Change child's name by deed poll (not massively)

[wishingchair]

We called our daughter Milly. She has more of a sensible middle name. I'm now seriously considering whether we should change her first name to something like Amelie (is that any better?!) in case she wants to be serious lawyer/accountant type in later life. We'd still call her Milly obviously, but just so she had a more serious official first name.

Our thoughts at the time were she could always use her middle name if she thought Milly was too frivolous, but now I'm not too sure.

She's 2, but will be applying for schools this October so feel this is crunch time.

What do you guys think??

Surely it is just a case of what name you put on the application form. Just apply in the name Amelie and put Milly in brackets as a name she is used to being called.

How about Millicent or Emily?

Amelie is pretty!

secondhandrose - think that works if say the name is Isabella but she's known as Bella then you note Bella as common name, but Isabella is still her real name. So think we'd have to change her official name by deed poll and her current name would become her "nickname" essentially.

Point is though ... is Amelie any more sensible sounding than Milly. "... and we're pleased to welcome renouned historian Dr Amelie XXX" versus "Dr Milly XXX". Millicent is very sensible but just reminds me of that Viz character (Millitant) which is a shame.

wny is this crunch time? I know Early Years is becoming v target orientated but she's not doing accountancy yet is she? why not wait and let her decide when she is older

Milly is fine, you are talking as if you've called her Chardonnay or something equally vile.

Milly is OK, but if you chose Amelia you can still 'call' her Milly

But but ... Chardonnay is her middle name

You're absolutely right ... she's definitely not doing accountancy yet, unless all accountants count "... 9, 10, 16, 19, 12".

And she could just choose her second name which is pretty and more sensible if/when she wanted to. OK will calm down.

I wouldn't worry about it.
You say she has a 'sensible' middle name as a 'fall-back'.
Also remember, when she is getting her Nobel Prize she will be quite a bit older, and so will everyone else - think of all the other names that are popular at the minute ... perceptions change over time.

FWIW - I have a friend who decided to give her DS a second middle name when he was about 4 or 5. She just started putting it on forms. SHe never changed it officially but now his passport and driving licence all three names on.

his passport and driving licence have all three names on.

Guess so ... and she can always just adjust it when she's older. We had a senior exec who was always known as Kathy. Suddenly one day she became Kate. Now people only ever refer to her as Kate.

Maybe it can be an amusing anecdote for her "can you believe it, they called me Milly ffs ... god it's so 'noughties'".

I can totally picture a sensible, demure 45-year-old Milly, btw.

Look at what are the most popular names at the moment. There are lots of pretty, pretty girls' names around - it won't seem half so frivolous when they're grown up and there are loads of adult Millys and Rosies and Poppys around.

We only see names like Claire and Sarah etc. as grown up names because they're the names of our generation.