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.

I think it's just the way tbh. I had only heard my DDs name once before I had her (uncommon name) then suddenly I had her and I hear it everywhere now!

It's a lovely name I would be surprised if there was more than another one in her year at school.

I loved my dd name I thought it was quite a unique choice. By the time she was two it was the number one name in the UK 🤦‍♀️ there were another two in her year. She was fine. Better than having a name you are teased for.

It's one of my favourite names. I only personally know girls with it as a middle name. I think it's a lovely first name.

I’m in the US, and when my daughter was born in 2018, she was one of 60 baby girls in the whole nation given her name. I don’t know if it was more popular in some geographic areas, but statistically we’re talking less than 2 girls per state.

Fast-forward five years. She’s in a swimming class with five other kids, and who else is there? One of the other 59 girls in the whole US born in 2018 with her name. We couldn’t believe it.

I get where you’re coming from, OP. My older daughter was born in 2014 and her name is rising in popularity (although still not the top 500 here). I picked it a long time ago and didn’t know a single soul who’d even thought of that name. But you’re going to find other Esmes from time to time, and yes, it’s far too late to change it.

This happened to me with Archie. Have 3 older DC and crossed every namre where we knew someone( they are very sociable this crossed off a lot of names). Ended up with a choice of 2 that both DH and I liked and didn't know of another personally, and went for Archie . They suddenly appeared from everywhere! ( and yes mine is a few years older than the royal one so can't be that).

Of course it’s too late! She’s 2 years old. She’s not a robot you can reprogramme.

It’s her name - not yours. You have no right to change it, it would be cruel and confusing. What a nasty thing to do to a child.

YABU. What is so terrible about others having the same name? What if you change it and then find there are others with that name too - are you going to keep on changing it forever? Ridiculous nonsense, it's her name now.

Where I know 3

A 22yr neighbour

A 7yr in same class as my dd

and a new baby called Esme that a friend had

There are 3 of my daughters name in her year but it's 3 classes so all in a class

Your child’s name isn’t a fashion accessory to be changed every couple of years when it becomes too mainstream. It’s part of her identity.

Can you start calling her Ez? And then she will only known as Esme on paper

Umm no you can't change your child's name just because you heard some other mums shouting the same name 😂

She's 2 years old, don't be silly - her name is settled.

It’s been popular for a good few years if you look at the statistics - at least top 50 for most of the last decade. Obviously it’s been around much longer but I imagine a big leap in popularity came from Twilight, if you were old enough to be in the Twilight target market odds are you’re now at the age when you’re having and naming babies so I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues to stay popular (interesting to also see what happened to Bella from the late 00s onwards!). I know a couple of babies called Esme (and a few with it as a middle name). Plus as others have said, names cluster in geographic locations, social groups etc. You can’t apply the ‘there’s only 1000 in the UK’ easily as some areas will have loads and some will have none.

She’s 2, it’s part of her identity and it’s a lovely name. Odds are if you did change it unless you went really left field the same thing could happen in another 2 years. Plus it’s your name so you naturally notice it, same as when you buy a certain colour car then all you see are cars of the same colour.

I have a name that was on the unusual side growing up - nothing really rare but not easy to find on pens etc at gift shops which was a source of great frustration when I was 7. I also have an unusual variant of a common surname so it’s very easy to find me on google which I don’t really like. Luckily as I’ve got older it’s got more popular so I take a bit of childish glee in buying the odd bit of named giftshop tat!

Seriously?! You aren't special OP. I was given the option to change my foster cat's name as it's awful. But a child.... YABVVU

You want to explain to your 2 year old child why she suddenly had to get used to a new name just because you think it's too common now? Jesus.

Beautiful name! Tbh though, if Id care about this sort of thing, I’d have made sure I chose a name hundreds away from the top 10.

Mind you, we did this (not because we wanted something a bit unique - the name we loved just so happened to be used by only about 70 families the year before) and despite it being a name from abroad it’s becoming more and more popular here, including with families who don’t have links to its country of origin. So you can’t always know that a name won’t suddenly have a moment. All it takes is a celebrity or even influencer or something to name their child it.

Anyone can change their name at any time. It would be ridiculous to change your DD’s name just because others have the same name 🙄 Whatever you name her there will be others with the same name, unless you’re thinking of something unique (and, frankly) ridiculous!

‘All I want in a name is for it to be beige, in case anyone thinks I think I’m original or have notions.’

Or maybe going for something more neutral, rather than imprinting their own hippy/alternative/Harry Potter superfan/flowery etc. personality on their children?

I know two children called Faye! One’s 11 and the other is 8 or 9.

It's too late to change it. I've had a couple of wobbles about my daughter's name but would never actually change it. It wouldn't be fair to her. I don't think Esme is wildly popular although there is the Twilight connection.
I've given my daughter a top 100 name that everyone has heard of but I have yet to come across another child with the name. But I think I'd quite like it if I did.

Was it the way it was shouted? Sometimes I get put off by names being screeched 😂

I know a couple of Esmés. It’s certainly not a bad name and if you loved it for so many years there must be a reason?

I’m probably looking way too much in to this, but just wondering if your dd has been playing you up lately (terrible twos) and you’re feeling like turning back the clock, giving her a different name, making a big change will bring back the baby you had and a fresh start! I think it’s ok and fairly common to not always like your kids even if you love the bones of them, especially in the throes of difficult periods like the toddler years etc. Or is it something else that’s bothering you? It seems like a bit of an overreaction to want to change her name after hearing someone else with the same name.

If it makes you feel better, my youngest is Cleo, I have never met another one apart from animals (I had a cat called it 😆) didn’t put me off as I’ve always loved it as a name for pets or humans! I did fully expect for us to never encounter another one though as it’s not exactly popular! One day when she was about a year old there was another baby being pushed in the swing next to her in our little village park. Her dad called her name and yep, I was pretty gobsmacked that she was called Cleo! So if they are still in the same village there is every possibility our two Cleos will be at school together. It didn’t upset me in the slightest I actually laughed and thought it was really cool. It’s nice when someone has similar tastes! Just my opinion though.

I don’t think you’re too late to change her nickname, our eldest Dd started school in 2022 and is regularly given a nickname by teachers that is a common shortening of her name but we have never used with her. Same for me, I’m Harriet but get given different nicknames in different settings (H/Haz/Harri/Hattie). Esmé could easily be changed to something slightly different like ‘Mé’ (May/Mae).

I think it is lovely. Next year it will be a different name that is all the rage. Wait it out. Don't change her name. People will think you are daft.

Yes, it's too late.

If the sole reason you dislike the name is because some other dc have the same name, I think you're being ridiculous.

Yes it's old hence I've not come across one in either of my childs schools

Also it's tobias on his birth certificate

There’s 2 Toby’s in my kids school, it’s a very common name. Both Tobias but Toby for short.