I love the name Henry.
If our first child had been a boy, she would have been named Henry.
Then, by the time we did have a boy, I decided I really wanted to use a family name — Joseph, if you’re curious — instead.
And when we had our third child and second son, it seemed I knew too many Henrys.
There’s a Henry my youngest son’s age who lives across the street from us. One a little older down the street. And one a bit younger, a friend of my son’s, around the corner.
I still love the name, a strong yet stylish classic. And yet while I feel that it’s a favorite that got away, I wouldn’t use it for a baby now because it seems there are too many Henrys in my neighborhood, my town, my life.
What name do you feel you hear too much of these days? We don’t mean the Number 1 name on the popularity list, but the name that seems to be everywhere in your personal circle. A name you like, maybe, but that you hear too often to consider using for a baby.
