Has anyone changed their baby’s name?

26 replies

Birdsong1990 · 02/07/2022 09:24

Hi all,

I’ve read lots online and on here about ‘baby name regret’ as I’m having a bit of a crisis about my 8 week old’s name. I think it’s a combination of having received a couple of negative reactions to his name and stupidly looking up opinions on the name on Mumsnet since he was born (massive mindf*ck!)

I don’t have one particular name that I wished we’d called him, although we did have a shortlist, and my regret comes from not trying out all the names for a few days after he was born (which we did with my first child and I love her name). I have pangs of regret for the names we didn’t use which sounds ridiculous!

I’ve always struggled with making decisions and have often felt ‘buyer’s remorse’ after making particularly big decisions so I suspect this is just an extension of that exacerbated by the negative reactions etc. His name is probably a red herring for this anxiety and I doubt changing it is going to be the quick fix that I’m looking for.

But I just wondered if there anyone out there who had the same experience and actually went ahead and changed their baby’s name? And if so, how old was your baby and what kind of reaction did you get from family and friends?

My husband is being reasonably understanding about how I’m feeling but has shut down the idea of changing his name as ‘we can’t be the parents who changed their baby’s name’…)

TIA x

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LT2 · 02/07/2022 09:39

I haven't but I am in the same situation as you (baby is 5 months though). We chose the name early on, not sure if I was even pregnant yet. It was the only name we both liked. There was another one I liked, but DH didn't. After we named him, I stupidly looked at the opinions on here of the name we chose. Although lots were positive there were some that were saying it's a 'meh' name, boring, dull, wet. I don't really get how it's boring when it's not a name you hear all the time (it isn't even in the top 100). I'm trying to remember that WE love it and that's what matters, but a part of me wishes we'd gone with what I loved (but I couldn't because DH didn't). It is a popular name on here. Not that common yet but it pops up on MN all the time. It's obvious that people prefer that name to the one we chose and it just hurts. I know not everyone is going to love our choice, and I guess that's what I need to get over. I think I just feel massive mum guilt, wondering I'd he'd prefer to have the other name. Then again, he might rather he was the only one in his school (I was and I liked that!)

I understand how your husband feels but if it is something that is eating away at you, the awkwardness of explaining to people that you changed it is small.. baby will have this name forever. There is a reason they make it easy for parents to change the name in the first year.. because people DO change their minds and it's a big decision to name someone!

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