Immense baby name regret

[SLNM]

Baby is 3 months old, and I have started to regret her name. We named her Desiree (which is a name that DH had suggested). It is mainly the comments of others that are causing my regret. When we go to the shops, we get reactions that seem negative when someone asks what her name is. My parents do not like her name. I want to change her name but am not certain that I will be able to convince DH. It doesn't help that she is likely to be our only child (which only makes the regret stronger).

We had considered Isabel, Jacqueline, Lucy, and Scarlett as well, but DH wasn't as keen on those as I was. What would you do?

I think she already has a lot of choices if she doesn't like it as she gets older. She could shorten her name to Dee, Rae or use her middle name Joy.

What we think of names though is always tied in with "do I know someone with that name and do I like them?" I had a friend through my ex husband called the same as your daughter. We lost touch after the divorce but she was from South Africa and a beautiful person inside and out. So I associate Desiree with her and see it as a lovely name.

Jacqueline I associate with someone else I know who is a complete busy body and gossip.

Stupid because they're not your connections but mine. But I cannot help but think about them when the names come up. Brains are funny.

But I'd stick with it. Mostly because the only reasons you're rethinking it is because of other peoples reactions. And there are going to be 100 kids in her school when she's older called Izzy, Lucy, even Scarlett isn't uncommon. I have an unusual name and it was always a cool thing when I was younger. I wouldn't overthink it.

I agree @ACR7 my daughter has an ie name that's always slated here AND her middle name is Jacqueline 😬

I prefer it to your other choices by a mile. Ignore people. If you like it don’t let them take the shine off it for you. My mum hates my daughter’s name so I know how you feel.

I knew a lot of Desiree's growing up. All became Des, Desi or Dez by the time they were teens.

Desirée is a lovely name. Ignore randoms in shops. To me, it's far stronger than all these ditzy names like Daisy, Maisie, Lottie, Dottie etc. she'll be the only one in her class, which is great!
Just stick with it, people will get used to it and it will not be a problem at school.

I really like it! Stick with it!
I have a name that whilst it isn’t unusual, is uncommon.
I was never keen on it, but recently, I’m pleased it’s uncommon as no one else has the same name as me!

Same here! I like being the only person with the name!

I love the name! We had similar reactions with the (not unusual) name of our first and it really affected me in those early postpartum days. People say things without thinking but the comments really stick with you when you’re feeling a bit vulnerable with a newborn and unsure. Mine’s now at school with five others with the same name in the year, so we were clearly onto something! Plus the school is full of what I would consider quite unusual names. Desiree is beautiful and as someone said upthread, Desi or Rey (like the very cool singer Raye!) make excellent nickname choices when she’s older.

It's a nice name but if you've gone off it, change it. My parents changed my name around the three month mark.

I think its cute. Ive never been known by my first name as its very old fashioned, everyone calls me a shortened version of my middle name...Marty.

I think if you both actually love the name keep it. How rude of people to make negative comments on it - I'd tell them they are being rude.

I do see how that could be where some of the surprise is coming from. We're white British.

Absolutely! They are being rude. There are so many alternative names nowadays, it's certainly not the worst.
Stick with it, it'll be fine.

It’s miles better than Jacqueline. I would shorten it to Desi , which is BRILLIANT.

Personally, I dislike the name Desiree and the connotations. On the other hand, my father misremembered his mother's very attractive and classic name - she died when he was very young - and landed me with an odd variant - which I am not particularly fond of and which people struggle to spell. I tell myself at least it's unusual though I rather suspect this is because it's not a particularly attractive name. It didn't make much difference to my life but at least it was a name without obvious class markers. I do wish I'd taken the opportunity when I was younger though to ditch the name and choose something nicer.

Ah yes this will be why people are reacting rather than thinking it’s not a nice name.

Team love it. Stick to it- Desi for short is cool and she choose that if she prefers.

I remember when Otis was a so-called 'Black' name - now it's very Nappy Valley!

Daisy is much better!

@SLNM
I absolutely love the name Desiree, it always features on my fantasy baby name lists
Dh’s granny was Dorothea Desiree and called Dede, which is very cute. I think it’s a beautiful name and you’ve chosen well. I really hope you can ignore other people and just enjoy your beautiful baby Desiree

If I stood next to you in the post office a said aww she is so cute - what’s her name ? And I heard Desiree -
I would probably look surprised 😮!!
not because I thought it was a horrible name but because it’s not a typical name !!!
if you said Olivia, Lucy, Isabelle I would not react, but actually I don’t like those names !!! I wouldn’t look surprised because they are so frequently used !!!
so what I’m trying to say is people’s reactions may not be negative!! May just be wow didn’t expect that ! And that’s not the same as negative!!
It is a more unusual name and that’s ok !!

Desirée is ‘traditional’, though. Desirée Clary was queen of Sweden in the early 19th. The heroine of Stephen Sondheim’s musical A Little Night Music, set around 1900, is Desirée (who gets to sing one of the all-time great songs, Send in the Clowns).

It sounds OK, but its a trademarked potato variety...

They are very nice potatoes though - I'm microwaving one right now.

She still a baby so you've not had to shout the name yet but in making your decision, I'd consider whether you'd feel happy having to say it loudly across a play park to get her to come back. Because once she's a toddler, you'll need to do it a lot.

I think the difference pronunciation is an issue but Jacqueline suffers from that a little too.

Desi is nicer (although you may end up with a Des). Having just read the latest Strike novel, there's Decima as an alternative that keeps the nickname.