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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Does anyone regret their choice of name?

48 replies

portabello · 02/11/2010 15:42

I was just wondering how common it is for people regret the name/s they gave to their DC.

Was it because you compromised, couldn't think of anyhting else, found out the name was more popular than you thought. And what do you do to help - e.g. use a nn?

OP posts:

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Set a reminder

expectingno3 · 02/11/2010 16:57

Its a lovely name, but I kind of regret giving my daughter the middle name I gave her. Her first and second names now have a ph ph in them, and it does sound a bit silly. If I'm honest, it was because my MIL liked an alternative, and was quite vocal about it, and I didn't want her deciding the name of my dd. Sad, but true. How weak am I!...

Komondor · 02/11/2010 17:07

I have a friend, who had a baby at 18 and called him Wesley (her boyfriend chose the name), she regretted it, and when she was 20 had it changed to Reuben.

stillbobbysgirl · 02/11/2010 17:11

I regret the name I gave to my second boy. Great care was taken over 1st ones name - Grandfathers and dear departed uncles names, bith mine and DH choices. I wanted to call 2nd one Jared, but DH did not like it. He was 10 days overdue and I (in my hormonal mental lunacy), was convinced he wasn't coming as we could not agree on another name. While discussing this one evening while watching Emmerdale, a character called Danny walked in the pub and DH said 'thats a nice name', so I said ok that'll do then. Baby arrived the next day.

I always think I did not give it the thought I should have and should have stuck to my guns with name I liked, seeing as I was the one doing the hard bloody work.

His name really does suit him though, and he says he prefers it to Jared anyway!

CharlieBoo · 02/11/2010 17:20

Part of me regrets dd's middle name as its incredibly popular, but just couldnt think of anything else and she was born in the month of May, so we gave her that as a middle name. Now it feels unimaginitive and so bloody popular, but its only a middle name and I LOVE her first name.

Still love my ds' name and had it picked for years before, its classic, and suits him to a tea!

defineme · 02/11/2010 17:23

I regret dds name a bit-I wanted another more and dh flat out hated it so we compromised and chose another. It's not as serious a name as I would have liked-how daft do I sound

monkeymoomoo · 02/11/2010 17:41

I regret dds name. I had my heart set on a girls name for years and I was stubborn enough to get my own way when she was a month old. I gradually started to realise after meeting mums at various playgroups etc that every other baby girl is called this name now. Her middle name is hugely popular too. I've also come to realise that it doesn't work well with our surname and my MIL was right - I should have picked a longer name.

She is 16 months old so it's too late to change it. Plus it does suit her really.

Tuschinski · 02/11/2010 18:09

I regret DDs name a bit for the 2 reasons the OP mentioned, Isabella. I was sorry I wasn't braver in my choice.
Called DS Reuben, he is 9weeks and I love his name, was iffy about hers from day one.

PlanetEarth · 02/11/2010 18:19

I regret DD's middle name as it's very middle-aged. I didn't realise this until some time after she was born and named, and then I started to notice that only 60 year old women have that name!

babysnail · 02/11/2010 20:34

i go through waves of regret with my dd's name, it's a lovely name but quite unusual and part of me wishes i had named her katie or emily or something run of the mill but pretty. it can be shortened and does have variations (she's 4) she really loves her name and so do we really. i think that we could have named her another beautiful name and i would be worrying about it. i have another dd with a very common name and i worry about that too! there must be people out there that don't give their children's names a 2nd thought? i hadn't thought about what their names might look like on a business card/on a cv and all that, i think lots of people here do that? which is sensible!

muminthemiddle · 02/11/2010 20:38

At one time I regretted not calling dd by her middle name, but fil put the downers on her middle name.
However now that she is 13 and has only ever been the one child in her class/year called that name I love it.
It is a classic, timeless name and an american tv programme has a lead character called the same name, who incidentally is gorgous, and looks like my dd and every time I hear the name I think "That is the best girl's name ever". So now I don't regret it.

spiderlight · 02/11/2010 23:36

I don't exactly regret the name we did use, but I do regret not sticking to my guns for my top choice, which I still prefer and which would really have suited him. A few people thought it didn't go with our surname, but in retrospect I don't think it would have been a problem and we pretty much never have to use his full name out loud anyway. Everyone loves the name we've used and it really suits him...I just love the other name more and would definitely insist on it if #2 ever came along.

thefurryone · 03/11/2010 00:08

I'm really intrigued to find out what names it is that people are having regrets about. Also how much does it matter what middle name you give, not having one myself I'm wondering why people would regret a middle name when they don't seem to be used often.

