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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Accidentally chose a popular name...should I change it?

104 replies

Nameregretsagain · 10/05/2021 20:03

I named my baby after my godmother who is also my aunt. I really struggled to choose a name I liked and in the end decided to honour her. I do like the name but it was a compromise choice really as I couldn’t use my favourite name for other reasons and DH and I couldn’t agree. I’m not from the U.K. and it’s a name from my country. I’ve since discovered it’s having a total moment here and know of lots of other babies called this, apparently because of a tv series where one of the characters has this name. I’m gutted because people keep asking me if I’ve named her after this character and/or telling me how popular it is. I really don’t want these associations for my baby. She is 7 months old. Should I change it?

OP posts:

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Baconking · 10/05/2021 20:32

I find it hard to believe that anyone would think you'd named your baby after a character in sex education.
It's not even that popular a show. I haven't watched and no one I know has recommended it.

I also haven't heard of any baby Maeve's. The only one I know is in her 40s

SavoyCabbage · 10/05/2021 20:33

It sounds like you don't like it regardless of the popularity.

I think it's completely fine to change it. Especially in these circumstances where she hasn't met many people and you aren't using the name yourselves.

Original poster

Nameregretsagain · 10/05/2021 20:38

A couple of people have asked me if it’s after the sex education character so at least some people do think that.

I do like it, but I don’t love it in the way I love my DC1’s name. If I really loved it then the popularity and tv issue wouldn’t bother me. A bigger issue is not knowing what I’d replace it with I suppose.

OP posts:

bellaisle · 10/05/2021 20:39

Could you use Mae (pp May) as a shortened version.

I too don't know of any Maeve's or of the tv show.

CatastropheDog · 10/05/2021 20:40

Aww OP, it’s a gorgeous name! As soon as I heard the name I though SE. I love Maeve in Sex Education, it’s one of my favourite shows and even if you had named her after the character it wouldn’t matter. She’s a strong feminist who stands up for what she believes in even if it’s not always in the best way.

Teach her to say no when anyone asks about sex education but by the time she’s big enough it likely won’t be as popular as I doubt they’ll keep releasing seasons - we’re waiting for S3 at the moment.

The name has a real meaning behind it for you but if you really don’t like it now then change it. She’s your girl and young enough now that she won’t remember the change

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 10/05/2021 20:40

There would have to have been over 500 Maeves born in 2020 for it to break into the top 100. Names very rarely rise that fast - Arya and Luna are probably the best examples from recent years but Game of Thrones and Harry Potter are massive, world-dominating cultural events. Sex Education is pretty quirky and niche in comparison.

It sounds like you just don’t especially like it, though, so I’m not sure that popularity is the real issue.

Spectrumofhumanlife · 10/05/2021 20:40

It would be really really weird to name a baby after a character in Sex Education , gobsmacked that multiple people have asked you that.

PlumpAndDeliciousFatcat · 10/05/2021 20:42

Change to the Irish spelling?

TheGoodEnoughWife · 10/05/2021 20:42

I know you wouldn't name her after a TV character but just thought I would say this particular character is amazing! She is so inspiring, has real depth and fiercely clever so at least you haven't named her after someone awful!

If you like her name then all good. She could be in a class with two others with the same name or none!
I don't know any children called the name.
It is a lovely name imo.

bellaisle · 10/05/2021 20:43

And what happens if you accidentally choose another popular name, will you change it again?

What if your elder daughter's name becomes a character in a show and is popular ....will you change that too?

I can't imagine changing a LO's name, surely that is 'her' to you, family and friends.

FartleBarfle · 10/05/2021 20:44

Don't change it, Maeve is a brilliant name and a great character. We liked the name a lot more after Sex Education. But also it's not that big like Game of Thrones that people will still be associating her name with that in five years.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 10/05/2021 20:45

Sex Education isn't that popular/well known a show imo. I was guessing it was something very well known like Ada from Peaky Blinders (or Arya from Game of Thrones as pp suggested).

