To regret my child's name..

[paranoral]

I couldn't think what to call her.
We settled on Esmé.. I had liked it for about 10 years.

I've been out twice this Easter and heard "Esmé" been shouted by other mums.
It's everywhere. She's 2.. is it too late to change now? I really regret it.

You're upset because other children have the same name as your child?

What would you change it to?

Why do you regret it? Because its popular?

So what do you think you can call her that other parents won't be shouting?

And what's wrong with other kids having the same name? Does no-one have the same name as you?

Yes it’s too late

It's a lovely name & yes it's too late to change it. It is popular at the moment but there will always be names that become popular,
it doesn't mean anything bad.

I named my dd2 something quite unusual but it's caught on & there are plenty now!
Try not to worry.

It is too late to change it now. Esmè is a lovely name!

Most of us have names that other people will have. My son is called Thomas and yes, there are numerous other people called Thomas but I wouldn't change his name. I like it, it suits him and imo, it's one of those timeless names- never really goes out of fashion.

Unless you change it to Easter Bonnet or similar there will be other dc who share a name with your dc... Your dd IS Esme...

What if you hear someone else with the same name as the new name?

Over the past few years there have been around 1000 girls born called Esme in b the UK. Out of around 300000 baby girls born. That's I in 3000.

You were pretty unlucky for there to be 3 in the same area at the same time. So, even if it matters, which it doesn't, it won't happen again.

Esmé is a very popular and beautiful name, I know three. OP, I imagine it would be very confusing for your DD if you changed her name at this stage. I believe LO’s recognise their name from 9 months+ xx

Unusual names are overrated IMO. I have one; out and about it’s regularly misspelled, mispronounced or mistaken for other names it sounds similar to. Friends and family use a nickname. My children both have names on the top 10 lists.

YABU to change it.

She’s had it for 2 years now, it’s part of her identity.

Did you think she was going to be the only one?!

It's à lovely name. That's why it is popular right now. Why would you change it? Why does it matter that other children also have the name?

Surely it just means that other people agree with you that it is a lovely name!

Yes, I'd say it's too late to change it now, but I really don't understand why you feel the need to.

My middle DD's name was very popular around the time she was born but I still loved it and I am glad we went with it. There were three of them in her primary school class too, and we all lived along the same residential street. None of us parents gave a shit about it. It really doesn't matter in the slightest and nobody cares.

Names really do not have to be totally unique to one particular person.

Of course it's too late.

Two is of course too late to change it.
why does it matter if it’s everywhere? When I went to school there was lots of the same name in the class, it was fine

Especially with such an invalid reason to change it.

I also think you're hearing it because it's on your radar. I don't know of any! But when I had my two DCs and named them what I thought would be equally rare-ish names I suddenly heard them everywhere too. I think two things happen - one you're not in the circle of lots of kids before you have them and so don't really know how popular they are in your area and two, like I said, you just become more aware of them.

I have a not particularly popular name (not popular when I was a child - nor is it now).
I was always disappointed I couldn't get stickers/pens/purses etc with my name on.
I gave my daughter a supposedly Top 10 name but we have never come across girls of her age with the same name.
You just never know.
You can't change your child's name at 2.
So what if she ends up at school with other girls called Esme?
They either become best friends for life - linked because of their names or they are just passing moments in their lives to be forgotten about beyond school.

Of course it's too late, she's 2! Also Esme is a fairly common name, why are you surprised there are other girls with the same name.

It's a beautiful name! I don't know any other Esmes and I have two primary aged children. In fact I have never met one in my 42 years. It's lovely OP, don't overthink it! Xxx

Seems unfair and dramatic to change it now.
If she wants to when she's older, she can.

Come up with a nickname or something?

I teach in a fairly small secondary school comparatively (500 students), and there are 6 children called Esme (4 are Esme, 1 is Esmé and an Esmae). Esmé, Esmae and two of the Esmes have the same pronunciation. It's a beautiful name, and very popular where I am. It's rather beautiful, objectively.

I don't think you can change her name, no but you could use a nickname.

My children also have names in the Top 10. I think that’s a good thing. They’re classic, easy to spell, and don’t get in the way of who they are. They’re not ‘the kid with the funny name that’s hard to spell’. I am the kid with the funny name that’s hard to spell and it’s much better to have a name that doesn’t define you.

Yes it’s too late. It’s a perfectly normal nice name, and you’d have been living under a rock if you didn’t no it was going to be a popular name when you named her. Nothing wrong with having a popular name, it’s far better than a pointlessly unique one that nobody can say just for the sake of being different.