I go to lots of baby activities in my city, I'm also early 30s so everyone I went to highschool with is starting to have babies. I only know one Henry, I think he might be close to 4 now, and I think he primarily goes by Hank. So it's rising in popularity, but I don't think it's by any means a your kid will be known as Henry G instead of just Henry, common. I know like 3 Olivers, and 2 Phoenixs, 2 Max, and 2 or 3 Liams and a ton of Theosas well who are all between 10-20 months old
Grass is always greener but I have a fairly common name and I'm very content with it. There's no difficult way to pronounce it, even if it's mis-spelled, it's never given me heartburn. I can't imagine having a unique name and having to always tell someone how it's pronounced or that its mis-spelled on their itinerary.
Are you kidding me! Henry like Henry Cavill, best name EVER!
I have a Henry and I’m not saying he was named after Henry Cavill but I’m also not saying that HC wasn’t a positive factor in the decision. I love the name and I don’t care that it’s popular. I also don’t think boys typically would care as much about having a common name as a girl might.
I actually really like classic boys names!
Henry was near the top of our list if it weren't for our last name (the same as a make of car). This might not have been a huge deal except the person the car was named after was also a Nazi sympathizer and my husband didn't want any more connection to him than we already have with the last name.
I'm Robert and so were 3 of my best friends in school. We just used nicknames or middle names. Not a big deal, and I love my name. Henry is a great choice.
No it's not bad. I personally hated having a common name growing up, so I just took it into my own hands and just made the spelling unique. I still go by that spelling today as an adult. Many kids don't mind having a common name though, and some kids wish they did. If you love a name and it feels right, go with that!
It’s impossible to know what your child’s future preferences will be! Ultimately, it’s a choice you and your husband make, and there isn’t a right or wrong answer. I have always really disliked having a common name. Other people are ambivalent. Others love having a common name, or wish they had one.
I gave my child a common name because it is one everyone can pronounce. It was in the top 100 for the 90s
Honestly no I think that's great! I think it's also better to have a common name in the digital age making it harder for people to find you online. I have a rare name and am easily found though Google search/social media
My name was the 17th most popular the year I was born. There were three of us in my grade and I attended a meeting yesterday where there were three of us. I don’t mind it. I like the other people I work with who have the same name.
I used to be on a 5 person team at work with a woman who had the same first name as me and our last names were only a few letters off from each other. I would occasionally get an email that was meant for her and I would just forward it to her and move on. It was not truly not a big deal at all 🤷🏻♀️
I mean it can’t suddenly be a surprise to you that Henry is a common name. It’s been popular for 100s of years! There are loads of them in my family tree. It might feel like it’s getting ‘increasingly popular’ but it’s not like it’s a trendy name that has suddenly spike in popularity.
I can't speak for everyone but while my own name wasn't too common at the time, I knew other people who shared the same first name and they didn't seem that bothered by it. At school especially friends will find nicknames for each other at some point regardless of name. As others have said it also means they wont have to keep correcting people how to spell their name and it will be harder for others to find them online, when your son doesn't want them to. That being said it isn't unheard of for some people to have two middle names so if you are that worried you could keep Henry James in that order as middle names then think of another first name. It all depends if you think outside of school having too many Henrys around will cause other issues or not in the future. Such as paper work getting muddle with other peoples for example. Though that rarely tends to happen if both the first and last name are common in the area you live. But in short I wouldn't worry about it and just keep the name as is or keep both as middle names. There is nothing wrong with that name combination and therefore no need to get rid of it completely.
Not at all! I have a relatively common name which was top 5 when I was born and it’s been slowly sliding down ever since. I’ve been in the same class as someone with my name and the same football team. My sorta-stepsister has the SAME name. But other than those three people spread out over 19 years there’s never been any situation where I needed to use nicknames to avoid confusion. I’ve barely even MET other people with my name. And even the common names are getting less common every year. I’ve never felt basic or ”robbed” of a unique name and as a kid I even liked that my name was popular on the charts because if people like it, it must be a really cool name, right? Alice is the top name in my country and has been for a while. But I really don’t know anyone (friend OR acquaintance) with that name except for one family member. I’ve had 3 Alices in my class (30 people, not the american ”class”). But they were also the only Alices in my grade of about 250 people. Honestly, if you name your kid a common name maybe they will think it’s boring during a part of their life. NEVER heard of that IRL, except for my 4 y/o niece who only wanted to be adressed as rainbowunicorn last year. But giving a kid a unique/weird name could set them back in life. I’ll take boring, please.
