Speaking of names

[momtoboys]

Do you like the name you were given? I hate my name. Even in the age of old names making a comeback I cannot imagine mine will ever resurface.

My names Clare and I absolutely detest it. I've never truly forgave my parents for my name.
I hate that it can't be shortened and I hate the lengthening of it (Clary) even more.I don't even have a middle name that I can go by.
My mum chose it because it couldnt be shortened but to me took away my right to a prefered name.
All that said though I'd never change my name as I feel I'd be disrespectful to my Mum and Dad and ironically enough I'd probably quite like it if I wasnt lumbered with it. 😂

Helen hate so boring. I was going to be claire and I wish I had of been.

I do quite like mine, although it became very popular the few years after I was born.

I registered a baby with my name as a middle name last week. The parents commented on it (as I sign the birth certificate copy)

I do wish I'd had a more unusual name myself, but I rectified that with my own children 😁 And I see the full spectrum at work 🙈😆

I feel your pain. I could have written that with a different name.

My dd has a long name with two middle names.

Julia. Love it - internationally well used yet it's never been in the top 50 here (only in the lower end of the top 100 in the decade I was born, so feels pretty timeless imo -I've only met a few others of different ages to me). Also like that it has lots of references so feels classic - from a Beatles song to Shakespeare, Biblical, classic novels/film (Brideshead etc). Yet for some reason it's not that popular so I was the only one in school. I got really lucky in regards to my name - my parents other choices were quite 60's/70's and would have been dated even when I was born!

Problem is it makes it even harder when naming your own kids as I wanted a similar style for them and it's hard to find - everything seems either not as timeless/classic, not as many references (for a more uncommon name) or alternatively super popular. In the end I decided popularity wasn't as important as long as it wasn't currently trendy.

Yes

No. With hindsight, I wish I’d gone by something different or changed it when I was younger. I feel like I can’t now I’ve got kids, it would be a bit weird for them.

It’s fine, i don’t really think about it, I can’t imagine being anything else. It’s quite popular for kids now so hear lots of them being called out in public. I like the shortening my husband and parents use but no one else does!

Worrying now as 2 of my 3 kids have short names which don’t really shorten - not on purpose though!! Their right to a preferred name!! Yikes!

My friend’s mum changed her name a couple of times over say 30 years, from Mary to something very exotic and back again. It was just what it was, wasn’t weird other than an initial ‘huh, ok!’. You should do it!!

Hannah and I love it!

My name is Rebecca and I really like it. I feel like it's classic and doesn't really date. When I was a child I couldn't imagine an older person with my name but it seems to work!

I hate my name as it’s quite old fashioned and boring. I changed to a nickname form in my 30s which I much prefer and try to have on everything (work email account etc).

I really like mine.

I love my name, Elizabeth. It's my daughters middle name too. Tbh if it wasn't my name it would have been here's.

Classic, strong, options, never in or out of fashion, great historical figures with the name, works in loads of languages ... what's not to like?

I like mine! It's unusual and pretty imo.

I hate my name. It's rarely pronounced correctly despite being quite popular (it's having a revival) and people always shorten it even though I ask them not to. It's a very "pretty" name and I have been told it doesn't suit me!

Alice... I used to love it as I didn't know any others (and still do quite like it), but it's very popular with the five year olds these days!!

Love mine. Not very common (have only actually met two others and im in my 50s), easy to spell and pronounce, short, can't be shortened.

(To add, not very common in UK. Is quite common in parts of Europe or Russia.)

I do like my name, yeah. It's a very known name but not commonly used. I have rarely met another (if ever actually..). I don't think it's thought of being linked to any particular generation either. No idea why it isn't more popular tbh.

I didn't like my name when I was a teenager, but I really like it now. It's an international name, similar to something like Anna or Sara - it's well-used across Europe and the Americas. I like how well it travels, it's not associated with any particular nationality and it isn't strongly linked to a particular generation. Plus, it has a long history and often pops up in literature, songs and films. Overall, I think it's a good name and I'm glad my parents chose it for me.

I didn't used to mind mine but now it has become a slur (Karen) I don't like it so much.

I don’t love it. I go by a nickname so I am grateful that I have a name that you can get a few different nicknames from. DP’s name is just the nickname and he wishes he had the choice of going by the full name. My name was popular in a different generation to the one I was born in and I wished I had a more common name. I was so jealous of everyone else who could get a key ring etc with their name on and I couldn’t!

"My names Clare and I absolutely detest it. I've never truly forgave my parents for my name.
I hate that it can't be shortened and I hate the lengthening of it (Clary) even more.I don't even have a middle name that I can go by.
My mum chose it because it couldnt be shortened but to me took away my right to a prefered name."

I feel similar. My Nan did that to my dad and aunt. I think it is so selfish, just because you like the name, it doesn't mean the child will.

I dislike my name too. It's typical 1970s with a slightly chav feel to it. I'm sure at the time it was nice and modern, but it hasn't dated well, and so I use a nickname. I'm thankful to my mum for choosing a longer name that could be changed / shortened.

When naming my two children, I deliberately chose names that had multiple shortened versions. Something like Elizabeth. Eldest hates her name, uses a shortened version instead. Youngest did use a shortened version, but has recently reverted to her full name as she feels it is more grown up than her nickname.

I really dislike mine. Very unusual and has no short form.
Now i am older i can appreciate that it was chosen with love but really- it is awful.
It is so distinctive as well that changing my name would be very difficult

When i chose my kids names i made certain they were names that other kids had too