While celebrities plump for the likes of Apple, Peaches and Romeo, the rest of us clearly value anonymity when it comes to naming our children. Two weeks ago it was announced that for the 10th successive year, Jack is the most popular choice for boys, with Joshua, Thomas, James and Daniel taking the rest of the podium places. While for girls it's Emily, Sophie and Chloe in the medals. The school rolecall is beginning to sound more like a stuck record than a list of individuals.
And the same seems to be true when it comes to our choice of motors. For the past six years, since its launch in fact in 1998, the Focus has been Britain's overall bestseller. Ford has shifted more than 4m of them across 80 countries - that means that every 90 seconds or so, someone somewhere is buying a new Focus.
There are clearly advantages to be had by not drawing attention to yourself while in a car - most of these reasons dress in blue and have a facetious manner, from parking attendants to customs officials and, of course, the police. Blending with the crowd, staying below the radar of awareness, can be a blessing for motorists.
It's the same theory with kids: give them a silly name and we feel they're more likely to get picked on.
Considering how ubiquitous the Focus is, the car is not as boring as you might fear. It's true it's unlikely to rouse you from your slumbers, unless you list philately - which must be the dirtiest word for the cleanest activity - among your passions. From the front, the double-creased bonnet eases back from its triple-socket headlamps with their wafer-thin indicators looking like a smudge of orange mascara in way that's vaguely reminiscent of the new Volvos... sorry, that's hardly a byword for excitement, but trust me. At the back, the trademark rear lights are still flying high, but this time they neatly butt into a minimal spoiler. The tyres are neatly framed by Ford's traditional swollen wheel arches, which I always think look like bee-stung lips or, these days, collagen implants.
Stepping inside, the publicity-shy motorist will find plenty to make anonymity a pleasure. Every material used has been allergy tested; the finish is firm, tactile and mature. There's an overwhelming feeling of confidence, that it will do what it says on the tin. It's lovely to drive - firm and quick. As with all Fords, there are dozens of models to choose from - ranging from the 1.4i Studio at £10,895 to the 2-litre TDC1 estate at £18,525. This gives an mpg of 50 - enough to partially ease the guilt of destroying the planet, plus 0-60 in 9.3 seconds along with aircon, alarm, alloys, etc.
The car Ford is keen to beat off is, of course, the Golf. The current advert for the Focus states, bravely, 'Beware of Expensive Imitations'. But at 18 grand I'm not sure who it is imitating cheaply - the top Golf costs £18, 530 - so you are only saving a fiver. All told, however, it looks as if Focus is going to remain the name on everybody's lips for a few years yet.