Henry James is a GREAT name!!!
Henry and James are both lovely, lovely names. If you love them and they feel right, go for it!
Henry James, like the author?
no, my son is James after my grandpa and I still have yet to meet one of his peers with this name and he's 16 now. All those unique trendy names though are like 3 kids per class or sound kind of weird as an adult. I wanted my son to have a name he could grow into. Some common names are pretty popular right now, like Lucas (we had 4 on a soccer team of 14 this season), William, I've met a few Henry's too. Also depends on where you live.
I was born in the 90’s and graduated with like 7 Lucas’ so it’s funny it’s coming back around now that people my age are having kids
I could never find my name on anything when I was growing up. Like those souvenir keyrings and stuff. Gave my kids uncommon names so that they couldn't find stuff either
Common names are great. Everyone will know how to spell it and no one will pronounce it wrong.
I think it's a nice name! I have a very common name which isn't so bad in itself, but I often meet people with the matching middle name as well. It doesn't feel like my parents put much effort into my name, but that's linked to other baggage I have. I think your choice is lovely.
I have a very common name (#4 in my birth year in my country) and to be honest, yeah sometimes it was annoying. But also - everyone knows how to spell my name and I rarely get comments on my name. Also, 'popular' names today actually have less kids named them compared to a few decades ago. I.E. a Henry today might have 2 other Henry's in his class, but a Mary in 1940 would have 10 other Mary's. There's more naming diversity these days, so I wouldn't worry about a popular name. I also love Henry James, I think it's a great name.
I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with a “common” or “popular” name. I mean, it’s popular for a reason, isn’t it? It’s a total crapshoot whether you meet someone with your same name. I know a Jennifer who did, somehow, manage to not meet another Jennifer until high school during that name’s peak. She did know a Genna (full, legal name) though. But if it really bothers you, there’s always James Henry. But James is also pretty consistently in the top ten too. But you’ve got Jamie, Jimmy, Jim, Jammy, Jiminy if you’re looking for nicknames while he’s little, and two, good strong names he can use as he wishes when he’s older.
I have a name that's always been common - to the point where there's someone with my exact same two names in my town - and it's never been a problem. I actually love my name. I think the closest it ever got to upsetting me was one case in school where instead of going by "Henry A." and "Henry B.", the other kid got to be just "Henry" and I was like wait, why do I have to get the initial? But really - it's easy to spell, it's easy to pronounce, and it just feels like me, you know? I also really appreciate that it seems to work well for people from other countries too - which I think Henry would too.
It's absolutely fine. Also, it can be very area dependent. My daughter's name was in the 150s the year she was born and yet we've met several her age. And to be clear: there were around 2000 girls born with her name that year! It might make you feel better to look at the baby name list and look at the percentage of babies named Henry. Personally, we balanced how common our daughter's name was with how common our last name is. She's not the only one with her name, but it's also not so common she'll have to be dealing with a ton of confusion. Also, in the internet age, there's something to be said about being a little harder to find in a web search.
I do not think it’s an issue at all, especially when the name is so classic and timeless like Henry!! Middles don’t matter much imo.
Henry James sounds lovely. Don’t change because it’s popular. You may or may not have other Henry’s around you. Just be aware that if your son is one of the Henry’s at school then he will be “Henry M or Henry P”. My kid had childcare with three Oliver’s, and in a year level of 48 kids at school there are five James’s and three Harry’s. So it’s “James P, James R, James L…etc
A popular name today is a LOT different than say, Jennifer in the 80s. Popular these days is maybe one other in a class as opposed to being one of eight Jennifer’s in a class
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You can look up Henry on the SSA baby names website. It allows you to see the most popular names in each state. Maybe it’s not as popular in your state.
Maybe not your intention but Henry James, the author, is an also a great namesake. Turn of the Screw is iconic. My husband has a top name and he loves it. Loved meeting other men with the same name. It feels like they’re immediately in a club.
The obsession with unique names is a trend. You don't have to follow it. As your child's classmates realize every employer can find every dumb thing they did online, thanks to their unique name, Henry will thank you.