Maeve was always likely to increase in popularity due to it's similarity in sound/style to other popular names (Eva, Ava, May, Rose, Grace), irrespective of any TV programme. Maeve is gorgeous though, I personally wouldn't change it for that reason (unless you are unsure that you really like it?).

CatastropheDog · 10/05/2021 20:45

@TheGoodEnoughWife
I agree! You just put it more eloquently than I did. I love Maeve’s character

Original poster

Nameregretsagain · 10/05/2021 20:46

@Spectrumofhumanlife

It would be really really weird to name a baby after a character in Sex Education

, gobsmacked that multiple people have asked you that.

One of the people who asked me (in my baby sensory class) gave her daughter the middle name Maeve after the character!

I didn’t use the Irish spelling initially as I didn’t want to make her life difficult. And in fact I ruled out loads of beautiful Irish names because I didn’t want to anglicise the spellings or cause her problems in England. Maeve seemed ok because it’s such a long established version and that’s one of the reasons we went with it.

OP posts:

Stokey · 10/05/2021 20:46

I like the name and don't know any - 2 DDs 9 & 11 - but maybe I'm a bit out of date as I don't know many babies any more.

But altjough I like it personally, I disagree with everyone saying that 7 months is too late to change it though. I have friends who did similar with a boy's name closer to 10 months, they didn't realise how much of a moment it was having & thought it was unusual. People might remember, but she'll just become whatever name you give her. As you say, she's hardly meet anyone. It's harder once they're in nursery or school so go for it now if you want to.

squeezingin · 10/05/2021 20:47

Does she have a middle name? I know a few people who use their middle name and have done (almost) all their lives. In at least two cases the parents could never quite feel the first name suited them, so switched to the middle name very young.

Btw I love Maeve. I only know one child Maeve, she must be 11 ish, and one adult. But I don't really know any babies any more, so maybe there are lots.

Don't forget these things can end up being very different in reality from how they seem now/in statistics. My daughter's name was uncommon (not super unusual but outside top 200) when we named her, but then we moved to a place that seems to be the DD-name-capital of the world! All younger than her, even one in her class for years. Whereas DS1's name was definitely in the top 30, yet we don't know any children with his name.

My own name was not popular at the time (met six or seven in my life, yet it's a name everyone knows). Two of those lived in my village of 200 people, one adult who moved there after us, one a few years ago. There are just weird name gluts sometimes! Now it's getting popular, I think, because I keep thinking I'm in trouble at the park when actually it's parents telling their toddlers off

GaraMedouar · 10/05/2021 20:47

Maeve is a lovely name.

My DS had a little nursery friend years back called Nemo - he was called that a couple of years before the film ‘Finding Nemo’ came out!!

AliceMcK · 10/05/2021 20:52

Maeve is lovely but I love Irish names and all mine have them. I’ve not heard it around. I know Niamh, or various spellings of it have been popular in the last 10 years or so.

It dose astound me when people choose to name their child something, they don’t look up it’s meaning or origins though.

DotDotDotDotDot · 10/05/2021 20:52

Sorry you’re doubting your name choice. For what it’s worth I think Maeve is lovely. I work with children and families based in the SE and honestly haven’t come across any baby Maeve’s yet. I haven’t seen that series but as long as it’s not a negative character I really wouldn’t worry. Good luck.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 10/05/2021 20:55

No don't change it not if its after someone special to you.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 10/05/2021 20:56

I didn't even know Maeve was that popular.

Vegiereggie · 10/05/2021 21:01

I live in london have children and know no Maeves. It’s really nice. I adore Mae/May too. DP wouldn’t let me use it. Change the name if you want though.

frogswimming · 10/05/2021 21:01

Well it's definitely popular here, but I live in Dublin I would think a lot of it is confirmation bias. You're noticing it more because it's relevant to you. Like when you suddenly see loads of pregnant women when you're pregnant yourself.

majesticallyawkward · 10/05/2021 21:06

The show will fade pretty quickly and be forgotten soon enough, I wouldn't worry about the association. Netflix rarely carry on making a show for long.

toto23 · 10/05/2021 21:07

I watched Sex Education and to be honest I forgot there was a character with that name in it.

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