Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Name Regret

61 replies

PostpartumPolly · 30/10/2024 12:23

My DS is almost 5 months old and I feel like I have serious name regret. We have two DD’s and with both of their names we chose them in pregnancy and have always loved them. We found it much harder to name DS and had settled on the name Noah in pregnancy, which is a name I’ve always loved but was put off by the sheer popularity of it. We called DS Noah for around 4 months of the pregnancy, and then I had a lot of doubts about the name so we revisited the name lists and considered others. I went into the hospital to give birth with no name set in stone.

When DS was born my DH asked what name I thought he suited. I said Noah I guess, but was still unsure and wanted to trial a few names. One of the names I had brought up when having my wobble about Noah was Milo. I love the name Milo but always had worries about the wearability on an adult. My DH shared that he actually thought DS suited the name Milo more, and we didn’t really trial Noah or any other names - Milo just stuck.

DS does suit the name Milo, but I can’t help but feel regret that we didn’t use Noah. It almost feels like I was pregnant with a different baby because the baby that was in my tummy was Noah (probably sounds really stupid 🤣). I still have the same worries about the wearability of Milo on an adult. Everyone we have introduced him to as Milo have said they absolutely love his name, and when we’ve mentioned that he was nearly Noah they say they prefer Milo, but I feel like they would say they prefer the name we chose either way as it’s polite.

Have any of you experienced similar feelings? I don’t feel like we could change his name, I feel like it would be too confusing for our DD’s (youngest is 3) and I also don’t even think my DH would want to. I know this can be a symptom of PPD, but I have had that before after my first pregnancy and other than these doubts I actually feel so much better in myself so I don’t think it’s that.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Mumtumtastic · 30/10/2024 12:41

Hi OP, I think both names are lovely but Milo is more original (as you say, Noah is v popular at the moment)
I can see it suiting teen years and adulthood as well

How about having Noah as a middle name if you still like it?

MistyF · 30/10/2024 12:43

Do you have documents or ultrasound pictures of Milo while you were pregnant? Maybe trying to revisit these and look at them again might help you associate Milo with your baby now and before.
Maybe you got post natal anxiety instead of depression, as well.
Do you feel like you're consumed by your wobble? Do you think you overly worry about your baby's name?

Purplecatshopaholic · 30/10/2024 12:46

Milo is a great name! Noah is just soooo common

VerityUnreasonble · 30/10/2024 13:35

Milo is a lovely name, if you are worried about "wearability as an adult" why not go for Myles / Miles (or even Emilo, or pushing it a bit Mitchell) and just continue to use Milo but with the option of an alternative?

VerityUnreasonble · 30/10/2024 13:36

Can't edit on app, but just assume I spelt Emilio correctly the first time.

Andoutcomethewolves · 30/10/2024 14:17

Milo is a great name. I know a very cool young adult Milo (who wears it well!) and have never come across another.

Noah is boring to me, I know several little Noahs so it's pretty common and has always struck me as a bit 'meh' (autocorrect just changed Noah to 'nothing' on my phone which is basically how I feel about it as a name! Sorry to any mums of Noahs 😬)

Normallynumb · 30/10/2024 14:24

I think Milo is much better than Noah and I can imagine it on an older son too.
When you get used to it, he will just be " your Milo"
It is a great idea to look back at scan photos to form an association.
I had depression during pregnancy and I couldn't link the photo to my bump, was meh about names but I looked at him when he was born and he was " My" Lucas.

Atishooo · 30/10/2024 15:06

I love the name Noah and only know one! It’s not super common where I am.

Milo is nice. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks as you have to be happy with his name.

RuthW · 30/10/2024 15:40

Milo is much nicer than Noah.

Mademetoxic · 30/10/2024 15:43

I just think of Milo from the Tweenies....

Neveragain35 · 30/10/2024 15:46

Milo is a lovely name! If it’s any reassurance, as a teacher I have come across quite a few, so I do think that by the time he is grown up it will definitely pass the test of being a “grown up” name iyswim- to his generation it will just be a normal name.

Radiolala · 30/10/2024 15:50

I much prefer Milo.

Orrinocc0 · 30/10/2024 15:52

Noah is so so overdone. Literally any other name is better at this point.

Noideawhatiam · 30/10/2024 15:53

I much prefer Milo too. I struggle to understand the popularity of Noah, it reminds me of a young child whinging Nooooo.

But on the point of suiting an adult, it will be fine. There are much more cutesy names out there that are fine when you actually meet adults with them.

