Changing our daughter's name at 8 months old?

[BlueJelly85]

Hi, I've seen a few posts about this when searching the internet, but they are usually for earlier on in their child's life (a few weeks after). We really liked a popular name, and wanted to call her by a nickname for it, instead we were really put off by the popularity, but found another longer version that we thought was okay and better for her.

I'm actually gutted that we didn't just go for the other one. We only call her by her nickname and everyone knows her as that. It's a nickname that she will most likely use at school as well. It's just I am so off of the name we chose (the full version of it) and when people ask oh is that her full name, I often just say yes, as I know they will ask what her longer name is. I don't think I can keep living like that.

Thoughts on changing it at 8 months in these circumstances please.

Emilia is much much prettier (and less common).

Oh definitely do it. Amelia nn Millie is lovely. I also know an Amèlie who is only known as Millie.

Mother to a young Millicent over here - we're rarely asked what her full name is. However we love it - the suffragette association and its meaning of "strong" really appealed. She is Millie to everyone she knows. (She's a toddler). Change it if it's upsetting you, but she might thank you in the future for such an original and positive name.

I was quite a fan of Amelia until a poster on another thread pointed out it is a medical term for someone born missing limbs 🙈

OP do what you think is best for your daughter

I love Millicent, I would say that it's the natural long name for Millie.
Amelia is very blah to me and Millie sounds a stretch as a nn.
If you only call her Millie does it even matter though?

I'd stick with Millicent- I think it's a far superior name to Amelia and so much more original and solid sounding.

I would change it. You seem embarrassed by the name Millicent and never use it anyway so it's not the right name for you. Amelia is lovely and she will thank you for changing it I think.
Other option could be Mila nn Millie.

Definitely change it if you want to. I can see why you thought it was a better idea, but Amelia is so much prettier. Popular names are usually popular because they’re lovely names! Do you like Amelie?

I love milicent

Amelia is the medical term for a congenitally missing limb, which is a pretty big negative to me...

Millicent is fabulous. Please don't change it to the ultra popular and far more common Amelia.

Millicent is fab!! So strong and different.

Just change it! We changed our babies name at 15 months and have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Apparently it's not until 18 months that they form an identity with their name

@nocluenoidea
Did you have to change by deed poll? As you can't change the birth cert at that age.

I would change it if it's bothering you - it will have no affect at all on your daughter.

I don't think other people's views on the names are relevant but for what it's worth I much prefer Amelia. Millicent makes me think of old Victorian ladies that smell of camphor.

Change it. It's much easier to do this before she's 12 months old.

I would go with Emilia rather than Amelia. The nickname Millie seems more likely with the former.

You named her Millicent, I don't think you should change it, it is her name from birth. You are changing it for you not for your daughter.
Personally I love it!

I love the name Millicent. And Millicent Martin is still alive, wonderful british actress still going strong and looking great.

Amelia is boring.

Millicent is such an awesome name! I’d forgotten about it until now. Used to love the Milly Molly Mandy stories as a little girl - her name was Millicent Margaret Amanda. Amelia is so boring in comparison. Since her name day to Day won’t change I don’t think it matters one way or the
other, but I wouldn’t change it.

@Pondandlake we live in Australia and the system is a little easier here. Weirdly, you can change a childs name up to 3 times before their 18th birthday just by filling in a simple form.
I'm from the UK and actually changed my own name by deed poll though- long story but my parents put an awful name on my birth certificate that they never actually used. They didn't think the legalities through at all so when they got my passport, and then following that my drivers licence, none of it matched my birth certificate!!! I had to change it by deed poll and it was a MASSIVE faff.

Millie isn't short for Amelia though is it? I actually like Millicent, but Camille, Camilla, Mildred would work

I bloody love how everyone is offering their opinions on the names as if that's at all relevant for OP.

OP I have been in the situation and ended up changing DD's name. I wasn't in a good frame of mind when I registered her.

Change it or you'll always be wondering what could have been, and fuck what anyone else thinks and fuck what they think about your name choices. This is your DD. The only damage done is keeping a name you don't like and feeling angst about it, imagine how DD would feel if she found out you didn't like it vs changing it to something you do like.

I’d change it. Millicent is bloody awful anyway

I always think of no limbs when I hear Amelia. Camille is lovely, Millicent unusual and doesn’t have to use it if she doesn’t want to