If you regretted your baby's name, what did you do?

[Howtotameyourtoddler]

Baby is eight weeks old - a big, bonny boy.

We ended up giving him a name which was actually my least favourite on our list of options. He just suited it immediately. However, now that a bit of time has passed I feel that his name is just a bit... boring? I wish we had been a bit bolder with our choice and I'm getting a bit hung up on it. His name is perfectly nice but very common, top ten - he'll likely be one of a few at school. Our daughter has a classic but very uncommon name, so I'm not used to this!

I'd feel so daft and embarrassed changing it now. And that's even assuming my husband would agree (I haven't said any of this to him). We really struggled to agree on names so this would open up a whole can of worms. I don't really want to go there!

So - if you feel/felt a bit sad about your baby's name: did you change it, or did you just accept it and get used to it?

Hi op it’s difficult choosing a name. I think a lot of parents have a wobble over names. It’s probably worse now with the internet so you can constantly look at what’s ‘common’ or ‘uncommon’. I don’t think it helps.
You have to remember that in say 50 years if you had the choice whatever name you pick now will probably not be your first chalice then.
What if you change it and then in 10 years regret it?
You also need to know that the birth certificate will always show the original name. So there is the real possibility that your child will not thank you as they will always know that initially you called them X and they might actually prefer X to what you changed it to.

Personally I think overall it's going to be better for a kid to have a safe, boring name than some bold, uNiQuE one which would make them stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Find him a more unusual nickname maybe?

Hi, I felt the same, and tried to change the name but it didn't work - there was a mixup and I didn't get the form for months, by which time everyone was used to the first name. I ended up changing it back, and it turned out fine. It's hard but try to think of the name as a handle, give him a great nickname.

I have felt this way and have found it passes. At times I’ve thought i wish I’d called my son ‘X’ but then later on I have gone off that and wished I’d called him something different !! I’m glad he is what he is now ❤️

I hugely regret my daughter’s name and she is 4! Sadly it didn’t really go away and I wish I’d fought a lot more at the time. I agreed to my husband’s favourite (boring classic) as we hadn’t agreed one and I’ve always felt sad about it. I would have loved to have given her a name that felt more special instead of one where she will no doubt be one of many. I do think it’s something you should give really serious thought too, you both need to be completely happy with the name. I would have gone through arguments, awkwardness and embarrassment for my little girl to have a name I truly loved! Although my husband did hate my favourite names so honestly I’m not sure e could have ever used them: For what it’s worth though, it does suit her and it’s hard to imagine her being anything else, she likes her name and doesn’t have another one in her class or anything. Good luck xx

I changed my eldest daughters name. Very happy I did. To me, I don’t care about being embarrassed because I’d rather that than live my whole life in regret.

My advice would be: the baby’s looks keep changing so don’t name based on “what the baby looks like now”.

Also don’t think about NOW, “ oh the child may not like having an unusual name…”

Pick a name that you like, that your child would like as an adult.

He might look like a cute “Teddy” but maybe would prefer Edward when older etc.

These replies are so helpful, thank you everyone.

He will have a bit of a choice of names as he gets older. We use the informal but with the formal, full version on his birth certificate (think Eddie/Edward).

I agree that maybe it's better to have a pretty uniform, unremarkable name rather than something much less common that he'll end up hating. On the other hand, naming your child is big responsibility and I want to get it right. I think I should tentatively mention something to my husband and see what he says..!

Even most of the top ten names are given to less than 1% of babies - multiples of the same name in one class are not inevitable. It's not like it was 25/30/40 years ago at all. I don't know if that helps, but it reassures lots of people.

I decided to change my son's name. After a few weeks I just knew that his middle name was suppose to be his first name. It suits him perfectly and I couldn't be happier with it. I didn't got any bad comments beside from my grandmother (who critises me all the time anyway - don't really care). People forget easily and yes, first it felt a bit awkward but I don't want to regret not changing it like so many other parents do. I should say this decision was made months ago and I'm still in love with my son's name :)

@Olga03 can I ask if you changed his birth certificate? How old was he when you started calling him a different name and how did you announce it to people? I adore our son's middle name - I would love to have used it as his first but my husband wasn't keen. He's since said it's grown on him.

My younger brother uses his middle name as his given name but as far as I can remember, he was never known by his first name. Quite why my parents did this, I'll never know!

So the appointment for the change in the birth certificate is booked (quite late, but I've been lazy). We started at around two months. To be fair in this stage of age, babies have a hundred nicknames anyway. I spoke to family and friends about it, most knew I struggled a bit with a finding the perfect first name. The reaction was really positive, I got the feeling people like his new first name more than his old one. Which doesn't really matter because it's others people opinion, but your son at the end of the day. Then there were people who I didn't tell and then realised I changed my son's name. Again I had the feeling they are happy for us. Only my grandmother was like :"why are you doing this? It costs you extra money!" (Coming from woman who likes to re-gift Christmas gifts 😂)
Regarding partners/husbands/, I have the feeling a lot can only be yay or nay anyway. Definitely wouldn't choose a name he doesn't like, but if it has grown on him.
Also I want to add, my son is now nearly one year old and I think in a few months many people will even have forgotten his old first name anyway. In this nine month there wasn't a single time I did regret it 😊 I hope that helps 🤗

@OrangeAndYellowAndBlue

Even most of the top ten names are given to less than 1% of babies - multiples of the same name in one class are not inevitable. It's not like it was 25/30/40 years ago at all. I don't know if that helps, but it reassures lots of people.

If the name has been very popular for decades, it won't matter if it is only 1% of babies from that year has the name.

I don't look around the workplace thinking we don't have lots of men called Mark working here but they're not the same age

Sorry, should have said
I don't look around the workplace thinking we have lots of men called Mark working here but they're not the same age

@WhoppingBigBackside that's a good point, and hadn't occurred to me! It is popular now but it always has been - it's a George, Charles, Thomas, James name. In fact, it's timelessness was a big reason for me choosing it in the first place - it felt like a perennial classic when we chose it. I didn't want anything too trendy or faddy. But now it just feels a bit bland.

I've been giving it a lot of thought today and I'm not sure how much this is all just a symptom of me generally feeling a bit anxious and highly strung at the moment. I'm going to sit on it for another week or two and see how I feel then.

Those names are nice @Howtotameyourtoddler, and that's why they don't go away.

I can think of places I've worked where there might only have been one James but a few Jims, so you don't know how things work out.

A bit sexist of me perhaps but I think a more ordinary name is better for a boy. I also think I'd rather be one of several Sarahs or Emmas than one of several Olivias or Avas

it sort of matters less in the workplace but you tend to be Mark Smith or something not Mark. It does get confusing if you have Mark Robbins, Mark Roberts and Mark Robson though