Huge name regret after Coronavirus

[Holidayseveryday]

I’m posting on here as it’s anonymous and I’m so ashamed to admit I’m thinking of changing my almost 1 year olds name.

I loved earthy and nature names for girls so after a couple of weeks of deliberation once she was born we named her Sage.

Since then a pandemic has happened, and every day at 5pm theres a government press conference where they talk about “SAGE” “what SAGE says” and their “consultations with SAGE”
(SAGE stands for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.)

All I can think is that from now on for the rest of her life whenever I tell people (or she tells people ) her name is Sage all people will think of is this pandemic and all they will mention is the government advisory committee!

It was already a bit of a marmite name and Ive never had very positive responses to it, even before this.

I could change it to her middle name which is more of a common name. If she grows up to hate her name I will regret not changing it when I had the chance, but then she knows her name would it be cruel and confusing to change it now?

It’s causing me so much mum guilt, anxiety and worry.

Has anyone changed their child’s name? Any thoughts on what I should do?

Thank you in advance

I would never have thought if it. Agree that you may be overthinking this.

If you'd named her Corona you might of had a point.

I think it is a lovely name with a lovely meaning.

I’m a mum of an Alexa like the Amazon AI device. It is annoying but not a massive deal! It never occurred to us to change her name (it’s too late anyway for us) but Sage feels like WAY less of a big deal. It’s a lovely name and I don’t think there will be long-lasting connotations with Corona virus. Best wishes

What a lovely name!
Never thought of anything to do with Covid or SAGE.

It's a very lovely name. I don't think of the virus at all.

I don't think most people will think of that.

The pandemic isn't for ever and people will forget SAGE.

For hundreds of years people have known sage is a herb, or maybe a wise person. It'll go back to that.

I don't think most people will think of SAGE when they hear your daughter's name, anyway. xxx

Sorry haven't worked out how to tag or reply directly to people on here, she's 11 months. The idea about slowly transitioning to her middle name over a few weeks is a really good one, I might try dropping her middle name in to a few exchanges with her and see how it goes/ feels. Thank you again to everyone for your replies

Its a great name. I wouldn't associate it with the Pandemic. And even if anyone does, it will certainly be forgotten in a year or so. Really. Its a good name.

Sage is beautiful OP. Please don't worry. I came on expecting you to say you'd called her Corona.

I watched all the briefings and I don't at all think of them when you said that name

I thought of the herb and a weird green colour

I didn't make the link, I think of the herb or the book publishers.

When. I was a child there was a TV programme called The Herbs and they had a character called Sage. It was an owl.

I think of the accounting software.

I love it. Sage is a healing herb. It's a beautiful, simple and strong name. The COVID connection wouldn't have occurred to me

Sage is a lovely name. Please don't change it.

In a year or so no one will associate it with Covid 19 (and tbh I doubt they do now - I certainly wouldn't).

I wish I'd though of it for DD

your DD will know her name and I think its odd that you would want ot change it. Does your OH and family agree with you?

Sage is a wonderful herb and a word that means wise, learned.

I wouldn’t have associated it with the govt thing you mentioned.

It’ll be fine.

I like the name sage and would not have made the association

DH reliably informs me that Sage is the name of a female mutant who is a living computer in X-Men comics .
Extremely intelligent with great tactical knowledge .

Sage was the name I earmarked if one of my cats was white with calico patches .

I wouldn't particularly think of it being associated with the virus in any way. But if you've gone off the name just change it.

The science thing wouldn't have occurred to me at all and I highly doubt people will remember or comment on the advisory body on the news when she was young. Leave her with her lovely name.

Seriously. I didn’t even think of SAGE with the name. However the first thing I think of with the word “Sage”, is Mr. Sage and Mr. Onion from Live and Kicking in the 90’s. Ugly leprechauns who were always up to mischief tricking Andi Peters and Emma Forbes. That’s worse than SAGE.

I think it’s a lovely name too, and no way anyone will make a link in even a few months. Keep it!

It reminds me of the Herb Garden, I’m a very fat, feathery owl called Sage! But that’s probably just me because I’m old. I don’t think it’ll be associated with coronavirus for long. But if you are bothered, better to change it sooner rather than later.

There was a lovely girl in my school called Isis. I bet her parents had name regret, but she was 12 before ISIS got going.

OP I didn't associate it with SAGE at all. It's a pretty name.

It's quite late to change her name and personally I'm known by my middle name and it's a pain now they're so big on identity checks etc at banks.