I disagree - I grew up with a very common name, Karen - look how many Karens there at as part of Pet Talk. I was always jealous of my elder siblings' more unique name, Johanna - which is far more common now than when we were kids, and Iver - which I always have to explain to people, and is a good, traditional Swedish name.

I was almost never the only Karen in any given group. It was annoying. Whereas a child with a unique name automatically has at least a topic of conversation! It depends more on the child how she will react naturally. My friend Renée was a very shy kid when we were in second grade, and when the teacher called her name for the first time, she pronounced it "REE-nee" instead of "reh-NAY" as we all knew it should be. Renée was completely mortified, but too shy to correct her, so I took her, blushing and cringing, by the hand up to the teacher, and explained. Mrs. Coughlin apologized and told us she was glad to hear, as the only person she had met with that name pronounced it REEnne. And she got it right the rest of the year, thankfully!