Ruined child's life with the name?

[Leolala]

So the DD name is Alexia. At the time of her birth I was aware of dyslexia term but it was not everywhere like it is now and it never appeared to either of us that alexia is also a medical term, we just struggled to find a name and both really liked it. When we googled it back then we discovered it meant “men defender” and thought it had a good meaning.

She is 8 and I am constantly obsessing over the choice we've made to the point that I am not sure if also made a mistake with our second DC name. She can't go by Alexa either for obvious reasons - mumsnet constantly slams both of the names whenever they come up. This made my anxiety worse with all the negative comments over both of the names.

I do feel like I would want to change it but DD loves her name and doesn’t want any NN or other name. She is not aware of negative connotations but she may find out one day.

Is the name really that bad? What would you think if you hear it on a playground?

Alexia is also the name of a condition also called Acquired Dyslexia, apparently. I'd never heard of it and it presumably isn't common. Note how Wikipedia calls is a "given name' before a 'comdition' OP. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexia

I think it’s beautiful, I wish it was my name!

I had to Google Alexia to see what you were talking about. I'd never heard of it and based on the comments here it seems that most other people won't have either. I really wouldn't worry OP, it's a pretty name!

Honestly, I think you are completely over thinking this

I was just thinking the same thing!

I've never heard of the medical term and I've worked as nurse for 15 years.
If it makes you feel any better at least you haven't called your child Milena which is pronounced the same as Melaena which means black tarry stools from a gastrointestinal bleed!

Spent my life working with children with dyslexia and it wouldn't occur to me to associate Alexia with that..even for a moment. Its a beautiful name and fantastic your dd loves it. I am wondering if you have a post natal thing still going on and have somehow fixated it on that name. Do go to your October and get this sorted as you are being robbed of the joy of your beautiful dd with her great name.
There are a few names l would struggle with but not that.

You need to go to the GP and get help with your feelings.

You have a happy confident child who loves her name. You want to change that because of obsessive thoughts you are having. You see how serious that is, right? Changing the name (either to another name or a nickname) when it's HER NAME that belongs to her is bordering on extremely bad parenting.

Please seek help.

You MUST stop bringing up this subject with your daughter. He name is beautiful, so don't make your problem her problem. Could you be peri-menopausal by any chance?

Are you in the US, OP? I work with children and young people with dyslexia in the UK and have never come across this term. Even after Googling , it only gets a mention in a medical sense way down the page, below an Italian singer, and no links are UK-based.

It’s a perfectly nice name. Your DD loves it. Very few people will be aware of any medical connotations, unlike something like Candida! How did you find this out, if you didn’t research it before she was born?

Hey OP, don’t be so hard on yourself. I think it’s beautiful because I really like the name Alexis so it’s very similar. I doubt many people will know the Alexia medical term - I had to google it myself. Plenty of little girls, teens and women called Amelia and that has really quite an awful medical meaning 🤷🏼‍♀️

if Dd loves her name and she’s 8 years old you really can’t do much about it. She’ll perhaps decide she likes a nn like Alex, Alexi, Lexi or Lex as she gets older x

I think the name itself is fine, and quite pretty, but coming from someone with dyslexia, I either want to come out with Alexa, or Alexandria, because I've never seen the name Alexia before and because I'm not familiar with it it just looks kind of... Wrong.

I've said it outloud and other than it now sounding like a word that makes no sense because I've said it quite a lot, it sounds pretty.

I like the name Alexia, it sounds beautiful.

I do not like the abbreviations suggested: Lexi, Alex...

Alexia sounds mysterious, exotic, royal....

It's a great name and sounds like it suits a great girl!

I think if she's happy with it there is no problem

When I first read Alexia I didn't have any immediate negative connotations

In fact I loved the name Alexa for years and wanted it for DD but DH vetoed it due to the Alexa thing (we have one!)

I still love the name Alexa wouldn't have bothered me if people judged...I've loved the name since I was at school!

I found out when started hearing term dyslexia but that is the connection made on mumsnet every time so kind of makes an impression that everyone is aware

IS Alexia a medical term? Not really. I doubt many people would recognise is as such. You'd need specialist knowledge of dyslexia to know that 'alexia' was a broad term for different types.

I'd not call it medical.

The first thing that came to my mind was 'Ask Alexa'!

It's a fine name. Far worse out there.

Thank goodness she's not called Candida as a friend of mine was. I thought it was quite exotic until I grew up.

OP, as kindly as possible, I think you need some help with your anxiety.

Names are a funny old thing. I grew up hating my v unusual name wishing I were called Susan or Angela. Hence dd has a classic, unremarkable name. She hated it for years. Didn't help that it wasn't very well used 24 years ago and then it exploded.

Far more people would think of Alexia as a name / version of Alexandra than they would a medical term. It’s nice name. Stop worrying about it. Alex, Alexis, Alecky, Allie, are all perfectly fine shortforms if you want - but you can’t enforce that on her.

Exactly that. See there is always someone who brings it up. Not sure why this time though

She loves her name, that's all that matters. If she changes her mind as she gets older she can then choose to use a nn.
Personally I love Lexi

I’ve never heard of Alexia, and I think I’m pretty well informed. I don’t think it’s common knowledge at all. It’s a really nice name.

Chick, you're overthinking.

Alexia is a fine name. Lexie and Alex are cute nicknames. If your daughter is happy with her name, just leave it.

I've met quite a few Alexia's and all I've ever thought is 'that's a nice name'. You're overthinking this.

mumsnet constantly slams both of the names whenever they come up. This made my anxiety worse with all the negative comments over both of the names.

Maybe stop reading mumsnet posts about your 8 Yr old DDs name! You are actively seeking out this anxiety-inducing melodrama.

Are you normally this dramatic? Get help, I suspect this isn’t about the name at all but you’re projecting on to that because it all sounds so ridiculous.