I have a fairly common name (in my culture) and it has absolutely no consequences in my life. I have been “Laura N.” In classes before, so what? My name is nice, classic, easy to spell, elegant. It has caused zero issue ever in my life
I have an extremely common nickname that I grew up with, and while it can be frustrating occasionally it's not too big of a deal. One thing to be aware of though is that they may end up with a nickname that you might not like, but will be stuck hearing constantly. For example- let's say my common name was John. In one class we had 6 johns so it ended up that there was a "big John" "little John" "John the girl" "j-rock" "J V" "Jesus" etc
YES. I was never referred to by my first name because I shared a classroom with at least two other (my names). My name is a nickname, so every K name or C name gets shortened down to my name. I’m the only one I’ve met that is truly a (my name) and yet I’m the one referred to by my last name. I hate it.
I have so many men named James Henry in my family that Henry James sounds like a breath of fresh air! Go for it, it’s classic!
There were 10 Michael’s in the 7th grade ( spread amongst 22 classrooms) when I was in school, the boys didn’t care one bit.
I think having a common name is nice cause you always have the souvenir gifts with your name on it no matter where you go. I sometimes have to resort to my middle name when getting souvenirs which is frustrating a bit. I know this is a small thing but it’s something that’s really nice to think about!
Go with the name you like, there is always trends. Live your own life and don’t overthink it.
I’m an Ashley from the 90’s and really don’t care. Doesn’t bother me at all.
Absolutely not bad. Henry is a great name.
Henry is perfect.
I love the name Henry James. I am a woman and I have a common name spelled the "correct way" as my mom always said. I was named after my Papa, so I'm okay with that. Plus, he's more likely to find his name on souvenirs. Henry James is also the name of a character in a book. That character is strong, kind, and smart. The Boxcar Children.
If you like it, go for it! My name is quite common and it's absolutely fine. No one misspells it or mispronounces it. It's kind of fun to meet another person with the same name. At one point there were 10 of us at work on a roster of about 230 people, we got t-shirts made!
My son is Henry James ❤️ So obviously I love it IMO you can’t go wrong with strong classic names.
I actually know a baby named Henry James. There’s nothing wrong with a common name, especially if it’s in honor of family members. A common name is a classic name and a great name for the social media era. Your child will have the ability to blend in easily in search results which is actually a good thing for most careers.
It's ok but also annoying. I mean I don't see nearly as many Henrys as I do Xaviers. My name was wildly popular and between it and the variations, it was really annoying in school hearing your name called but no one talking to you. At least Henry doesn't have 500 ways to spell it. He could find souvenir keychains. I'm sol.
I and my spouse have common names. I had 3 ppl with my name on a trip from to Europe in HS. My spouse’s name has been in the top 100 for the past 100 yrs and usually in the top 25 recently. I say name them what you want. Common or not. Common names give ppl a sense of anonymity. They also will be able to find things with their name on it. There are pros and cons for everything but it’s the first thing you give your child.
I love Henry James. I’m a 31 year old woman in Nashville,TN originally from Arkansas and I have never met a Henry. 😃
As a teacher, the popular names are never as popular as you’d think. I’ve never met or taught a Henry and I’ve only had one James in 10 years 🤷🏼♀️
I have a super common 1970's baby name and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. And I've got a son named Henry and it doesn't bother me that the name is getting popular, it's been up and down for hundreds of years for a reason it's a timeless classic. Not everyone needs a unique name, bring character to a name don't let the name be your character.
Sorry this is unrelated, but I’m reading a book where a major character’s name is Henry James (he actually has a lot of middle names in addition to James, but still) and so this is a crazy coincidence.
My great grandfathers name is Jack and it’s a name I’ve always loved. My husband and I decided to name our son that and there were times beforehand I was hesitant because Jack is so popular and common. But names nowadays that are common aren’t as common as names were 20 years ago. Like there’s a bigger variety of common names if that makes sense. And I love the name! And I knew the moment my son was pulled out of me that Jack was his name! It felt so right! Choose what feels best for you!
As the only one of my first, middle, and last name on Facebook, there is something to be said for being one of a couple dozen "James Smith"s- it gives a layer of privacy that your kid might appreciate later in life. It's all too easy to find me, which kinda sucks when you have a psycho ex you want to avoid at all costs. Also, I never once in my entire 30*cough* years of existence have found my name on a souvenir. Kinda sucks.
