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Baby names

Has anyone ever regretted calling their child a particular name?

39 replies

cherrypez · 12/08/2012 12:15

My baby has a name I love. It's not a name you hear very often, very British, quite old fashioned. BUT. I met a 20 year old with a name quite similar to hers recently and it just seemed...stupid on a 20 year old, IYSWIM, it's quite a cutesy babyish name IMO. As much as I love her name now I'm worried when she is a stroppy teen it will seem odd and not suit her :(

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Musomathsci · 12/08/2012 12:19

Don't worry about it. You liked it when you chose it, and it suits her now. Name trends change drastically over time, so who knows what she will think of it when she is 20? If you start having doubts, you will pass them on to her! My husband and I came up with an usual name for our DD and various family members objected, to the extent that I almost chickened out. So glad we didn't now, DD has grown in to her name and loves it. I know several people who prefer to use their middle name, or have chosen another name entirely later in life. DDs of a friend chose an extra middle name for themselves when baptised as older children.

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Musomathsci · 12/08/2012 12:20

That should say unusual. Must start previewing before I post!

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LemonLovesLilac · 12/08/2012 14:28

Maybe your so used tousling the name on your little girl it just seemed weird meeting someone else with the name!! By the time your dd reaches 20 it will just be part of who she is and you probably won't even think about it!! What is the name just out of curiosity??

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cherrypez · 12/08/2012 16:00

It's Polly, which is adorable (I think so anyway) on a toddler but maybe not when she is an adult :(

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OlympickingMyNose · 12/08/2012 16:07

There are certainly worse names. Can see how its quite cutesy though, but think it would suit a dear old lady too.
I was at the bowling alley last week and there was a sweet little girl in the next lane called gypsy Hmm

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beachyhead · 12/08/2012 16:10

I know two teens called Polly and they are both lovely and I never thought of it being unsuitable for them at all

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LemonLovesLilac · 12/08/2012 16:14

Oh I thnk Polly is a fabulous name! I saw a girl on tele in her late twenties to early thirties called Polly and I remember thinking thy her name was fab..I didn't for one second think that name is too cutie for a grown woman!!!

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Schlock · 12/08/2012 16:14

I chose a relatively unusual (germanic) name for dd2 and then regretted it for a few weeks because it felt a bit 'out there'. It's such a big decision giving a person a name. As it happens now that dd2 is a teenager she very much suits her name and I'm glad we stuck with it. It certainly makes her memorable and hopefully will stand her in good stead when it comes to making applications for jobs/college. Lots of people have told me that they really like her name because it's different without being daft - germanic first name, swiss surname.

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Dogsmom · 12/08/2012 17:11

I think Polly suits any age, I only know one and she's in her 60's and it never crossed my mind that it's a cutesy name.

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AndWhenYouGetThere · 12/08/2012 18:50

I know a 28 year old Polly who has done very well for herself - the name hasn't held her back.

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PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 12/08/2012 18:53

Polly is fine on an adult! I know one.

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washngo · 12/08/2012 18:54

I went to school with a polly, though only knew her age 15 upwards. She was really cool, the sort of girl everyone wants to be friends with. Her name always really suited her too.

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SPsFanjoSponsorsTheOlympics · 12/08/2012 18:58

I don't regret the name I chose for my son. Just the spelling Grin

Polly is lovely. I don't know any Pollys though.

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PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 12/08/2012 19:01

Polly is lovely. I've just added it to my short list, please don't regret it!

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CiderwithBuda · 12/08/2012 19:06

It's a lovely name.

I suspect your issue may be that you are currently only used to it on your DD at her stage of life - babyhood and toddler. But by the time she is a 20 year old Polly you will have gone through all the years in-between and be used to each and every one.

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bringbacksideburns · 12/08/2012 19:09

Not sure why you think that.

Polly is a very cool name.

Google P.J.Harvey.

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Takver · 12/08/2012 19:15

Polly Toynbee hasn't done too badly for herself either . . .

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drummerswife · 12/08/2012 19:18

i have a friend called polly she's 41 and tbh no other name would suit her
i think the old fashioned names grow with them its some of the modern names that i think will sound strange when people are older

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lovechoc · 12/08/2012 19:22

It's a lovely down to earth name that's easy to spell and most people recognise it as a 'normal' name, not out of the ordinary and one that suits someone of any generation. Please stop worrying, it beats many of the names (IMO) that are 'on trend' at the moment!

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HiHowAreYou · 12/08/2012 19:30

Polly is Ok for a teenager! I can picture her already. :)

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HiHowAreYou · 12/08/2012 19:31

By Ok, I meant really nice!

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RibenaHasLeftTheBuilding · 12/08/2012 21:14

I was going to mention Polly Toynbee. Or Polly Vernon (journalist). It's fine for any age. Smile

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PipJoy · 13/08/2012 08:11

Have a mate in her thirties who is a Polly and super glam and cool - and it suits her very well

was on my shortlist until DH said he thought it was a bit parrot-y - men!!

its gorgeous and personally think even better on a teenager than a baby!

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Thingymajigs · 13/08/2012 08:40

I regretted calling my son Alexander within a few months of his birth. He just didn't suit the name but I thought maybe he'd grow into it. He didn't really and to top it off there are 5 Alexander's in his class. The next baby is only going to be named when I've had a lot of time to gauge his/her personality and no one will have the same name even if I have to make one up.

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Kaekae · 13/08/2012 09:23

When I was 17 I had a friend called Polly I thought it was a great name, I still do. Nice alternative to Poppy which seems overused.

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