As stressful as it can be to fall in love with an unusual baby name, having your heart set on a popular name can be just as anxiety-inducing, as one dad-to-be knows all too well.
He and his wife are currently preparing to welcome their son to the world, and have both found themselves smitten with a name that's regularly topped lists for many years.
The name in question is Liam, an Irish variation of the British name William, which means "guardian". In November, Liam was ranked in 25th place on a list of the top 100 baby boys' names of 2022, making it a firm favourite among parents.
As lovely as some popular names can be, many parents - including this expectant father - will understandably fret that their little one will end up in a classroom filled with those bearing the exact name.
Taking to Reddit, the divided dad wrote: "My wife and I love the name Liam for our upcoming son. However, it has been near the top of the most popular names list for quite some time.
"If we choose it, what are the odds we'll regret it? For example, is it likely there will be multiple Liams in his class, etc.? Does anyone have personal experience to share?"
Offering some reassurance, one fellow Reddit user responded: "I loved when there were other Bens in my class. I don't understand why this is seen as such a bad thing. Name your kid the name you love."
Another commented: "My name is Caitlin and when I was growing up, it was very popular. I always had another Caitlin or Catie/Katie/Caiti etc. in my class and actually was part of a trio for a while - the three Caitlins.
"It never bothered me once and actually made it a lot easier to make friends. That said, I think if you like a name you should go with it. Who cares if it's popular?"
Sharing a different perspective, a third remarked: "My experience working in a children's clinic seeing all the names parents choose trying to be 'unique' and with insane spellings. I'd choose a common name over those clown names any day. It's getting ridiculous out there."
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