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Baby names

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

Original poster

Has anyone changed their baby's name after it was registered?

90 replies

TooMuchMakkaPakka · 20/10/2008 00:33

Maybe this is a strange manifestation of pnd, but i don't feel happy with the name we chose for our lovely DS. She's just under four weeks old, we've registered the name and told everyone. She was even called a different name for the first three days before changing to current one. I really wanted a particular name (a third one, hope you're keeping up with this!), but in the stress surrounding the birth, she was early and i was in hospital weeks beforehand, it sort of didn't get picked. To be honest, feel DH wanted me to choose and put pressure on me to decide then and there - I hadn't had more than two hours sleep in the previous 48, or so it felt. I feel my little girl has got second best (well on the lists we wrote beforehand the name she's got was 9th on mine and 8th on DHs) so 8/9th best . Has anyone out there changed a name at this point and if so, what did you have to do, did your DH certify you (i think mine might!) and was it worth the complete confusion / ridicule of family and friends (some of whom (e.g DH work) have already been told of one name change already!).

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Original poster
TooMuchMakkaPakka · 23/10/2008 16:37

woah. That is really surreal. I like the Wright stuff v m but haven't seen it for a bit due to being rather busy with two children and the older one becoming hideously addicted to CBeebies whilst I was in hospital before birth - hence my name! I wish i'd seen it, missed the repeat too, as i've only just checked the thread. If i'd seen it originally i could've phoned in about myself?!! What did people say?

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 23/10/2008 12:18

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

frazzledoldbag34 · 23/10/2008 11:26

The Wright Stuff is on at the moment on FIVER (sky channel 176) then repeated on 177 (FIVER +1) at 12pm if you're interested. Am watching with interest...........
Love the programme, Matthew Wright is fab

ladela · 23/10/2008 10:35

Beat me to it RTKangaMummy :D:D

ladela · 23/10/2008 10:34

Wow they have just been talking about this on The Wright stuff, did you see it OP? They used your story as a discussion for a phone in. Hope you seen it

BTW if I were u I'd just change it. I regret not changing my youngest daughters name as like you I went 'off' it not long after I had registered her. Luckily though her name can be shortened which suits her more. Her names Bethany but we call her Beth -Bethy and even sometimes Betty (her friends at schoolo call her Betty too) lol.

RTKangaMummy · 23/10/2008 10:33

This was discussed on THE WRIGHT STUFF today on channel 5

They had read this thread etc

watch it on channel 36 at about 12.10 today for the repeat

nolongeraworriedmummy · 22/10/2008 12:48

and her middle names are traditional old fashioned fuddy duddy family names that she will not want to be known by.

nolongeraworriedmummy · 22/10/2008 12:46

DO it, my child is nearly 6, I called her a name that I didnt even like, I had picked Isobella or Imogen but in my drugged up post labour moments I picked Jessica, now its not a horrid name but if I chose again would definatley not be a Jessica.

mica23 · 22/10/2008 12:40

Hi, you probably made up your mind by now but my parents changed my name when I was 2, almoust 3 and Im sooooo gratefull to them!!!

frazzledoldbag34 · 22/10/2008 10:33

toomuchmakkapakka - I think if you want to change it then just get on and do it asap so you can put it behind you and get on with your life. Tell Dh not to be daft - that is no reason not to change her name, and he can always tell them it was you that insisted, being hormonal etc and he just went along with you to keep you happy if he doesn't want to look responsible for the indecision at work.
It sounds like you have really gone off Naomi if you 'don't want to admit to people what her name is'. That doesn't sound good, and although 'Supergirl' is cute, I think Ellen or Imogen are more suitable in the long term!!!
And if you wait until she's older, closer to 6 months or even a year it will be a whole lot harder to do it.
I'm just thinking of you when I say doing it immediately is probably the easiest route.
Good luck and let us know what you decide. x

CoolYourJets · 22/10/2008 10:12

OFGS tell Dh to tell them you are irrational woman and that as a bloke he cares not for name madness so is easier for a quiet life to let you get on with it.

I would do it sooner than later though, i could have got away with it up to 6 months after gets harder.

Original poster
TooMuchMakkaPakka · 22/10/2008 00:39

thanks everyone for responding. I was going mad mulling it over.
BTW no offence meant to any Naomis or mums of. I do like the name (that's why we were considering / chose it), but just can't get to grips with it at the mo for my little girl. I feel like i can't call her it, and don't want to admit to people i meet what her name is.
Also, a bit like Sal with the shortening, i didn't realise that we would get so many different pronounciations and misspellings. I am a pedant and this really bugs me, started to straight away. If DD is anything like me, it might her too.
Now i know that i have a year I won't panic into doing anything before she is 6 weeks (which i thought i might need to do) .But I will see how i feel in a couple of weeks time and talk it over with DH when we are both not too tired (i might show him this thread to prove that i am not uniquely barmy!). I'm not really that worried about what people think, it's him will struggle most with that (says if the name is changed again he will never get promoted at work as will be seen as too indecisive???!!).
In the meantime i am calling her 'supergirl' and DS (aged 2) is calling her 'babby' both of which suit her just fine.

