Name dilemma - should I change 20 month old DS's name?

I changed dd's name, when she was 10 months old as I had been using her middle name rather than her first - just ended up preferring it and went a little mad in the process! So glad I changed it......do it, but only because you love the new name.

yes I'm dying to know also - any conclusion yet?

any conclusions on this yet? v late in the game but... i think the whole idea of changing the name because people don't like it is preposterous! YOU like it, and he is geronimo known as Ronnie. that's his name and i think you should stick with it. kids make fun of all sorts of things and names are only one possibility- so what if his name is a bit different? luckily we live in a multicultural country so i bet there's plenty of different names around.

there is a guy in my office called something something (forget actually, but i think something quite vanilla like David Smith) and he goes by the name JJ. no one bats an eyelid (and he's not even american!)

personally i find geronimo much less offensive than the million Jack/Jake that you bump into all the time! makes me wonder whether the parents had ANY imagination whatsoever [now runs to take cover from the onslaught of angry mumofjakes...]

It's not a great name (made me think immediately of the "battle cry" or jumping out of a plane with parachute, but then I am 31.)
So long as you just call him Ronnie, introduce him as that and make it clear that is his "to be known as" name, I don't think it really matters if you change it or not.
Maybe think a bit harder next time...!

Hello CeilingCat. Have you and your dh come to any decision yet re your ds's name?

Just wanted to say Geronimo does sound strange the first time you hear it but like most things people will get used to it.If you love it so will your son.

I called my first dd Jericho and she is now old enough to have encountered any teasing she might have been going to. She has moved schools 3 times and moved countries (from Scotland to England)and has never had a problem. She loves it and corrects people who try to shorten it. She is known as Jeri by my in-laws who don't like her name and always has the choice to change to her middle (ordinary)name if she wishes.

However am seriously thinking of changing youngest dd name as it was not common in Scotland but is so common down here that it is ridiculous.

Just some advice if you do the 'Known as' route.

Make sure that if you choose to call him Biff, Chip or Kipper, ot whatever, but keeping his legal name as Geronimo you make this 110% clear on any forms that you send to school.

I have seen schools not realise that 'Geronimo' or whatever, isn't used, and call the child by that name, sometimes causing great distress and upset to the child. So make sure on the forms you make you wishes so clear that the school can't cock it up.

CC there is another way of looking at this you love the name but does your ds have the personality to live with the name i.e. is he fairly happy mixing with other children already ( difficult i know to establish for one so young) but what i'm getting at is do you think he'll be able to carry his name off ( stand strong and proud, aqnd take whatever jests get thrown his way or will he just want to curl up in a ball with all the attention)

If the latter then change if not then go for it you choose it .. FWIW dd1 (2.5) is usiversally known as Milly but if asked her "real" name says emily-alys (not hypenated on her certs but it's how she sees it! When she gets to school she will still be Milly ( I will just make sure that official docs are in her Real Name)

The only hesitation I would have would be if you were to suddenly start calling him something different.

As you're not and if it would make you happier I would say go for it.

My DS1 has a name which I love, but which is not common in this country and I feel a bit sorry for him that he always has to spell it out for people. If I had my time again I would have chosen a different name, even though I still love it!

Absolutely change it, he will not know any different really, it will just be a little story to tell when he's older.

Funny how this discussion has veered from the topic of changing Albus? name to discussing the choice of name Geronimo. Gotta love tangents.

blimey, is this still going on?
i'm the one who said there is a baby geronimo at dc's school.
am afraid it is universally (amongst my friends and acquaintances) thought to be bonkers / cruel / silly.
sorry. but tis true, and you did ask.

I like him in Porridge (along with the sexy Richard Beckingsale) best

We all make mistakes, IMO DS has a lovely name but I now know it is a name more often given to pesky flying things or dogs

Sadly Mr Barker will be long forgotten by the time your lad grows up but Mr Kray will always be a notorious London gangland figure

This is my opinion: I don't like Geronimo. DS 8 and his peers would snigger if that was a boys name in their school, little boys shout geronimo too. For what it's worth Nimo is too Disneyesque and Ronnie too thuggie, (always makes me think of Ronnie Kray) I'd personally nickname to Mo or change the lot.

However, I'm a formally known as too. Changing it now will always show on

1. his birth certificate
2. his marriage certificate
3. on his future children's birth certificates

On the bright side, it will be a fab question in his future work fundraiser quiz as a question.

"Who was given the birth name Geronimo for the first two years of their life"

I meant ? name Jesus?. You might have Jesus, but not the discussion here.

The name might not mean anything to anyone under 30 here in UK but in North America, it still does. In Mexico, it wouldn?t be unusual to have the Jesus, but anywhere else?

I would be very surprised if 'Geronimo' as an expression meant anything to anyone under the age of 30. So I doubt it's going to be a problem to your DS, CC, unless he's got a particularly sadistic teacher.

Also children don't come with any preconceptions about what are 'acceptable' names and what aren't. They are just names to them unless their petty, small-minded parents start sniggering of course ...