Parents on baby name regret
A new Mumsnet survey revealed that nearly a fifth of parents would in fact pick a different name for their child, if they could - see the full results below
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Have you ever regretted the first and/or middle names you chose for any of your children? |
Answer options |
Response
percent |
Yes |
18% |
No |
82% |
If yes, when did you begin to regret your child's first and/or middle names? |
Answer options |
Response
percent |
Within the first six weeks
|
32%
|
When they started nursery/school
|
23%
|
Other (please specify)
|
16%
|
From before he/she was born - I've always known it was the wrong choice
|
12%
|
After a couple of days
|
8%
|
When they became a teenager |
5% |
The moment he/she was born
|
3% |
When they became an adult
|
0%
|
If yes, for what reason(s) do you regret your choice of first and/or middle names for your children?
|
Answer options | Response
percent |
It’s too commonly used
| 25% |
It just doesn’t feel right
| 21%
|
I have never liked it - I was pressured into using it
| 20%
|
It’s not distinctive enough | 11% |
It causes him/her problems with spelling/pronunciation | 11% |
It doesn’t suit him/her
| 11%
|
Everyone calls him/her by a shortened version of the name, which I don't like
| 6%
|
I have never liked it - I don’t know why we chose it
| 6%
|
There’s been a shift in public perception of the name since my child was born
| 3%
|
I worry that he/she won’t be taken seriously
| 2%
|
A celebrity has used the name for their child | 1% |
It turns out that his/her initials spell out an embarrassing or inappropriate acronym
| 1%
|
Other
| 34%
|
Have you changed any of your children's first and/or middle names? |
Answer options |
Response
percent |
Yes |
2% |
No |
97% |
Have you at any point considered changing your children's first and/or middle names?
|
Answer Options
| Response Percent
|
Yes | 9% |
No | 90% |
Don't know / Not stated | 2% |
Do you know anyone who picked a first and/or middle name for their child, then changed it? |
Answer options |
Response Percent
|
Yes |
25%
|
No |
73% |
Don't know / Not stated |
2% |
If you could go back, would you pick different names for any of your children? |
Answer options |
Response Percent
|
Yes
|
17%
|
No
|
75%
|
Don't know / Not stated |
8%
|
Do your children like their first and/or middle names? |
Answer Options
|
Response Percent
|
Yes - all my children like their names |
55% |
N/A - too young
| 33%
|
Some of my children dislike their names
|
7%
|
Don't know / Not stated
|
4%
|
No - all my children dislike their names
| 1%
|
How would you feel if your children took the decision to change their first and/or middle names once they became an adult? |
Answer options |
Response Percent
|
It’s their name, so their choice |
22%
|
It would take some getting used to, but I’d respect his/her decision and use the new name |
67% |
I’d be devastated - I could never call him/her by a new name |
8% |
Other |
3%
|
Not stated |
0%
|
Survey of 1362 Mumsnet users
in June 2016. The data has not been
weighted.
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Last updated:
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