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Baby names

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

Original poster

Birth registration tomorrow and husband has doubts about daughters name!

56 replies

NameChanged15729 · 21/02/2022 11:37

My daughter is four weeks old and I have her birth registration appointment tomorrow.
We found it really difficult to settle on a name this time around. We must have gone though dozens of potentials before we finally settled on Adelaide. Dh liked it but I could tell he wasn’t in love with it.
Now at the eleventh hour he’s brought up that he really really loves the name Madeleine and wants to register her as that. I do love it too and I’ve been calling her Addie so really Maddie makes very little difference. I also want him to love her name!
I guess I just feel embarrassed about having to have to tell everyone we’ve changed it. I know my mum won’t like it because of the association with Madeleine McCann so I expect her to be reluctant to use it. Also will I keep calling her Addie/Adelaide? I genuinely like them both the same so it’s not her having a different name… it’s other peoples reactions and the thought that I’m used to Adelaide putting me off. Is changing it now really that big a deal?

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user1493494961 · 22/02/2022 22:32

Hope you went for Madeleine.

bdd2017 · 22/02/2022 15:15

What did you go for in the end?

Hikoridikori · 21/02/2022 21:30

Adeline sounds like medicine.

Adelaide reminds me of Australia.

Madeleine is better I think...

Buddhabowl · 21/02/2022 19:30

Both lovely names, but please make sure your DH is on board with the decision you make. Name regret is really horrible to deal with and if there is a name you both love that would make you both happy then you should choose that one.
He should have said 4 weeks ago but everyone makes mistakes and 4 weeks old isnt too late to have a change of heart.

foodaddict21 · 21/02/2022 18:15

@Blubells

Agree that Adelaide is much more memorable than Madeleine.
Me three! Adelaide is gorgeous & really unusual.
RupertOscar1999 · 21/02/2022 18:04

Adelaide and Madeline are the two top names in our list!!
If you and your DH both love Madeline then change it to Madeline! Your mum should forget about Madeline McCann after spending time with your daughter (If that's what you're worried about) Smile If you decide to change her name then after a couple of days you'll get used to calling her Maddie!

Blubells · 21/02/2022 17:13

Agree that Adelaide is much more memorable than Madeleine.

Hadtocomment · 21/02/2022 17:03

I like Adelaide most I think if that's any help. I think Addie is really nice.

MintyGreenDream · 21/02/2022 16:55

Adelaide is a beautiful name and will really stand out.

Popetthetreehugger · 21/02/2022 16:49

Completely off on a tangent, almost 40 years ago , my friend called her DD Rea , all agreed , had been Rea all along . DH went of to register her and called her Michelle ! Never even been mentioned before ! 🤣

RubyRedRoses · 21/02/2022 16:31

Fwiw, I prefer Madeleine, but not sure that's relevant

RubyRedRoses · 21/02/2022 16:31

Oh no! I think he needs to not be dead set against the name you choose..? Does he really not like it? I think I'd keep looking for one we were both at least OK with

Topseyt · 21/02/2022 16:31

My preference would be Madeleine, but it's just personal choice.

diddl · 21/02/2022 16:22

Adelina?

DirtyDancing · 21/02/2022 16:13

Adelaide was my Great Grans middle name and I think it is lovely 😊

BowerOfBramble · 21/02/2022 16:01

I'm also now singing the song from Guys and Dolls but that's ok.

BowerOfBramble · 21/02/2022 16:01

Just make sure you're the one who goes. A friend of mine found out when she needed her birth certificate for something as an adult that her dad had secretly named her something he preferred! Not wildly different, but like Mary-Jane instead of Marie.

InglouriousBasterd · 21/02/2022 16:00

Love Adelaide, it is a beautiful name.

Legoisthebest · 21/02/2022 15:37

You might get a lot of "oh was that where she was conceived?" if you go for Adelaide. Which is a bit ironic as the city was named for an actual person called Adelaide.
I like the name Madison if you want to go for the Maddy/Addy short version.

Original poster
NameChanged15729 · 21/02/2022 15:37

I think I’m going to stick with Adelaide. I just had to fill in a form where it asked for her name and I couldn’t bring myself to write Madeleine. It just felt wrong and I felt slightly disappointed which is probably the sign that her name stays.

OP posts:
Orphlids · 21/02/2022 15:26

We announced our daughter’s name, and then several weeks later, registered her as something else. I didn’t feel embarrassed at all. I just did a Facebook post, and made a bit of a joke of it - “tune in next week to find out what she’ll be named next!” etc. A year later, I'm sure I’m the only one who remembers she once had a different name. It’s pretty insignificant to everyone except the baby’s immediate family.

But saying that, I think Adelaide is absolutely lovely, so I think you should keep it!

freshcarnation · 21/02/2022 15:14

Ariadne?

EricScrantona · 21/02/2022 14:57

What about Adelina?

2bazookas · 21/02/2022 14:56

Register her with both names.

You both call her Adelaide but he still gets his choice on paper.

Nobody else will know what 's in the register so you don;t have to explain anything.

SwedishEdith · 21/02/2022 14:34

I'd go with Adeline, it's the obvious compromise.