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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Baby name remorse

82 replies

Zaaaazoooo · 09/09/2011 13:23

My baby is going to be one soon and I'm still not happy with her name! :( I know I sound crazy but just can't get over it. I worry her name will give other kids a reason to make fun of her or bully her and she'll hate it. The name was chosen as a compromise to please her older brother and dad but thinking back they would've got used to any name if I'd insisted. The whole family esp big bro and sis and her dad are used to it, is it really possible to change? any one been through this? please help with advice and please be kind as I feel so bad and guilty about it already :( Thank you

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ParsleyLion1 · 12/09/2011 21:00

I love the name Mina, it's on my shortlist Smile I'd add a middle name if you're really unsure.

GiantUnderCrackers · 12/09/2011 20:58

I like the name Mina. Kids tease for all manner of reasons at school, I have an unusual name and it was other things that kids picked up on when I was young. I wouldn't second guess yourself :)

whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 15:59

I grew up knowing a Mina from one of the eastern block countries- sorry can't remember which- who didn't pronounce it Meena but Minna. That may be a solution if you don't want to confuse your child.

Mina is a beautiful name though, unusual and pretty. Be proud of it and she will have confidence in it.

Katiekatiekatekate · 12/09/2011 14:07

I knew a Meana at school - spelt like that - and she was popular, friendly, never had a problem. In actual fact I'd never even thought of the "mean" connection until I read your post, having known her for 7 years.

Hope that helps, think Mina sounds pretty.

Original poster
Zaaaazoooo · 12/09/2011 09:06

winkle2 thanks for that, its really reassuring :) Avinalarf, will definitely get this book, for me and for her to read when older. Thank you xx

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Original poster
Zaaaazoooo · 12/09/2011 09:04

Thank you all. I'm gonna get personalised stuff with her name on and shout out her name out loud to get used to it whether i change it or not, I'm sick of myself thinking about this all the time and want to hit my head against the wall sometimes! not really, you know what I mean! I even feel myself avoiding saying her name with other people or strangers as if I'm ashamed of it! how sad! Looking at this its really reassuring, thank you. Dilligaf81, may I ask what you changed it from and to what? Is it similar at all and how did you talk to your dh about it? Do you have other kids who had to get used to the change as well, how did you convince them to switch?

OP posts:
SurprisEs · 12/09/2011 00:22

I honestly think there's nothing to worry about. It's a beautiful name. If you had called her Princess or Rainbow then I'd be leaning towards the name change.

zozzle · 12/09/2011 00:13

It's lovely - much prefer it to Hana. Yasmina lovely too.

Avinalarf · 11/09/2011 23:26

Lovely name. Have you ever read Skellig? Read it. fabulous book for older kids with a fantastic character called Mina.

winkle2 · 11/09/2011 23:03

My sis is called Meena and never heard her being teased with the name Meaner.

Dilligaf81 · 11/09/2011 23:01

Also we just added the new name to the front so her first name is one of 2 middle names (if that makes any sense at all)

Dilligaf81 · 11/09/2011 23:00

I changed my daughters when she was 10 mths old. You can change it upto 12 months after the date you registered her. My Dh thought I was crzy but her new name is so much more 'her'. The first name was normal and others loved it but I didnt and it never felt like I was tlaking about my DD.
I think Mina's an ok name but it's what you feel and you have had a lot of time to think about it.

Gluttondressedaslamb · 11/09/2011 22:54

Mina Faye, def. Hana doesnt sound right with Mina TBH, nor does Mina Amelie as you have two a`s together.
I think Faye is lovely, a pretty, gentle name that complements Mina very well :)

sqweegiebeckenheim · 11/09/2011 18:49

nodrog, used to teach smallies, every year they were called HannahBanana!

nodrog · 11/09/2011 18:40

My neice is a Hana, she gets called Banana at school!!

Original poster
Zaaaazoooo · 11/09/2011 18:26

Gluttondressedaslamb, it is supposed to be pronounced meena but Ilike saying it with a little shorter e like you said. fallingandlaughing, i just started to find myself thinking of her as mina, just recently, and this kinda of worrys me and tells me how difficult it would be for the others to change. scampbeast, she doesn't have a middle name but if i don't change the first I'll add a middle though my dh is not keen on mm so will take some convincing. I'm thinking if adding one of my other options but unfortunately I think my first choice Hana doesn't sound good with mina, Mina Hana? what do you think? either Mina Faye or Mina Amelie? BTW thank you all for being so patient! :)

OP posts:
Original poster
Zaaaazoooo · 11/09/2011 00:51

Thank you all. you really made me feel better. DessertsInReverse, thanks for your advice, you are right, I need to mebrace her name, I've been avoiding saying her name all this time which is very sad and doesn't help. Can I ask you how you managed to talk to your dh about it? was he accepting and undersatnding? How did you tell the family? I am very happy for you that you are pleased with the change :)

OP posts:
scampbeast · 10/09/2011 16:34

Does she have a middle name? one of my sisters friends at school was know by her middle rather than first name. We only found out when she got married.

Gluttondressedaslamb · 10/09/2011 15:56

mayanna I didnt suggest calling her Minna, I just suggested a slightly shorter e` sound!

mayanna123 · 10/09/2011 15:25

I think Mina is really lovely and I agree that you're over-worrying. Meena sounds lovely and much nicer than Minna imo.

fallingandlaughing · 10/09/2011 13:49

no point torturing yourself over what other people think, you will never get 100% agreement on matters of taste.

Having said that, fwiw, i also think it is lovely. Works well for a child or adult and no obvious teasing potential. Do you think of her as Mina?

Gluttondressedaslamb · 10/09/2011 13:47

I think Mina is a very pretty name and cant understand negative reactions to it. Are you pronouncing it with a long eesound, ie Meeena? Shorten the eesound, to something slightly longer thanMinna` IYSWIM. The name Amina is also pretty.

DessertsInReverse · 10/09/2011 13:36

zazzoo i remember you from previous threads i changed dd's name at 9 months too her mn (a compromise not a name i loved but liked iswim ) then spent the next 6 months not convinced i'd done the right thing. i felt embarrassed using it and worried people would make judgements about her name . the only thing that really helped me was to stop focusing on the negatives on each name but rather on the positive reasons for using each name , once i 'd done that the name we'd changed to emerged a clear winner , once i'd accepted that this i begin to really embrace her new name and stop looking back and worrying about what others might or might not think of her name.

she is now 18 months and really suits her name down to the , i now love her name and it's nns and use her full name with pride with no hint of embarrassment.
mina is a lovely name and i certainly wouldn't think of the mean connection and as others have said any name can be used as a source of teasing . the only problem that will arise is if your negativity over her name rubs off on your dd
if you do decide to use mina my advice would be to embrace it wholeheartedly , maybe buy her a personalised item with mina on it .try to stop looking back and probably avoid name sites for a while . it really can get better and you can learn to love her name
good luck

MissHonkover · 10/09/2011 11:50

Sorry OP, been out.

To answer your question, I changed DD's name at 3 months, to a totally different first name. I had been dissuaded at the last minute from using a name that 'spoke to me', and went for something else. It never felt right, and I worried about it a lot, so eventually we changed it.

Your comment that if you could go back would have called her Hana is a bit like how I felt. I agree with tak1ingchances though, if you're based in the UK, Hana is an unusual spelling.

FingandJeffing · 10/09/2011 11:10

I love it. It's a great name, she will love it as an adult. If you really want to change it I suppose you should but one silly person shouldn't change your mind.

I have a boring name and a boring surname yet I'm always being asked.to spell it. People just aren't very good at spelling names.

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