OP posts:
J2O · 21/10/2008 22:31

i think the name Naomi is lovely

I wish i'd know all this before dd2s first birthday a couple of weeks ago as i am still not convinced about her name.

So, if you really don't want her to be called that, then change it

SalVolatile · 21/10/2008 22:19

Hey TooMuch - YES, I did . DD 2/DC4 came along and got registered as Madeleine at 7 days old. Then I find that everyone - everyone - called her Maddie - immediately, and I decided I just couldn't go through a lifetime of it . So, I drove myself back down to the registry office when she was 4 weeks old and re-registered her. It was simple, and the Registrar said she had see in all before . She's now Arabella (6) and thinks it's very funny that all her birth announcement cards are in the wrong name and that she has a baby blanket saying Madeleine! It took about a week for the family to get used to the change, that's all, and DH thought I was mad but still loves me. My advice is to get on and change it NOW so you can all get used to the new name.....

M1SSUNDERSTOOD · 21/10/2008 21:58

I did this with my DS before he reached 1 year of age as I regretted not giving him a middle name. TBH I don't think anyone even knew the difference as it's an official document and you only show it when needed. It did cost about £14 to alter tho and had to be done within one year of birth.

skewputt · 21/10/2008 21:24

I would just go ahead and change it otherwise it may well bother you long term. I did have PND and was too befuddled to really think about DDs name, and she ended up with an unusual spelling. I do like her name, but I'm sure when she gets to school she'll have trouble spelling it for herself and others - especially annoying for the poor soul when our surname is also uncommon and has to be spelled out! I wanted to change her name but didn't necause DH didn't want to - I now regret it and think at almost 4 it's too late.

Ineedsomesleep · 21/10/2008 21:16

Don't worry about other people, if you want to change her name go ahead and do it. Naomi is a nice name, but I much prefer Ellen and Imogen.

Perhaps you could use Naomi as a middle name to placate DH?

wb · 21/10/2008 21:16

got "there"

stroppyknickers · 21/10/2008 21:14

I sat and registered ds2 in the office in floods of tears, while dh told the registrar his name. She was really lovely and kept saying that I could change it if I wanted within 12 months. It must happen. I wish I had, I feel a bit teary thinking that now.

wb · 21/10/2008 21:13

My step-brother (and wife obviously) changed their ds1 name when he was 6 months old. We (family in general) did find it quite difficult at first - ie kept getting it wrong - but baby didn't notice and we all got their in the end. I was a bit sad cause I liked name 1 better than name 2 but hey, their baby their choice.

monkeymonkeymonkey · 21/10/2008 21:11

I think Naomi is a lovely name. It was my second choice name for DD1 (though in retropect I'm glad we didnt choose it and she isnt a Naomi!)

maretta · 21/10/2008 21:11

I changed my ds's name - actually just added a middle name when he was a few months old.

It wasn't a hassle, just had to fill in a form and go and see the registrar.

His new actual name doesn't appear in the main box of his birth certficate but in, I think, box 17, down the bottom. This did cause us a small hassle when we got a passport but only from the post office. They told me I'd got the name wtong on the form. When I sent the passport application, I mentioned it in the additional notes. Anyway, I'm waffling, this was a small hassle.

I think you either have to tell everyone of a name change OR live with the name you've chosen. I'm sure you know which you'd rather.

MrsMattie · 21/10/2008 21:05

All your names are lovely, but change it if it will make you happier. It's not going to affect your baby!

lulumama · 21/10/2008 14:43

I have changed DDs name by deed poll, all done on line pretty much , cost £56 or so when she was 2

within 2 -3 days of being born she was known by her nickname rather than her registered name, and by a few months old would not repsond to her registered name, everyone called her by her nickname etc.. so we changed it

you get certified copies of teh deed poll to use as evidence of the legal change of name

LadySanders · 21/10/2008 14:39

i think naomi is lovely, but def change it if you've decided you don't anymore.

ds2 was zach for several weeks until we realised it didn't suit him (or us!) at all, as it happens we hadn't yet registered his name, so we didn't need to do the legal stuff, but i'm SO glad we changed it and so what if a few friends thought we were a bit odd for changing after we'd announced it

(added bonus, most of his birth congrats cards say zach instead of his actual name, that'll be a fascinating family anecdote one day)