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If you could have changed your name as a child,what would you have chosen

203 replies

reesewithoutaspoon · 20/03/2025 16:48

Inspired by another unusual baby name thread.
I remember as a young child hating my boring normal name and wanting to change it.
So glad I kept my name instead of becoming 'crystal star twinkle' that my 6 year old self insisted I wanted to be called.

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 21/03/2025 05:27

Laura

ThisLimeShaker · 21/03/2025 08:38

FaithFables · 21/03/2025 00:12

Probably She-Ra. 😂

Yes I'd be Queen of the Universe. 🤣

Bloody loved She-ra. She just...spoke to me.

EmiliaRuusuvuori · 21/03/2025 09:58

BunnyLake · 20/03/2025 22:38

I have no idea why my mum plucked my name out of thin air. I find it really unpleasant sounding. The annoying thing is she gave me her name as my middle name so I couldn’t even use that! My sister got two far more decent names which did cause me some resentment when I was younger. My name made me feel plain as a kid. My mum was very unsupportive of me changing it and took it very personally so I left it but it’s been a bit of a blight for me really, I’ve always felt shortchanged by it.

My Mum was exactly the same, insisting she liked it even though my Dad hated it.
I knew what you mean about feeling plain due to a harsh name.
I was originally given an ok middle name but my Mum changed her mind and picked one that is even worse than my first name so I couldn't use that.

evtheria · 21/03/2025 10:04

Violette
Tamara
Galadriel

TooFancyNancy · 21/03/2025 10:24

I have a long and unusual name, and from the age of 3 or 4 onwards if people asked my name I said ‘Lucy’.

BunnyLake · 21/03/2025 11:05

EmiliaRuusuvuori · 21/03/2025 09:58

My Mum was exactly the same, insisting she liked it even though my Dad hated it.
I knew what you mean about feeling plain due to a harsh name.
I was originally given an ok middle name but my Mum changed her mind and picked one that is even worse than my first name so I couldn't use that.

Did we have the same mum😁

EmiliaRuusuvuori · 21/03/2025 16:23

Possibly 😀

Abracadabra12345 · 21/03/2025 21:31

Jasmine. There’s a special reason for that which I wish I could divulge but it’s too outing. Jasmine appeared in lots of my stories

I liked my name as a child but now I cringe a bit as it dates me. It has been mentioned here as one of the cool names which is gratifying!

I think those who seek advice on the Baby Names threads should come here because names have a profound effect on us, don’t they? By making someone feel plain, or having to spell it / correct pronunciation when you’re small and shy…

Rictasmorticia · 21/03/2025 21:35

I am a Sheila but I so wanted to be Susan.

VikingLady · 21/03/2025 23:52

Elizaveta, after the Princess in the Chalet School books. I kind of still do tbh!

RoundSquareWithTriangles · 10/04/2025 18:58

Leah

bettydavieseyes · 10/04/2025 18:58

Suzanne

bettydavieseyes · 10/04/2025 19:01

largeprintagathachristie · 20/03/2025 17:58

Laura
I wanted something “normal” that people could pronounce and spell easily.
Unlike my actual name. I was a really shy kid and dreaded the first day of a new school year where the new teacher would read the register.

I had the same problem. I was so jealous of all the Kelly's and Katie's.

Now parents are starting to call their babies my name and its considered gorgeous and exotic. I was born at the wrong time!

pinkingshears · 10/04/2025 19:08

@TheCurious0rangethat's a wonderful story, thank you for sharing it x
For me it was probably a Mallory Towers type name like Alicia or Darryl or Felicity. Reader, I grew up & (because of trauma from CSA) I did change my first name to one of the above. Five years later I got married so changed surname. Now I'm (just) Divorced & pondering how much of it to 'change back'!

MidnightGloria · 10/04/2025 19:12

Rebecca. Which is not a bad choice for a 6 year old! I didn't know any, I got it from my children's Bible and loved the sound.

When I was about 13 and a baby goth I wished I'd been called something like Lucretia or Raven.

My actual name is very plain and of its decade. I don't dislike it but it's definitely not the style I'd pick. I still quite like Rebecca.

Dustmylemonlies · 10/04/2025 19:15

Stacey 😂

blackheartsgirl · 10/04/2025 19:52

I have an unusual but rather boring name (born in the 70s and no body had my name) I was picked on in school for it, I shortened it as soon as I moved out thank god much to my parents fury.

I wanted to be one of the many Emmas, Louises Kellys or Sarahs, just nice and normal. My real name wasn’t even nice 😭. Why the hell my parents couldn’t have given me my nice normal middle name as my first name I’ll never know.

blackheartsgirl · 10/04/2025 20:03

Oh Liesl is lovely, so is Lorna.

sadly my parents went with Janice instead. Wtf mum. All these pretty names and you choose that one 😂

TheWatersofMarch · 10/04/2025 20:05

Elaine Faraday.

abracadabra1980 · 10/04/2025 21:33

Jayne, with a Y.

RoundSquareWithTriangles · 11/04/2025 22:23

I also liked Primrose for a while.

GivingUpFinally · 11/04/2025 22:24

Stephanie or Tiffany

singlewhitetrashheap · 11/04/2025 22:26

I actually changed my name to a shortened version of the one my mother wanted for me, because it's gender neutral. My wanker of a father said that the name she wanted to give me, sounded gay. He is a complete arsehole though so I'm not surprised.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 12/04/2025 20:01

I used to tell people that my name was Laura. It's not. It doesn't even start with L. I just wanted a more mainstream name.

GingerLiberalFeminist · 13/04/2025 09:27

I loved Darrel from Enid Blyton. But I guess we'd all spell it Darryl now to get with the times.

Me and a friend used to fight (full blown 5 year old bickering) over who would get to "be called" Jackie. I think it was something to do with Jackie and the Pony books 😂