How do you love a name when it's not your favourite?

[desertdessert]

What are your thoughts - how does a name that you plan to use become your favourite if it's not - IYSWIM. When it becomes your DCs name do you automatically start to love that name or will you always think that the name is second best? Has anyone given their DC a name they're not particularly over the moon about?

Well we couldn't give DD2 our favourite name, because DD1 was already called it, and although MN wisdom says you can't "own" a name, we thought better of having both our daughters called the same thing :o

I liked the name we eventually gave DD2, DH was less keen but happy enough to go along with it. I have come to love it. I'm not sure about him, he's an awkward bugger. He chose DD1's name and I think nothing else will ever measure up :o

In my experience a person makes his/her name, especially if it's a less popular one. We tend to associate the name with the person who owns it. So your child will just 'become' the name and you'll love it by definition.

That's why asking for opinions on here often results in strong likes or dislikes depending on who the poster knows with a certain name.

The exception, in my opinion, are very popular names as these may simply not be liked because they are so widely used and don't really function as a name (identifier) anymore.

DD's name was a compromise, but I know love it because it belongs to my lovely bundle of 6 month old giggles.

now obviously, I can spell honest.

Yes, although of course I would never tell dd.

Like above, dd got a compromise name... no one ever tells you how hard naming a baby is. We didn't name her at the hospital and the longer we left it the more impossible it was to find a name which lived up to her.

My logic for how I deal with it is because I love her more than life itself, I love her name, because it is hers.

good luck xxx

I think the idea you should "love" a name is a bit weird and over-rated tbh. But I suppose I could then stand charged with hypocrisy as I do like mulling over names in this forum, and so collude regularlywith those who do see it as a worthy aim.

The name gets bound up with the person, and as long as you like it, it isn't overtly risible (especially in conjunction ewith an awkward surname) and you don't feel silly when you yell it at the top of your voice across a crowded playground, then it will be just fine.

After all, your DH probably didn't arrive bearing a name you love, but it'll come to have emotional resonance too.

DH and I really couldn't agree at all on a name for DS1 - so his name was one which we both thought was ok, but neither of us would have said we "loved" it. But 4 years on it is such a great name and it really suits him.

Poor DS2 was a total surprise baby and as we'd already used up our one and only "compromise" name on DS1, he got a name which was more or less picked in desperation...But we call him by an abbreviation of his given name and again it is just "him" and I can't imagine him having any other name now.

DD's name was/is a bit of a compromise, however, she is an 11 week old vision of loveliness and her name is perfect because it is just her.

I agree with Edith - 'loving' and 'favourite' names puts the whole process on a very high pedestal that it doesn't need. I wasn't over-the-moon with any of the names we gave them when we gave them - they were all names suggested by DH that had meaning for both of us and weren't too awkward (with his preference for older names there had to be a bit of screening involved). They've become more meaningful and lovely as the children have grown with them. It's the meaningfulness that I think is most important and that will always grow with the child.