Do you now regret it?

... mind you, I think I have spent a bit too much time on MN and that has skewed my judgment

A bit. It does suit him, but it has become a very popular name, and I was going for something more unusual. He's 7 now.

I prefer his second name (Matthew), and it would also suit him. I know Matthew isn't unusual, but nor is it faddy or trendy

Dumblesdoregirl - I can 2nd how quickly you get used to a new name - my sister changed her name when she left school and although family were shoked to begin with, no-one not even grandparents call her by her old name now.

She totally is the name she has chosen for herself. Which gives me reassurance as I have given my children more unusual names but if they want to be John or Michael when they are older then I know it will be ok....

Kind of. I loved the name we had picked for a girl, but when my dd was born my dh suggested out of the blue that we name her after my mom, who died several years ago (dh never met her). I thought it was so sweet and supportive of him to suggest that, that I said yes immediately.

It is a pretty name and I love that she'll have that connection to her Grandma, but I did find myself doing the same as pippy (calling her the original name in my head and convincing myself that it suited her better). I can't say I regret her name, though, because it is far more meaningful than the one we'd picked, both because of my mom and because it reminds me what a lovely sensitive man I married.

mollyflancase - That's a lovely name! Don't regret it.

I regret a little that dd's name has become quite 'trendy', not so much in terms of there being many but more a fear that it may age more than more classic/timeless names.

Dumbledoresgirl my son changed to using his second name. By age 16 he changed it by deed poll so the name he used would be on his certificates. I did get used to it very quickly so you might be suprised. Changing schools is of course a good time if you are going to make a change in name.

I didn't love DD's first name-it was arrived at through negotiation and compromise. It's very unusual in the UK and on the one occasion I've seen it on these boards it got a very mixed reaction. DD isn't too fond of her name and has amended it and i've noticed that most of her friends are using the new name (which I quite like but wouldn't have chosen as it's a nickname and I'm not keen on the full name). I got the middle name right though and she answers to that, or varinats of it.

Yes, I don't know what made me call my dd Hayley. I thought it was pretty and fresh sounding, but I knew even at the time, that it had been quite popular a few years back and also it is a modern name and I am so traditional in all things, I can't imagine why I thought naming her Hayley was right.

She isn't keen on it now either and wants to start using her middle name when she starts secondary school next year but, although I love her middle name (should have used it as her first name) I am not sure I could ever get used to using it.

I really hope our DD1 looks like the name we've chosen as DH and I CANNOT agree on another! We've only been discussing names for four years... Good thing we're only planning on having the one!

Regret calling DD her name, apparently it's no 1 or 2 in the hitparade of names in the UK. Luckily we live overseas and have never had another in her school. When she meets someone from Britain and they find out her name, invariably she gets told about a niece, cousin, neighbour etc with the same name.

There were two names which I loved for DD and I regret using one and not the other. Had I, I would probably regret not using the one we did use, if that makes sense.

I hope I have another DD so I can use my other name!

I love the name Shannon!

Nope, we found out what we were having and deliberated for a long time.

I love DS's name.

If we have a DD, her name has been picked out for 7 years, before it got popular but I still love it so we will use it.

I regret DS' name. It's Rufus. I was SO pregnant when I chose it, then SO hormonal/post birth when we registered him. I do like the name but it's too try-hard-middle-class for me now. I feel embarrassed saying it out loud. I wish we'd called him something else.

I went through a real phase of calling my DS2 lots of other names secretly in my head to see if they would fit any more than the name we have given him. It is quite a formal name with a nn that we use most of the time.

But finally after about 4 years I have now come to accept that he is his name and there is nothing anyone can do.

The thing that bugs me now is his CM has started shortening it further that the nn which is horible - for example something like Barnaby/Barney and then she calls him Barn.......

I hate to admit it too Barbie but I wish I'd chosen another name for DD1. I still like the name and it is her so love it for that but somehow I completely missed the fact that everyone else had named their child the same/similar name (I wasn't on mumsnet at the time!) and it really gets me whenever I go to the playground etc & LOADS of people are shouting her name. I know it doesn't bother some people but it bothers me. I need to get over it

Yeah. I really do to be honest and I actually feel ridiculously bad for admitting it as I feel like I dont like something about her, if that makes sense. I dont mind saying its, Shannon. Its a name I adored as a child and I had her at 19. Ive never heard of another around where I am but now, I do realise that its apparantly (hate using this word, sorry) chavvy, particulary in the UK, as I read on here so much.

I cant stop thinking about it actually.

I do adore ds's name though

Yes, dd1s has become popular beyond my wildest nightmares.

1 so regret dd1's name. It is a -- something -leigh name.

DD1s name has become quite popular and she is now one of 3 in her class, which I regret a little, although it is still a lovely name.

I still regret DD2s name, I still love it but its not my favourite name.

Dh did say I could use it (though he wouldn't let me for DD1) but those damn hormones again!

My advice, don't make any decisions...