to change my DDs Christian name this late in the day??

[AllAboutFace]

I think I already know the answer to this but here we go....

DD is 6 months old. She is not Christened, but obviously has a Birth Certificate in her name as it now. I hate her Christian name, I won't mention it as it would be too obvious to anyone in real life who saw it, who I am.

It's not a very common name. When she was born DP and I hadn't agreed on any names! I was happy to leave it a week or two, but DP and families were pressuring me to give her a name. Although DP disagreed with most of my suggestions. The only one he liked was her current name. I agreed, honestly, for a quiet life - I felt a bit shell shocked after a difficult birth. She is our first.

I know I could have changed it when I had to register her. But again, at that time, didn't have the strength to argue, I had PND and was pressuring myself to be ready to get back to work (I still haven't gone back yet by the way!), and was having a hideous time with DP and his pushy parents. I did bring it up, but DP refused point blank - his main reason being that his aunt had embroidered her name onto a towel she had sent as a gift!! Aarrrgh. He also assumed that it must be my PND.

DP, DD and I are all back on track now, but I still don't like her name. There are couple of others DP agrees are lovely and we could change it to (he's calmed down a bit too). I do feel stupid though, just socially. I know my family would support the decision to change her name, but DPs won't. And I worry what friends would think..... Am I being unreasonable? I really don't know anymore!!

hmm she sounds famous

didn't know you couldn't legally change her name. That's awkward

Possiblefestivalgoer - I am pretty sure that you have up until the child is one year old to change their name on their birth certificate and /or getting a child christened means the name given in baptism is legal.

OP - change it if YOU are not happy and as others say, sooner rather than later as it will only fester as time goes on.

I believe that you can change the name up to the end of the first year. There have been threads on here before. Ask at the registrars.

Sounds famous? Hopefully not Katie Price famous?

You can add names easily up to 12 months of age: see here. Afterwards it involves a deed poll change (friends changed their daughter's name when she was 13 months old!!), but still possible.

Looks like you can do it with consent of partner:

Information here

I think Eleanor is great.

YANBU at all. Change it now before she gets too old. Eleanor is a lovely name IMO.

You can legally change her name; you need the permissions and signatures your partner and yourself.

*of your partner....

Eleanor is a lovely, lovely name.

We changed DS2's name when he was almost 12m old, you can do it up to 12m.

The "short" certificate will just show her new name, the "long" one will show the original name and the amendment.

I would do it.

Oh good, thought so - really pleased, if I do it now it won't be too hard. And we can just gradually do it rather than make an announcement I think, don't want to draw attention to it!

Oh no, not Katie Price famous! Definitely not that little taste! Very rare name - it's not so awful that people wince, they just aren't sure what you've said, mistake it for other names, can't spell it etc etc..... I'm so sorry I can't tell you [embarrassed]

We did it by post, you don't have to go to the registrar again.

I REALLY like her new name

look fxxxk everyone else and do whats right

as people say the relatives will get over it, and DD is too young!

check out what Festival says and good luck

cant beleive the towel excuse, honestly!!!!

Love the name Eleanor, did I already say that?

Cadelaide - Nice to know someone else has done the same! What were the reactions of your friends and family? Was it hard to get used to it or was it something you were already calling him?

Someone asked earlier if my family thought it was hideous.. Not at all - I think it's grown on people, it can't be that bad because both Great Grandmother's like it as it is already. DP does still like it, but knows what I mean about it looking wrong written down etc, he's actually being supportive about it now, makes a change

If you are embarrassed by your daughter's name, then change it.
Silly little things can have a big impact on your relationship with your child. Why let her name be one of them. You want to be proud of your daughter so she can learn to be proud of herself, and if every time you say her name you wince, she will pick up on that and not feel proud of herself.

here

Eleanor is a fab name

YANBU. A friend of ours changed his DS's name at 6/9 months. The baby and his siblings all got used to the change, no problem, everyone happy.

(Oh, and Eleanor is lovely.)

Ours was a small change from a nickname to a proper name, iyswim.

Friends and family were resigned. We've been indecisive, rubbish actually, at naming all three of ours, they all went for weeks without any forename at all!

I'm still not mad about his name tbh, but I much prefer it to what we had before. Most people have forgotten that we ever changed it. I wouldn't make a big announcement, just be quietly persistent and the message will get through and before you know it all will be forgotten.

YANBU, a fried changed the names of both her twins at 5 months old

Wow. I can't believe all of the negative threads on Mumsnet lately (and not just because you're all agreeing with me ). I posted this an hour ago, and everyone's made me feel much more confident about my choice, and less like an indecisive freak!

I posted on here (with a different name) when I was having difficulties with DP and MIL when DD was a few weeks old, and I had overwhelming support then too. I needed some sympathy and an impartial ear, and I got it. Mumsnet's a great place for the most part and wish people who didn't like it would just dereg and leave the rest of us to it. (Off-topic blurt over!)

Cadelaide - thank you, and link very helpful.

I normally disagree with the name changing threads, but in this case you have really good reasons for changing it so I would go ahead. Eleanor is lovely, as is Nell. I know an Eleanor who shortens to Nelly and it's a really nice name.

Tell us the old name though!

(You weren't the poor lady who's MIL took her DD off her and round to the neighbours are you? Very glad to hear that it all worked out!)

Do crack on though - my DD is seven months old and just in the last fortnight has started smiling at her name. Before then she reacted equally to her name and endearments. Now she knows her name. So whatever you do legally - I'd start calling her Nell straight away...

Love the name Eleanor - I wanted to use it if DS had been a girl but DH wasn't keen. Nellie is a family name that I don't like on its own but I would quite happily have had Eleanor or Helena and used Nell as a nickname.

GLad you've got the support you needed, OP - now go and do it before DP wimps out!

Oh absolutely change it, it sounds like you'll regret it forever if you don't.

Besides which, Eleanor is a great name (it being my DD's name might make me biased although mine prefers it shortened to Lenni these days).