To change DS's Name?

[BlooBelle]

DS is 4. He has an unusual name which in hindsight I may not have given the go ahead...

DH loved the name and after having difficulty deciding on one I felt it would be better to give DS a name that meant a lot to DH rather than a 'compromise' name - plus I quite liked the name at the time!

I have been regretting his name for a while (feel really awful about this on many levels) and sfter reading a recent thread on AIBU I am seriously considering asking DH is we can change DS's first name on his birth certificate... We can keep his current name as a middle name but just him a more conventional first name... AIBU?

My uncle has an unusual, traditional Welsh family name, then John, then surname.

He was going to be called John, but then his initials would have spelled JEW - and my grandmother was very anti-semetic. So he is John, but his initials are EJW.

I know a few people who are known by their middle names or a name completely different to any of the names on their birth certificates, most of them because that is how they have always been known but some who chose to switch to another name as a child or young adult.

I would let him be called whatever he wants, but if he is 4 now would be a good time to start before he starts school as that is when you get to know lots more people and your name really starts to stick.

Leave it - it's HIS name and he's lived with it for four years. Would be confusing for him suddenly to be known as something else.

valium - I rather think the fact that Nicola whatsername's off BB son has the same name is NOT a point in its favour .

I changed dd's name when she was three, but only to a more conventional spelling of the formal version of the same name. She is still called the same thing, only the spelling has changed iyswim.

I had regretted her name choice every day since she was registered, and the relief after changing it was enormous! Bit of a hassle/ embarrassment telling friends and family but was glad to do it before she started school. I'm in Scotland so here you can have birth cert altered; pretty straightforward.

I think if it was changing the name he knows himself by completely at 4 it's a different matter- it's such a big part of his identity. Perhaps having a more formal "official" name and keeping rocky as his everyday name would help, if it's future officialdom that concerns you?

DS1 has had two hamsters called Rocky. A fine name indeed! Seriously, don't change it, its a nice name and it's his. He can always use another name when he gets older.

Hattifattner did you seriously not name your son that to pander to your gm's anti semitism? That's awful. Why would you take her disgusting views into account?

She was talking about her uncle, not her son krumbum

Thanks guys, what an empowering thread! I was half expecting to get a lot of 's and 'Good God, poor child' replies so it is very refreshing

I know a grown up Rocky through work! He came in as a graduate and we took him on full time as a sales manager, he's now well on his way to National Sales Manager trusted with one of the big major mults (supermarkets) who love him.

So leave it it won't harm his future.

Ah I see, sorry

Op my nan out of the blue after Sunday lunch one day suddenly asked how you went about changing your name.

When we teased her that it was a bit late to change her name (late eighties!) she replied in all seriousness that she was planning on changing my dad's name (then in his late fifties).

Apparently when he was born, her older, very domineering sister had just become a widow and insisted that her late husband's name was used. At least my gp managed to stand up to her enough to get their first name choice but compromised and used their late bil's name as middle name.

Nan had obviously been chewing this over for years as her justification was that she had been thinking about it lots and why should her sis get to dictate what her kids were called, and that she was going to stand up to her and start by changing my dad's name to what she wanted it to be...

She was really really surprised when dad pointed out that he was now a fully grown adult and she couldn't change his name - and that he certainly had no plans (just from a logistical point of view let alone anything beyond that!) to change his name.

I guess this is all a long winded way of saying I think you need to come sort of peace within yourself about his name, and accept that it is his name rather than trying to force a change now or dwelling on it fir a lifetime...

hatti My dad is also E (a very unusual Welsh name) J (short for John) W. he's generally known by the E though. When I read your post I wondered if you were my cousin!

Suspect the W is the same as well.........

The name connotation is interesting with the perceptions. I have a friend who gave her child quite an upper middle class name Xavier (don't get many of those to the pound round these parts) moved to the USA and he is virtually unemployable because it has Hispanic connotations.

So it's not just the UK that has name-sterotyping.

its such a great name it would be a shame to formally change it he may very well regret it in later years if he wanted to you could all just use his middle name on a informal basis even at school.
if he really wants to change it when hes old enough to understand exactly what that means then fair enough just help him with the paperwork

mummy to katie, my uncle only has boys :D

Inevitably the W name will be the same but we may well be related....

Rocky is a bloody awful name. Change.

I LOVE that name!!! And would suit my boy to a tee! I wouldn't change it, and agree with all the other postings...if he wants it changed when he is older then so be it ( I really hope he doesnt!).

My Nan n Pops were going to call my dad, Wolf, but my great nan had a fit as it was German. They named him Russell instead....although Nan got her own back when she named my Auntie, Sandra Paul......yes, Paul as in the boys name but she liked it so G8 nan had to do one. My Nan still upset that she backed down over his name. And actually, my Dad would of made a great Wolfie!!

I had a dog called Rocky when I was a kid... By all means keep it as a nickname but for the love of twiggy, please give him a more formal forename than Rocky. I have an unusual forename and let me tell you, it does create a certain first impression that has prevented me from being taken seriously in the workplace.

Rocky's OK, not my cup of tea but OK. Like everyone says call him by his middle name, both my PIL use their middle names. Not quite sure why MIL does as her first one is OK but can understand PIL wanting to change his -Gilbert! Ironically they gave my DH a totally barmy middle name

I also knew someone who changed his name to Denis'n'reg -even had it on his chequebooks

Rocky's a great name! My ds is 6 and he's got a slightly unusual name. He wants to be called Jack at the moment and has asked me when he can change his name. I've told him that once he's grown up he can go ahead and change his name if he wants to, but until then he's stuck with the name I chose for him!

When I was at primary school, I really wanted to be called Sandra Smith! Even wrote it on all my school books!

Rabid - Rocky is a bloody awful name. Change.

Thanks, well thought out post. you sound charming & reasonable, I shall definitely be taking your points into consideration

Oh I love the name Rocky, and it's not even unusual I think I know about 4 maybe even 5. Its one of DS's friends names and also the name of one of my nephews, both of whom (both teens now) are really lovely boys.

Obviously its not as common, but to me it has the same sound as Charlie, Harry, Billy that sort of thing.

If he doesn't like it he can always change it or use his middle name.

And don't listen to everyone on here, some of the names of seen on the Baby Names boards are truly fucking awful.

I think it's fab. My DD1 has a similar, more girly version of the name Rocky and people have been ever so rude about it! I don't care though because I love it and it suits her. I think most kids go through a phase of not liking their name so don't worry about it. He can change it himself when he gets to 16 and you can change his name on the school register without changing it legally (the 'preferred name') so that is always an option in the future.

You asked! It's a dogs name