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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Name regret

34 replies

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 09:31

Please no judgement, this is a hard post to write.

I gave birth to my second daughter 7 months ago. Pregnancy was unplanned and her dad and I separated as he didn't want me to keep her. I struggled throughout but also had my 8 month old to care for and returned to work full time.

Her birth was traumatic and ended in an emergency section. Dad then decided he did want to be involved and he'd made a mistake. I was an emotional mess and under daily pressure to name her. I originally agreed to Mila Eve, because I didn't dislike it and everyone else seemed to love it. I didn't register her until the deadline and about a week prior decided Mila wasn't right, so went with Eve Celine without telling anyone. I was still (and still am) living alone with both my babies and had no one I wanted to talk to anyway. Eve or Eva had always been special to me so Eve kind of felt right. I'm 7 months in, we've finally just moved into our new hoke and I think I'm starting to process the whole past year. I'm still struggling with her name. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it, everyone laughs or thinks I'm joking when they ask her middle name. My other choice was either Eva or Camille. I don't feel I can change her first name again without people thinking I've totally lost the plot. Do you think it's OK to call her Eva and just keep Eve on her birth cert? What, if anything, can be done about her middle name do you think? I likely won't tell a soul if changes are made I just want and need to feel better bonded to her and because I feel I've messed up her name I don't feel that way.

OP posts:

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MorningOclock · 13/08/2023 09:36

Do you have a first and middle name that you feel very sure on now? Honestly, don’t worry about what other people think - you’ve given it 7 months and you’re still not sold on the name, she is little and you can change it to something you love

Original poster

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 09:43

I still regret not using Camille somewhere in her name. I went with Celjne because it means heaven, and my nan who I wasn't close to passed away whilst I was pregnant so I used it more for my mum, but to disappear honest I don't think she appreciated the significance anyway x

OP posts:

Weefreetiffany · 13/08/2023 09:48

I think you sound like you have a lot of worry and sadness from this recent tough time. Understandably so, it sounds like a lot for anyone to bear. Could you be feeling unsure about the name as a way to try and take control while having gone through this stressful period. It’s not really about the name but about you. All those names are lovely and significant to you. Focus on making yourself feel better, congratulations both on your daughter and having survived such a tough experience 💐

DuchessOfSausage · 13/08/2023 10:32

You can change a baby's name on the birth certificate up to 12 months after the birth.
It's probably all the other stuff that is making you fixate on the name, and I'd go and have a chat with the GP to rule out post-natal depression or depression caused by grief.

Sorry to hear about your nan.

Busted2006 · 13/08/2023 10:44

Change it, change it, change it.

If you want Eva, change it to Eva. Its not a big change.

Do not spend your life disliking your DDs name.

I'd also change the middle name if I wasn't happy.

No judgement her. Do what you feel is right.

MorningOclock · 13/08/2023 11:12

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 09:43

Why don’t you start calling her Eva Camille and if you feel much happier with the name, start changing it on the birth certificate etc.

WunWun · 13/08/2023 11:15

Just change it now while she's young, otherwise you'll always regret it.

Summer2424 · 13/08/2023 11:25

Hi @Emz555
I'm so sorry you've had to go through everything alone. I love the name Eve Celine, as soon as i saw it i thought wow what a beautiful name. I don't see a problem with calling her Eva even if it's Eve on her birth certificate. Alot of of my friends are called by different names, me included, my name is long and people have trouble pronouncing it so i just shortened it and everyone calls me by that name. Well done for bringing up your DD on your own i know how hard it can be xx

TennisWithDeborah · 13/08/2023 11:30

I think that Eve Celine is a gorgeous, classy name and I really like the nod to your late grandmother.

But it doesn’t matter what I think about the name because it doesn’t belong to me, nor to my DD. You must do what you feel is right.

I do wonder whether you have PND and are still struggling with what you’ve been through with your little girl’s dad and your grandmother. Maybe a chat with your GP or practice nurse is in order?

Original poster

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 14:17

Thank-you all for your replies. Please continue to be honest, if I added Camille somewhere (so either Eve Celine Camille or viceversa), would she sound even more ridiculous?

OP posts:

panko · 13/08/2023 14:21

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 14:17

Thank-you all for your replies. Please continue to be honest, if I added Camille somewhere (so either Eve Celine Camille or viceversa), would she sound even more ridiculous?

Imo that would be too much

Busted2006 · 13/08/2023 14:54

Emz555 · 13/08/2023 14:17

Thank-you all for your replies. Please continue to be honest, if I added Camille somewhere (so either Eve Celine Camille or viceversa), would she sound even more ridiculous?