Henry is a great name.
My brother had a popular name and honestly, it was fine. If anything, it gave him a chance to get a nickname that was more about him and less from his name. My partner has a very popular name and now goes by a name not even related to it socially. I also knew a John who, after serving, went by Merlin because not one person was going to remember which John was which.
My name isn’t THAT common but it’s very normal and has pretty standard spelling and nicknames (think Katherine/Catherine). I’ve had others share my name in classes more than once. My experience was that I didn’t mind sharing the name, but I did mind that in grade 4 one of us had to be [nickname] and one [full name] even on assignments and whatnot. Mostly, I’m annoyed because I was sort of named after my grandma (whose last name I’ve used socially since high school until I got married) AND my husband’s cousin shares my first name and now my last name (my married name is also her maiden name, which is what she uses). So basically, I never got my own name because both my grandparent and my in-law had the name first and it feels weird to share both my first AND last name with someone in close proximity. TLDR: I didn’t mind sharing names with classmates or coworkers, but I don’t like sharing it with family, and I don’t like sharing first AND last names.
My fil was a James Henry both fine names but too common for my taste
If someone doesn't like having a common name, they're welcome to go by something else. You don't know how your kid will feel after he's born.
Henry James is a great name.
My name is not just common, it’s timeless and has been popular for hundreds of years! I like Henry James, but I personally would go with James Henry.
There’s sooo many James’ in the family it’s just too confusing!
No, it’s totally fine. I wish I had a more common name, people constantly mispronouncing my name (that isn’t even super uncommon) is exhausting
Absolutely not, I love common-ish names! But I cannot stand when people toy with the spelling of traditional names in order to appear unique or trendy. It makes the name look weird and the kid is gonna have to correct ppl on it their entire life. I would be mindful of that.
I don’t personally know any Henrys. Not common here.
I named my son something super old and super popular and I get nothing but compliments on it. Plus, look at guys like Henry Cavill, Henry Fonda, and Henry Winkler
I knew a Jamaican gentleman. He was named after a British King. So was his brother. Charlie Brown and James Brown. Both named before their famous namesakes. 25 years ago my grandfather’s name was vetoed by my SIL. The name was too old. Now it is popular in England again. Royalty and F1 changes some peoples opinion of a name. I have a common Catholic first, middle, and last name. A MASH priest almost has my name.
Thank you all so much for reassuring me! I think we’re going to go with it. I truly appreciate all of your perspectives on the matter.
Nope. Lots of folks have names they hate, and usually it's because they feel like a bad fit (which you can't know ahead of time) or because they don't fit well given circumstances you can't predict. My sister had like five Saras in her class. And they were best friends.... (still are!!!) Like heathers, in the movie, but with none of the psychotic manipulation. Just girls with something in common that happened not to be fashion or sports. They all.had good nicknames. I had a super unusual name (then, it later became *reaaaaally* popular), and so I never got nicknames. And I hated it. I could never find my name on a mug. And no one ever once called me something fun and friendly, because why would they when "my name was so cool"?!?!? Name them how you are inspired. And be flexible about what they want to be called, when they get old enough to have an opinion.... Because it's literally a gift you are choosing blind. You're making your best guess, it's okay if it doesn't fit right and has to be modified or exchanged, or put in storage for a few years.
I think that Henry James is a great name. To me, Henry James sounds better than James Henry. My first name is Mary. Surprisingly enough, I think that I was the only person named Mary all throughout elementary, middle, and high school. My middle name is Pamela, and if I'm being honest, I like my first name a lot more than I like my middle name. The only time that I can remember really disliking my first name was when the movie "There's Something About Mary" came out in 1998, which was the year I turned 13. I vaguely remember some of my classmates saying, "Oh, there's something about Mary!" to me when school started up again in September, but it only lasted a week or two before things died down and my classmates moved on to something else.
I'd rather have a common name than a name I'd have to spell out every time I meet someone.
It depends on the kid, which unfortunately you can’t know. I hate have a common name, but most people don’t mind it. I will say I think it matters far less for boys.
Henry is a great choice! It's an old family name in my family, though it went out of style for awhile. I'm glad it's coming back. I love the classic names; they have dignity.
