DS name not sticking! Anyone else experienced this?!

[Paris2019]

We found out at 20 weeks we were having a boy but after exhausting every list I realised there were no boys' names i loved (whereas I had about 10 girls' names!). There were a handful we liked and eventually DH and I settled on the one we liked best. It's not a very common name, but not an unusual name either. Problem is, at 10 weeks old, I feel like the name is just not 'sticking'! I don't necessarily regret our choice but I simply can't get used to it and I'm wondering whether I should have picked a more common name! I know there's nothing I can do about this now but wondered if anyone else had experienced this?!

I think it’s quite normal to feel like this. One of my DDs has a name which feels very formal and so we have always called her by various nicknames. She is fine with her full name and always uses it to refer to herself and it’s what she’s called at school.
Perhaps go with a shortening or other random name for the time being? It might stick forever. A friend of mine is called Tigger even now she’s an adult. It’s not remotely like her real name!

Both my children were mostly called by a nickname (unrelated to their actual name) until they were about 2. They just hadn’t grown into their somewhat grown up elegant names yet.

I had a wobble with DD1 whose name was only ever going to be what we gave her. It past though. Dose he have a middle name you could use? It’s very common in both mine & DHs family to use middle names. Also maybe try nicknames out. When DH & I talk about our DCs we always use nicknames they have picked up.

It’s also not too late to change it. I thought you had 12 months to change a child’s official name, happy to be told I’m wrong...

I have this issue with DS2. With DS1 his name stuck straight away and I never gave it a second thought, it was just his name.
With DS2 I have obsessed over his name for a year now. I can't link the name with him, it's too alien to me. I often wish I had just called him something normal like Sam.
I'm hoping he grows into it as we won't be changing it now.

My cousin's parents changed her name when she was about 6 weeks old, didn't change it on the birth certificate until she did it herself by deed poll.

I also know a family where all four of their children are referred to by nicknames that are also real names and unrelated to their official given name e.g. a daughter called Cassandra will be called Lulu by her parents and siblings 90% of the time. Very confusing...

But if there's no other name you prefer

Thanks all for the comments. The more I think about it, the more I think DS would suit the very conventional name that was top of my list, but DH just felt it was too plain.

Your responses have made me realise changing it is an option, even though I don't think DH would go for it, and I may be too proud to do so!! (And feel bad that people have bought personalised gifts already etc!)

If not, it's not that I don't like the name, and I will hopefully get used to it over time. It can't be shortened so there's no obvious nickname, but maybe something will evolve.

It's also a name which is growing in popularity according to the lists, so maybe if it becomes more common it won't be as hard to get used to!!

I'm actually wondering if it's the same name as my DS. Also uncommon but rising and you can't shorten it easily.
Anyway, if it helps I really do think children grow into more uncommon names. I was out today with my little one year old DS2 and it's one of the first times I've looked at him and thought... I love your name! Now he has a personality and a style and is his own person he is really becoming his name.
I think as long as you still like the name and there isn't another name you are desperate to change it to, then stick with it.

Just read your posts again and your situation was so similar to mine it's untrue. No names we loved, I couldn't get on board with his favourites and be couldn't get on board with mine.
I think in that situation a lot of people compromise with a safe name like Thomas or Edward and then there are cute diminutives that work well on a baby, and they become that name instantly as the sounds are familiar to you.

If you choose something more uncommon it can take some getting used to especially if it wasn't something you'd ever considered using before, but it doesn't mean you'll end up liking it less in the end.

Have you even registered yet? Covid delays mean my 14 week old isn’t registered and won’t be till March! My DH keeps joking about changing his name because of this, but in your situation it would make it very easy.