Baby name change

[Itsoneofthose]

My baby is almost 6 months old and i seem to have fallen out of love with her name. People don’t say it often, I don’t like the way it sounds on my family members tongue. 6 months… it’s going to be extremely socially awkward isn’t it? But in reality it’s no time at all…. What do you think? Totally honest comments appreciated!

We don’t know the name, so it’s difficult to say whether it will be awkward or not.

Thanks for commenting but I can’t bring myself to write it really.. basically, they’re two very different names to each other.

It will be a bit awkward but if you’re going to do it, do it now before she really knows her own name.

If you really hate it just change it.
Might be awkward for a bit but people have a lot of other things to worry about. It will soon be old news and they’ll all get used to it.

Someone was posting the other day about changing their 18 month old’s name and think they decided they must do it. If that’s any comfort!

I reckon do it. You don’t want to cringe every time you say their name forever. I know many people who go by a different name to the one they started off with. Bump the current first name to a middle spot!

I think at 6 months, it’s now or never.

Thank you!

Hate this era of social media where these things need to be ‘announced’

Add an extra name and use it?
Not a lot of fuss or explaning.

They don't really. I never feel the need to announce anything on social media including my own name change. Just do it. She is young, she won't be bothered by it, your family will get used to it and others probably won't care and don't need to know unless you are in constant contact with them.

A friend did this when their baby was about nine months old. It was really strange for me at first because I was so used to thinking of the baby as the original name, but now (about 10 years on) the new name suits them perfectly and seems like a great choice. They did do a social media announcement which was something like “as some of you know, we soon came to realise that X did not suit our baby. We have now made the name change official and [baby’s] name is Y, to be known as [short form].”

I fell in love with DD's name 20 years before I had her. I loved the name so much and when she born I was overjoyed to use the name. However, after about 6 months, the name seemed to grate on me. Whenever I heard it, I winced. Consequently, I call her by a nickname. Maybe this would work for you?

Thank you! Funny how tastes change. Especially in the post natal period. Easy to slip into major self doubt and uncertainty. I’ve tied this current name in knots for a nickname and can’t find one.

Thanks so much

I feel extremely embarrassed about the whole thing

What do your family and friends think of the name? Is there someone you could confide in to get their opinion? If it's not too uncommon a name, you could post on here and people can give you their opinion.

Ot does not have to be a shortening or be closely related. If you gave the name, people would help.

I should have added, I registered the birth, then did a form called the space 17 form to change the spelling of the initial chosen name. Facepalm I know! Which I now believe leaves me with no choice. Unless deedpoll and solicitors are an option? Humph. What a mess I've made of it all.

Does she have a middle name? Can you just call her by that?

OP, the name my brother is known by is neither his first nor second name - it just evolved within the family. You don’t need to make an announcement or a big deal, just call your DC by the name you prefer - and she will come to be known as that. When she goes to school, just put “First name second name, known as third name.” So don’t worry - call your daughter what you want; tell the family that henceforth she is to be known as (new name) and anyone meeting her will take for granted that this is her name.

Thank you. I guess that totally possible and sensible. Thank you for this. Good point. Not like people are going around looking at her documents. I will now see if I can muster the courage.

I know several people who are called a name unrelated to their first or middle names. I have also known someone who changed her own name to a completely different one in her 20s , which was confusing! do it now, before it gets ingrained.

Just keep all the paperwork and original birth certificates. I know someone who went into the care system after a very dysfunctional start, which included name changes and she had to track paperwork in circumstances that she had to declare "known by any other names".
I'm in Liverpool, some names that are really nice sound awful in a scouse accent and I've wondered if the parents thought it out and regret the choice. I named my babies with days to spare and still (39 years later) regret not giving my eldest the middle name I wanted.

Work friend changed her baby's name when she was 8 months old, the two names are completely different. Just do it if you want to!