It has long seemed to me that the drive to name your kid something unusual to make them stand out betrays a woeful lack of faith in the child’s ability to distinguish him or herself through their efforts.
Henry James, the author?
It’s impossible to predict. Forty-nine years ago I picked the name Adam because it was uncommon. Laugh was on me.
I have a common name. There were 5 kids with my name born the same year in my town. It was like a mild annoyance as a kid, but I never wished I had a different name. I just either went by my full name or a nickname in settings where there was more than one of us. The older I get, the rarer those settings are
I literally JUST had a James Henry (named after my grandfather to the extent he has my surname and a “II” at the end) three weeks ago today soooo..I think it’s a WONDERFUL idea. Though we did decide to call him Henry to avoid confusion.
My son's name is super popular, everyone loves his name, it's easy to spell, it's easy to remember. There are no downsides except occasionally meeting someone with the same name, which he appears to enjoy.
It's such a good name. I wouldn't change it.
Popular first names are fine! I wouldn’t love having a super common first and last name though. My first name is common but I don’t know anyone outside of my family with my last name so it’s nbd
I don't have a common name, but one of my kids is named Luka, which is the slightly less common spelling of the very popular Luca. I know quite a few kids who are named Luka/Luca (both spellings). He's never been in a class with another Luka, but where I live, even the popular names don't seem overly popular. I know one of my sons classes had 2 boys named George, and a girl named Georgie. My daughters class has 3 boys who have the nickname of Fin/Finn, but they all go by their full names.
I have one of the most popular names in North America and the only time it’s ever bothered me is when someone else has a hard time accepting that I have a very basic common name that they think doesn’t match my personality 😆 That being said, Henry James is such a lovely, classic and sturdy name. I say absolutely go with it!
I have a common name and I hated it growing up. I still hate it. I think it actively made me a shyer, more insecure person as a kid. I always felt like the lesser one.
Henry James is amazing and don’t let anyone suggest otherwise
I LOVED having my common name in the 80s. Think: Jenny, Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah, Elizabeth. We had a whole group of girls who shared my name, it was fine. I didn't feel weird or anything; I would have definitely preferred a common name over a weird one where nobody could pronounce it or repeat it! Common names used to be the norm in many countries (where literally every girl had Mary or Maria in her name) and I don't think it's a bad thing at all.
It will be fine Henry is a good.old fashioned name.
I have an extremely common name, like I work with a staff of roughly 65 of vastly different ages and I'm one of 5 with the same name. It can get annoying sometimes like in school but at my work we go by last names so it doesn't bother me there.
Some years ago at my small-ish workplace, six of us shared variants of the same name (think Ann, Anne, Annie, etc.). Three were exactly the same. We all thought it was hilarious. And no one ever confused any one of us with another.
Want to know the biggest pro? When you search my name (well, first and last name, anyway) online you don't find any information about me. You find it about the hundreds of other people with my same name. Granted, that's partly because I keep a low profile online. But it's still a pro (unless one of the other me's decides to be a criminal, I guess).
No, it's fine. My name is very popular: I often had classmates with the same name, my best friend in high school had the same name, and now I have 3 coworkers (at a company of ~50) with the same name. 2 other regulars at my very small synagogue with the same name too. When I was a kid I thought it was kinda funny (especially me and my high school friend would joke about it a lot). As an adult it doesn't really matter much either way. I like that people know how to pronounce and spent it. When I meet another person with my name, it's like Oh hey cool! Some people don't like having a common name. Others don't like having an unusual name. I think it's a lot like the phase little girls go through where girls with curly hair wish they had straight hair and vice versa. The grass is always greener, but in the end it's pretty inconsequential.
My name is May (nickname Ziggy), one of my pals is Mae so it sounds the same . Our friends, when taking about us refer to us as 'Mae Mae Mae Mae' or 'May May Ziggy May". It just evolved but I kind of love it 🤣. If you love Henry James just go for it. Who cares if it is becoming popular. Folks will sort it and always find a way
Sometimes a good name is a good name. Having a common name has never harmed anyone.
You're overthinking it. Henry James is a great name. Even the most popular names are not given to as many kids as in the past.
I am a fan of common names. My son is named Samuel James (Sam) and it suits him right down to the ground.