Yeahnoforsure · 30/10/2024 15:54

I see many PPS prefer the name Milo and I do too.
Milo and Noah, I don't want to stay they're similar, but I guess because they're both names that have two syllables, each have the same number of letters, they are quite similar, and neither name would be subject to being shortened.
I used to love the name Noah and I still do but it's so very common now that it puts me off.
Milo is much less common, but not strange or unheard of.
That's my thought on matter anyway, but ultimately it's up to you and your DH.

loropianalover · 30/10/2024 15:55

Agree with PP’s Noah is unbelievably boring now.

Milo is lovely.

itsmeits · 30/10/2024 16:02
the mask dog GIF

Sorry @PostpartumPolly but that's what I see when I hear Milo.
I was horrified when my MIL suggested it as a name when I was pregnant.
That's my personal opinion I'm sure others have names that they associate with particular characters.

CookieMonster28 · 30/10/2024 16:08

I really like Milo
I went to school with one so would be in early 30s now. I think it suits all ages!

LauderSyme · 30/10/2024 16:10

Milo is a great name, I was very tempted to use it with ds but settled on another name ending in -o.

It works just as well for adults as for children so I am surprised you are concerned about that, I don't think you need to be. I don't associate Milo with any fictional character at all.

Noah is a good name but there are lots of them around here. I've never met a Milo though. (My autocorrect changed Noah to Nothing too!)

All the best to you and your family 💐

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 30/10/2024 16:14

Love Milo.

Noah, built himself an arkey warky (wasn't that how the song went?)

Not2identifying · 30/10/2024 16:18

Don't forget that when you think of adult names you're thinking of your own (and older) generations of adults. Debbie, Karen, Sarah, Ben, Matt, Sam, Kevin, etc.

But the people who are being born now will have a completely different set of adult names. So it won't matter that 'Milo' doesn't fit with Debbie, Karen, etc. It will fit with the trendy names that around in his generation.

I prefer Milo to Noah although I like both. I know several (young) Noahs and no Milos (of any age).

LivinInYourBigGlassHouseWithAView · 30/10/2024 16:20

Personally, I much prefer Milo.

Noah is too religious for me and more popular.

JC03745 · 30/10/2024 16:23

Does Milo have a middle name?

My mum had a similar wobble, because my 1st name is a slightly uncommon, 4 letter name. She thought that if I really hated it, I could use my middle name or a NN from that. I have always loved my name though!
If Milo does like he, he too could use a middle name, or a variant like Myles etc.

kizzyyy · 30/10/2024 16:23

My partner is an adult Milo and wears it well x

Calliopespa · 30/10/2024 16:28

PostpartumPolly · 30/10/2024 12:23

My DS is almost 5 months old and I feel like I have serious name regret. We have two DD’s and with both of their names we chose them in pregnancy and have always loved them. We found it much harder to name DS and had settled on the name Noah in pregnancy, which is a name I’ve always loved but was put off by the sheer popularity of it. We called DS Noah for around 4 months of the pregnancy, and then I had a lot of doubts about the name so we revisited the name lists and considered others. I went into the hospital to give birth with no name set in stone.

When DS was born my DH asked what name I thought he suited. I said Noah I guess, but was still unsure and wanted to trial a few names. One of the names I had brought up when having my wobble about Noah was Milo. I love the name Milo but always had worries about the wearability on an adult. My DH shared that he actually thought DS suited the name Milo more, and we didn’t really trial Noah or any other names - Milo just stuck.

DS does suit the name Milo, but I can’t help but feel regret that we didn’t use Noah. It almost feels like I was pregnant with a different baby because the baby that was in my tummy was Noah (probably sounds really stupid 🤣). I still have the same worries about the wearability of Milo on an adult. Everyone we have introduced him to as Milo have said they absolutely love his name, and when we’ve mentioned that he was nearly Noah they say they prefer Milo, but I feel like they would say they prefer the name we chose either way as it’s polite.

Have any of you experienced similar feelings? I don’t feel like we could change his name, I feel like it would be too confusing for our DD’s (youngest is 3) and I also don’t even think my DH would want to. I know this can be a symptom of PPD, but I have had that before after my first pregnancy and other than these doubts I actually feel so much better in myself so I don’t think it’s that.

Kindly op, you have a healthy baby boy who has your second choice name ( which might have been your first choice at the time, and you’re still not very sure) . You are looking for drama in life.

Give Milo a big hug and forget about it. I infinitely prefer it to Noah anyway.