What's the point, does that help the issue?

Just change it

user1492757084 · 13/08/2023 16:55

Eva Camille is fine.

Neverseenbefore · 13/08/2023 17:06

I think Eve Celine is absolutely lovely and nicer than Eva Camille. But it’s not my child. I think it’s OK to call her Eva and keep Eve as her official name, though. But if you’re sure about the new name, just change it.

villamariavintrapp · 13/08/2023 17:09

Eve Celine is lovely, and can call her Eva if you prefer without having to change her name. Eva Camille sounds a bit like a female Evel Knievel to me, but it's also fine.

SneezyEvie · 13/08/2023 17:22

I love Eve Celine and would have no regrets, it’s a really beautiful name.

I think you are experiencing some anxiety (and rightly so, it’s been a lot to go through) and are overthinking the name as a result.

DigbyTheDigger · 13/08/2023 17:37

I changed DD's name. You say Eve or Eva felt special to you. The reason I changed DD's name was because at the last minute I'd swerved away from the 'special' one. So I'd say unless you're really unhappy that you went with Eve instead of Eva, I'd leave it. For what it's worth, I think Eve is nicer.

The middle name sounds like a different issue. I'd put the 'special' name in the middle so it was 'in there somewhere'. You want to get Camille in there, perhaps because you've lost conviction in Celine. In your shoes I'd keep Eve and replace Celine with Camille.

I also definitely had PND, and I think it's worth you looking at that. It makes anxiety levels about decisions go through the roof. Best of luck, OP, you've had a really tough time.

BrutusMcDogface · 13/08/2023 17:43

You sound like you’ve been through a lot, and you need to be kind to yourself! Eve Celine is lovely. I know a little Celine at the moment.

I also love Eva Camille but now someone has said evil kenieval I can’t get that out of my head! Eve Camille?

either way, as others have said, your baby and your choice. Use names that make your heart sing 💐

Hazelnut9 · 13/08/2023 17:58

Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, if you want to change her name then do it. It’s a big decision so if it doesn’t seem quite right then there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind.

I think Eve Celine is lovely though, I don’t understand why people would laugh at her middle name. Eve Camille is also lovely, although personally I think Eve Celine Camille is too much.

margegunderson · 13/08/2023 18:05

Celine is a great name. We changed our DD's name in her first year because we'd never managed to call her by the one we'd agreed on, just the one everyone had tried to talk us out of! No PND there or other reasons. It's mostly been straightforward other than early passport and bank applications where birth certificate and replacement one were needed.
It seems to me she's Eva in your head so go for that. You loved Celine and stick with that - if people laugh they're rude and stupid. Plus who knows anyone else's middle name once they're out of babyhood?
Good luck.

LT2 · 13/08/2023 18:31

Who cares if people will think you've lost the plot if you change it (I changed my baby's name and I'm sane, honestly!). All that matters if your happiness. It was a massive deal for me when I was going through name regret. I immediately felt relief when we agreed to change his name and have been happier ever since (a year later).

mistermagpie · 13/08/2023 19:49

Why are people laughing at the middle name? It's lovely! My children have terrible middle names because we used the middle name to honour relatives, relatives who are very special but have very un-special names. Nobody much even know what the middle names are. I have two similarly awful middle names myself for the same reasons and most of my close friends couldn't even tell you what they are.

FWIW I think Eve is so much nicer than Eva, it's timeless and pretty.

That said, now is the time to change it if you're going to. If I was you I would Keep Eve and change the middle name, but if you change Eve to Eva then honestly people won't take much notice.

Personally I wouldn't keep the birth certificate name and then call her something different - I have a name like that and it's a bit of a pain.

DuchessOfSausage · 13/08/2023 19:59

Eve Celine is fine. Unless the surname is something like Dion, Dean, Devine, Reeve, Ryder or Glover.
Eve is so much nicer than Eva, but I prefer Camille to Celine.

Try calling her Eva for a bit to see if you do really prefer it, then decide.

Friggingfrog · 13/08/2023 20:03

Eve Celine is a beautiful name. I would keep it and you could use Eva as a nickname for Eve. I think Eva is lovely but mega popular right now whereas Eve is more of a classic. In ten or twenty years Eva might have dated way more than Eve and so I would keep her name as Eve. I’m not a fan of Camille, much prefer Celine.

CockneySignora · 13/08/2023 20:20

You haven’t addressed the most important questions here — who is ‘laughing’ at a perfectly ordinary name? Who was pressuring you to choose a name?

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