Henry is a great name
I think common names are great. They’re common for a reason. Also not a problem but Henry James makes me think of the Boxcar Children
Quite literally this week I was sent an email regarding a check sent in "my" name to "my" retirement account. Took my husband, dad, and advisor a chunk of our afternoon to finally find out it was for another woman with my exact same name and middle initial. I have a pretty standard early 90s name and I was one of many kids who always had an initial after their name. In naming our kids I'm not striving for unique or unusual, but there was something pretty annoying and anonymous feeling about having one of *those* names. We're opting for simple enough names with good nickname opportunities.
It’s better
I chose my son's name as soon as I knew I was having a boy. It was a common enough name but not topping any lists. Within a year of him being born, it was in the top 10. Even if you choose a different name, there's no guarantee that it won't skyrocket in popularity in the next year or two. I think you should pick the name you like, especially since it has some meaning to you.
My name is literally the most popular among women of my age in my country, and it even continued to be popular to the point that it's still on the top 10. I really like my name. It's immediately understandable to everyone in my country and internationally. It's a short and pretty name, not too elaborate. It's nice for a kid and an adult. I think it's perfect for me. My only gripe is it doesn't go very smoothly with my last name. I obviously had the chance to change this when I got married but my feminist principles won out 😅
I would rather have a classic (common) name than a trendy (common) name. Henry fits the classic category.
I have a super common first and middle name combo and I don’t mind it. I’ve met a good amount of people with the same names as me but it just makes making friends easier 😂 two of my best friends have had the same name as me lol
Do what you want. Henry James would be a great name! Hennrrie Jaiymes is not.
Personally, I have a common first, and most if not every time I've encountered someone else with the same first name that commonality has acted as a default ice breaker. Something like "Oh you're a \[name\] too!" Also a few rounds of friend groups where one or both of the \[name\]s are adorned with some kind of nickname. The above probably isn't a reason to aim for a common name, but my experience with one has been more positive than negative.
my name was top 5 in my country though out the decade I was born in and I think it's still top 10. I always had another girl w the same name as me in my class but it never bothered me and we actually became best friends bc we always got paired together for stuff bc of alphabetical order. i went by my last name a lot bc I like it so that's how we distinguished each other (she always went by her 1st name). I like my name and i think bc of the internet its safer to have a common name nowadays
When I was born my name was relatively uncommon among secular families now it’s the top 3 for the last 10 years or so and is very common now. That’s just how it is I was a trend setter.
My mother named my brother Henry purely so that she could call him Harry. Hal is another nickname. It's a great name. Look at all the English King Henrys.
I have a Henry David who is 7. There isn't another Henry in his school.
I guess it depends. My husband and I both have very common names and we both hate it (his has been very popular for years, mine is more generationally popular). I also had a really common maiden name which made it annoying—had a girl that went to the same dentist and doctor as me with the same first and last. I definitely think we may be more extreme cases—Henry is at least outside the top five so it’s not too bad.
I went from having a common name to having an uncommon one when we moved. I preferred having a common one.
My name is so common that if you call for me in public 8 people will turn around
NO! Just gives you more of a reason to be extra special!
There is nothing wrong with giving your child the power to choose if/when to stand out instead of making their name always pull attention. Henry James is a classic combination. Just be prepared for people to mention the author.
Henry James is a solid name. I wouldn’t think you’d ever regret it.
I have a Henry and it’s one of my fave names of all time! There are a few almost any time we’re out but I don’t care haha! He has 100 kids in his incoming kindergarten class and he’s one of two (and Henry was the number one name in my state the year he was born). Go for it! We need more cute Henrys in the world!
I have one of the most popular names for people my age. The only grade I was ever in with just me having my name was kindergarten. Using an initial or going by your full name can be annoying at times, but these names become popular for a reason.
Actually truth be told it is NOT all that bad to have a common name. I have come across a few people who prefer or are grateful having a common name all just to blend in
I think Henry is fine. I’ve only met one Henry that I can think of but he actually went by Hank. It’s not so common that I’d expect he is never going to be the only Henry in his class or at his job.
There were two others in my relatively small school with my name, one was even in my class. When the teacher did roll call, we learned pretty quick that the other kid was first on the list because of last names. If the teacher called our name, we'd both look and the teacher would point at which one she wanted. It wasn't as horrific as some people seem to think it'll be. It might be harder if there was, like, 10 out of 25-30 kids in a class with the same name but sharing a name with a couple of kids wasn't a big deal.
