Picking the name

[Fairybobbin]

Does anyone else find picking a name for their child quite traumatic?

I guess I always thought I would be one of those people who just knew the name (maybe even pre conception). But it turns out, regardless of what we do, we need weeks post birth to really mull over and consider the options.

Now both my children have had name adjustments/changes post the initial name announcement. I just find it so much to pick just two names that we are going to live with for the rest of our lives and say 100 times a day for all that time. And one of the most fundamental parts of my children's identity. It feels strange now we have picked to almost have to say 'goodbye' to all the other names. Would one of those names have been better down the line? Have we definitely picked the ones we loved most?

Please don't say I'm over thinking things, we have picked our names and are happy. I just wanted to share with anyone else who might have or had similar thoughts!

I think it’s more common than you think! I often look at my children and imagine them as one of our other names. They’d suit some of them but I’m happy with what we picked. It’s just weird to think that they’d have had a whole life with a different name and identity had we just picked differently between names we essentially liked more or less the same 🤯

I could have written your post! I also expected to enjoy the process but absolutely hate it. DC1 had a fairly drastic name change after many months and DC2 remains unnamed after too many weeks. I'm with you, OP.

Thanks both, it's lovely to hear from people who feel simular! Everyone I seem to know or hear of seems to be able to make a quick decision and then move on and I feel like I've got to process it!
Turnitofflikealightswitch - I agree, if I'm honest with myself I think it's more stressful than fun, which is such a shame, but just feels like a huge life decision.

I totally agree with your posts. I honestly agree with every word but when I ask my partner what he thinks about his name he's literally never given it a second thought. In fact his mum once said he was nearly called another name and he was so disinterested he didn't even bother asking her "what was the other name"?! He could not care less.
A lot of people just don't really care that much. Plus remember a name isn't your whole identity. If I'd been given a different name, everything else about me would be the same, I'd just have a different name.