PlanetEarth · 03/11/2010 11:16

Well my DD has a middle name that I now don't like, but obviously she's not bothered. She recently said she'd like to swap it for her first name (which I do still like) as she prefers it.

Awitch · 03/11/2010 11:20

yes, a bit. i gave dd1 the name my grandma was known by, but i now wish i had given her the full name as the shortened version is, i now realise, a veeeeery common middle name at the moment. if i had been on mn at the time, i'd have known, let's just say...

FoxyRevenger · 03/11/2010 13:56

Hmm, kind of. We wanted to name our daughter Esther, but everyone made this face at it. So we relegated it to middle name instead but I will always wish we had been braver.

Husband says we can name the next one Esther, but not really when it is the eldest's middle name I guess.

Sigh. It is a regret.

Awitch · 03/11/2010 14:01

i love esther...

FoxyRevenger · 03/11/2010 19:06

Awitch Noooooo, can't hear you, lalalala

hormonalmum · 04/11/2010 13:34

I always post on name regret threads - so it's me again!!!
The name I wanted for ds is hugely uncommon - I made the mistake of telling best friend the name and she pulled a , , and face all at the same time and tbh, my hormones were nagging me not to call him that name too so I didnt. Also, incidentally!! dh not overkeen on the name but I could definately have talked him round.

If I had my time again, I would call ds this name.
A second alternative would have meant ds had a name with same initials as surname and I personally dislike this.

A third alternative rhymes with dd2 name (dc3 if I girl was always going to be called this, so that was a none starter just in case!)

So he ended up with a name dh likes and I think is ok. I am adding another name to his name by deed poll when I get round to it - must do it soon before he goes to school.

I insist of using his full name - but know when he gets to school it will get shortened and both dh and I hate the shortened version. I did not know how much we both hated it until recently.

My advice is - if you are changing it - do it asap when you realise you need to change it. If I had done this, my ds would have a name I love (like my other childrens names) and not just one I think is ok....
That has made me sad writing that actually..

PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker · 04/11/2010 13:38

DS1second name is the same as DH, which is okay but very popular and DD1's middle name is the same as mine....(DH chose because I got my own way with her name which is Mabel).;

messylittlemonkey · 04/11/2010 13:57

My only regret with DD1's name is that it is creeping up the popuarity chart. I didn't know any others with that name five years ago when she was born, but it is becoming increasingly popular. That's all it is though, I love the name.

BarbieLovesKen · 04/11/2010 15:45

I always post on regret name threads too.

I really, really regret dd's name. I actually get really sad when I think about it . I had loved it all through my childhood/ teens (I had "gotten" it from Home and Away), I was pregnant with dd at 19 and named her then. Had I been a bit older I think it would have been different. Also, I think a huge amount of the regret I feel is because of Mumsnet, of how many people seem to despise it and how, basically its apparantly completely "chavvy".

Its Shannon.

Im really shocked at people regretting some of the names they've mentioned on here - if anything anything I've read are beautiful. Strange, isnt it?. DS is Oisín - which I adore and Im pregnant again, if its a girl its a Kate.

FoxyRevenger · 04/11/2010 20:14

Barbie my would-be Esther is Kate!

Everyone I meet loves it!

And, FWIW, my friend is pregnant with her second daughter and her name will be Shannon. I's a nice name, not chavvy.

I sometimes feel like Mumsnet tends towards the Tarquin end of the scale, and doesn't necessarily reflect attitudes in your town.

girliefriend · 04/11/2010 20:27

I was convinced when I was pregnant that I was having a boy and had decided he would be called Alfie George, was so convinced didn't really think much about girl names! So when I had my daughter and suddenly found myself having to decide on a name said the first name that came to mind! Wish in hindsight I had considered it a bit more as the name I choose although lovely is quite common and there was another child of the same name at her nursery and now in her class! I had previously really liked the name Esme but my mum didn't like it so I didn't go with it which I do regret as it is less common and I still really like it! However my little girl does suit her name and I can't imagine her being called anything else now!!!

BarbieLovesKen · 04/11/2010 20:46

Oh Thank you Foxy May be biased but I think Kate is much nicer than Esther. Dont think you should have any regrets. Kate such a beautiful name - Im just sorry I didnt call Shannon Kate!.

AitchTwoOh · 04/11/2010 21:36

shannon reminds me of fallon in dynasty, that really glam, foxy, rich, elegant, born into money kind of a name. not chavvy. i take it she is all of these things?

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