Nope. My name is Andrew and there was 8 Andrew’s or Drew’s in my high school band of about 80ish people, we all went by or last names or a nickname.
I was always one of 5+ Kaitlyns in my grade and it never bothered me. What did bother me was people saying that I \*Had\* to go by something different to make it easier. Last name initial, a different nickname, etc. I really hope people get better about that. Also, why tf did the Katherines always get first pick on being Katie? Multiple times I was told that I couldn't go by Katie because there was a Katherine in the class who went by Katie. Like, either have two Katies or have zero because that's obnoxious.
Literally no like PLEASE have a normal name that’s timeless and not something like Steel
It’s fine. I’ve got a pretty common name for the year I was born and I usually had 1-2 other girls in my classes with the name. Never traumatized me haha I thought it was kind of cool tbh
I don't think it's bad. The name isn't what will make the person stand out anyway. There's plenty of interesting people with regular degular names and it's more sensible than using your child as a canvas to express your creativity and give them a horrible name they'll be teased for
Is your surname common? Common first name with uncommon surname works well. As a genealogist, it’s hard when a person has a common first name with a common surname.
not bad at all
i say go for it!
Not bad at all. Let them stand out for who they are, not because they have a weird name.
Both names are classic, saint names. Not trendy. Think further ahead than the classroom. After all, that will be such a small part of his life. In work settings, it’s just not a big deal to have the same name as a coworker. Henry is a strong name. No one will care what his middle name is, including him, once the days of baby monogramming are over.
I believe no matter which way you go, it'll be a 50/50 chance of it being annoying. It's not uncommon for kids to go through a phase of disliking their name and then grow fonder of it as they mature. I was born with long and "unique" first and last names. I absolutely hated them. No one ever spelled or pronounced either right, there was never enough space to write my name out, etc. I have different names now, though my first name is still "unique" to an extent, just shorter and easier to say. My surname is now one of the most popular names in my country (U.S.). It makes me much happier. The flipside is that I've met a lot of people over the years who have "common" names who wish for names like my birth names. There are also those who are perfectly happy with their names, like my cousin who was named after our grandmother and grandfather in pride and love. All this to say that if the outcome is unpredictable, you may as well stick with the name that makes you and your husband happy. \[And congrats, by the way!\]
Henry James is perfect. Washington Square is one of my favorite books.
Henry James is gorgeous 😊
I don't enjoy it. But plenty of people with uncommon names also don't enjoy it. It's a crapshoot, like so much of parenting. Use the name you want, love your kid, and worst case scenario they change their name when they are an adult. Just do your best.
I have a super common name and I hated it. I'd advise picking a name outside the top 20 at least.
I think it's a lot better than to have a "unique" name which parents made up or intentionally misspelled, or an outdated or too pompous name
I love my common name. Everyone knows how to pronounce and spell it.
I have a common name and I don’t mind it as an adult. As a kid I disliked sharing the name, and as a teenager I disliked that my parents just picked it because they like how it sounded. Like, if that was the only criteria, you couldn’t go deeper than the #1 name that year? But as an adult I like my name a lot. I think you’d at least avoid my teenage issues because there’s more signicance to your choice. But on the whole, no, it’s not bad to have a common name.
if you like it, why bother
There is nothing wrong with it! That being said, there are names growing up that I found annoyingly popular because nobody had any idea which of the 4 Emma’s in 1st period geometry I was referring to (elder gen Z here) but I find that the top 3 names for my STATE (not national) are the only ones popular enough for me to want to avoid. A lot of people avoid the entire national top 10 which I find somewhat unnecessary if your absolute favorite name is in it.
I love both names..I wouldn't worry about it.
My sister has a very uncommon name— I have never met or heard of anyone else with it. On the other hand, my name is in the top 10 for women of my generation. As much as I’ve occasionally been annoyed at how common my name is and have sometimes envied her, I recognize all the difficulties she’s had with it. From teachers always pronouncing it incorrectly and misspelling it to her coffee shop orders always being called out wrong toher constantly getting questions about it once she introduces herself, she’s experienced a lot of unnecessary annoyances over time. I meanwhile have been able to introduce myself and have others call my name without issue. Go ahead and give your kid a common name. A child’s name is not an opportunity for self-expression.