Name regret what to do…

Friend with two boys changed name of second son at 6 months, confused a few people but her child so no one else’s business, now 13 and goes by the second name wouldn’t imagine anyone remembers that they changed it x

Love love love Benjamin. I am extremely picky about names and this is one of the few I love. But if you and your husband don’t it’s probably best to change it although I think if he is called Ben by everyone surely people will stop calling him Benjamin as he grows.

You won’t just change it.

DS2 has a longer name, we shorten it I absolutely love his shortened name I don't like his full name very much.
We fill in forms with known as X, tell nursery etc and they all use his shortened version.

It helps that he also just responds with no my name is X if someone calls him his full name.

We did it so he had the choice.

Just change it. I don’t understand people putting the longer name when they don’t like it. Ben is his name

Just change it. Otherwise it will keep cropping up and pissing you off. And as your changing it officially to Ben from Benjamin, no one will ever ever notice or know you have done it. Whereas changing it from Ben to Euan would raise a few eyebrows at this stage.

We have the identical name and until I read your thread I had genuinely forgotten that was his real name and not just Ben!!

As he gets older, no one will call him Benjamin (though now ours is old enough to get married, I'm suddenly wondering if they legally have to call him that at the ceremony!)

I must admit if I was starting again, I'd just go for 'Ben'

Ask the GP to change his preferred name to Ben or his "known as" name to Ben. Do this with nursery and school as well. I am Jennifer but my mum hated it so she ALWAYS called me Jenny. As I have aged I appreciate Jennifer much more and prefer it.

Realistically what are the chances of your child being called Benjamin?
I would say most people will always call him Ben.
Is that ok with you?
Fwiw I think Benjamin and Ben are both nicer than the other names you have mentioned.

Ben is as Scottish as Ben Nevis; surely it's Scottish.

You could change the name to Ben Euan or just Ben second name..

You don't like Benjamin.

I'd address he fact that you're 'shattered' and leave the name alone.

You will just find something else to fixate upon ad infinitum otherwise.

What is going wrong in your life and why are you externalising it?

While I personally love the name Benjamin, it does sound like you should change it, given the strength of feeling and with DH on board as well. Take your time with it and maybe practice some different names until you feel certain. Don't beat yourself up, it's such a tough decision and you are allowed to get it wrong first time. Once you make it official everyone will get used to it quickly and it will soon be a non-issue.

Why not change it to Euan Ben, Ruaridh Ben, Finley Ben, etc. That way you get a more Scottish sounding name, you lose Benjamin and still keep Ben.

As someone who has name regret and didn't change my child's name (they are now an adult), I would say if you want to change it then do it. Go with your heart, and change to the Scottish name you want.

I adore the name Ben, it’s beautiful.
100% change away from Benjamin though, as pp said, it’s not like you just don’t use it, you hate it… so definitely change it while it’s so easy in first 12 months. So sad for him otherwise to grow up with his parents hating his full name (will be used at his wedding, graduation and other important moments, not nice to think parents are cringing). I would hate to think my parents hated my name… so absolutely change it to short version.

if you do want to change it to something completely different then I also think you could get used to that, everyone would adapt, but I wouldn’t change to Finley personally. They’re a dime a dozen and just nowhere near as special. Also don’t love Euan but I guess it’s about what you like!

I have a friend with a Ben. Just Ben. He still gets called Benjamin all the time. She is constantly going "its just Ben actually" I once heard someone explain to her in an over patient voice that "Ben is short for Benjamin ".. like she didn't know her sons name

So even if you change it. You will get Benjamin. Sorry.

Benjamin is a nice name, but you hate it, your DH is also not keen. Your son should have a name that at least one of his parents loves! Change it now while he’s still so young. Euan is great! Ruaridh is awesome!

Just change it to Ben, nobody will notice or care or find it confusing. Changing it to some other random name would be confusing and unnecessary though.

I have never understood why people put a longer name on the BC if actually they intend to call the child a shorter version. FFS just use the shorter version from the off. I know a Danny and a Dan (neither are Daniel), and a Ben (not Benjamin) - makes so much more sense and less confusing when they are young. Anyone can change their name to anything they want longer or shorter when they are older, so just go with what you want to call him for now!

Just leave it alone.

When he’s an adult he might prefer to have a formal name especially in a working environment.