Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to change DS's name? He is an Alfie and he is 4

56 replies

sillyworry · 22/02/2009 10:16

The name Alfie seems to be appearing as a negative name at the moment. We loved it at first from Bert's song. It's his middle name anyway his first name is John. We might ask the school to call him John when he is 5 yrs and then slowly we will get used to it and call him that ourselves. Is this a big mistake?

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 22/02/2009 10:18

Er yes!!

Lilyloo · 22/02/2009 10:19

I think yabu unfortunately lots of names hold negative connotations at times but to confuse your ds due to a 'current' news story is taking it a bit far imo!
Taking it you call him Alfie rather than John ?

belgo · 22/02/2009 10:21

Why do you think it's appearing as a negetive name?

What happens if you change his name to John, then that name suddenly starts appearing as negetive as well?

Hassled · 22/02/2009 10:21

Alfie is a great name, and more importantly it is your DS's name. You can't change it now - it will take away any sense of self-identity and be very confusing for him. It is a big mistake - don't do it. One news story versus your son's security with what is a lovely name?

ProfessorCalculus · 22/02/2009 10:22

What do you mean about it being negative? Not just because of the teenage father story, surely? You can't change your child's name every time something negative happens to someone with the same name.

piratecat · 22/02/2009 10:23

what's really got you doubting this choice. What negativity? Won't he be really confused at four to being called somethign else.

2rebecca · 22/02/2009 10:23

I presume Alfie is short for Alfred or something. It seems more of a nickname than a name. I'd leave it. This news story will be forgotten about soon. Changing your childs name because of a news story does seem a bit of an overreaction.

piratecat · 22/02/2009 10:24

oh that. very weird to even contemplate it imo. that story will be lost soon.

edam · 22/02/2009 10:24

by the time he's five he will have firm opinions of his own. Telling the school to call him John when he knows he is Alfie will just confuse the hell out of him and lead to him being told off for apparently ignoring the teacher.

I had name confusion when I was a child and would advise you NOT to muck around. Everyone called me Katie, it was my name - only when I was seven I discovered my 'real' name was actually quite different. Children are very black and white and I was VERY pissed off, thought my parents had been making fun of me and refused to answer to Katie ever again. Was a very big deal and probably at the root of my insistence on keeping my own name when I married!

bellavita · 22/02/2009 10:25

I love the name Alfie.

daftpunk · 22/02/2009 10:25

yanbu...change it now!

squeaver · 22/02/2009 10:26

Yes a big mistake. Quite mad

DollyMessiter · 22/02/2009 10:30

He is already a little personality in his own right.
You can't suddenly call him something else.

How can you see the name as "negative" when all it surely signifies for you is your own son?

Most odd.

savoycabbage · 22/02/2009 10:31

Yes, yes you are. He won't know what the hell has happened! Starting school is a big enough change as it is without having the teacher call him by another name. What wouldd he tell the other children who asked him what he was called?

YABU.

zanz1bar · 22/02/2009 10:31

WHAT, of course YANBU. He is five years old and it is his name NOT your name.
Get a pet and try changing its name after five years and then think of the confusion and damage it does.

LucyEllensmummy · 22/02/2009 10:56

Um, is there a problem with Alfie? What news story? My friend is wanting to call her bean alfie - should i be letting her know something!!

FWIW, i dont think you will do lasting damage but i wouldnt do it myself. My Dad was called Bernard - apparently he didn't like it as a child so he chose his second name and some people used to call him tony - i was .

My BIL and SIL couldnt decide on their babies name, The mother liked X, the dad liked Y so, they call her Z even though she is cristened X. I am so confused i end up calling her a mixture of the three, MIL calls her Y (obviously) luckily the mother doesnt get to upset!

mshadowsisfab · 22/02/2009 11:05

i know and Alfie and he is a fireman(so a hero) so i THINK YABU

Nabster · 22/02/2009 11:11

YES!!!!!!!! to the op

QuantitativeMeasure · 22/02/2009 11:18

YABVU.

What is the negative element of his name?

Thunderduck · 22/02/2009 11:22

YABU. It's his name now,not yours, part of his indentity and he's the only person that should be able to change it.

Thunderduck · 22/02/2009 11:23

I presume you are thinking of the 13 year old father?

mrswoolf · 22/02/2009 11:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theyoungvisiter · 22/02/2009 11:27

very odd! Is this about the Sun story? Do you really think this will be at ALL important in a year's time?

Surely it's more important to you who your son is than some random news story which will be forgotten in a year or two?

LucyEllensmummy · 22/02/2009 11:30

You are wanting to change his name because of the wee lad who fathered a child at 13? Well at least he will be virile!! C'mon there will be loads of people with the name alfie, some good some bad - you should stick with it - what if you change it to John and there is a news story about a serial killer called John - im sure we could trawl one up, if we could be arsed.

Tis shallow

duchesse · 22/02/2009 11:31

Of course YABU! You can't change your son's name now. It's a lovely name anyway. Plus that boy will be utterly forgotten in a few weeks, and all negative connotations will vanish with him.