A year or two on, would you change your children's names if you could?

[bealos]

I am such a flapper when it comes to names.

My first born, Harper (m), is now 8 years old and I'm finally happy that he's called that (did have a squirm when the Beckhams had their baby). But I'd change his middle names at the drop of a hat if I could - he's Isaac Gray. Too many imo. I was sleep deprived and indecisive so put them both on the birth certificate.

My second born, Ada, is now 1. And though I love her name (I think of it as a strong name - see Ada Lovelace). But I'm freaking out at the huge numbers of Avas out there - will she constantly be having to say 'No, not Ava, Ay-DA!?". Ugh. I do my own head in. No way back now I guess. Her middle name is Ngaio (NZ name, her dad's a Kiwi) but I was worried that no one would ever pronounce it right if I gave her that as a first name, or she'd spend the rest of her life spelling it out. Wonder when I will be finally happy with it?

A friend has a son Ada's age which she calls by both his first name and middle name. Not sure if this is confusing!

Dont worry its a nice name! If people confuse it just teach her to politely say 'Actually, its Ada'

I messed up with dd2's middle name. I had a middle name in mind since she was concieved and should have stuck with it, it was lovely and perfect. But then we got all tangled up in her first name, we had one and then we changed our minds so we used a mashedup version of the old first name as a middle name and abandoned our lovely perfect middle name. I feel sad about it.

Thank you for the reassurance bollocknaise, it helps.

And painted - don't you wish we could have a little 'amendment window', especially for those pesky middle names, where we were allowed a change without having to deed poll it!?

My daughter is Ada and I would be lying if I said she hasn't been called Ava a few times. But it's mainly because people mishear or misremember so it's no big deal to me.

Ada is so much cooler than Ava anyway

Love the name Ada!

I really regret my DS2's name. I called my DS1 my two favourite boys names and now I wish I had saved one for my second!

I have just about learnt the art of acceptance!

Yup. I wished I had changed it from about the minute I named him. The name is OK, i just wish I had called him the name I had planned all through pregnancy rather than changing my mind in a fit of PND.

I've had a few wobbles. Really happy now as they suit their names. I think it would have been fine to name change if the kid was a baby still

Oh we have a ten year old son called Harper. Must admit the Beckhams incident did bother me, especially when a rather dense man at a play place asked if we had copied the name from them; my son was about 8 when Harper Brckham was born.

Other than that I love his name, but wish that we'd stuck to our original plan of having two middle names (one traditional, one personal to us) and called him Harper William Holst Surname rather than just boring William.

I wish we could predict how popular names would be - DD1 is 7.5 and we loved very unusual names and, as excited PFB parents, spent ages thinking about names etc etc. She's an Isla and it was so unusual - not many people had heard of it and we loved it. Now every other baby girl that is born is an Isla and although I still love it, it doesn't feel as 'special' anymore?
I'm a flapper with names too, and I really regret one of our DTriplets names - we had such an insane nightmare trying to choose 3 names and for some reason when they were born I decided to swap one of the names. The name we had planned was just beautiful and would have suited her so much better; but I think it was just all so rushed and I felt like I had to name them all asap.

I love both my DS's names but I wish they weren't so popular.

We chose them because they both have meaning to us (and they were the only ones we could agree on!) but it does feel a little embarrassing shouting Harry & Charlie in the park!

I have an Amalie and it's constantly misheard as Emily.Also I'm not sure.if the German /Scandi spelling is a Tad affected
Overall though, I think it suits her and I don't regret it.

Might change a middle name, possibly boy path, but I won't. Ngaio Marsh, OP? Think these days you have to spell stuff more anyway.

I think many people would change if they could - ie. click their fingers, no deed poll, no memory of the original name etc etc

My friend has an Oscar and regrets that what she thought was an original name (c.2007) turned out not to be. In fact he is one of 3 in his class.

Few people choose a name they have loved consistently all their lives. For most of us, it's the name we liked at that time and if the baby had been born a few months later it could have been something quite different.

I wouldn't change his first name. He IS that name. He's really grown into it. But I wish I hadn't given him the middle name he has, because I've realised how much I still love the middle name as a first name and I wouldn't be able to use it for consecutive children now.

Agree with PP, that if my DC had been born a few months later he'd have probably been called something different as I change my mind so often!

I would... Id rather have Kevin, Clyde, and Kyle... But their happier with the names they got... I hope