Does anyone else not like their name?

[thetruthshallsetyoufreebutfirstitwillpissyouoff]

I mean your own name. Putting this in the baby name topic as not sure where else it would go. But I'm starting to come to the realisation that I don't really like my name - it's not hugely common but not 'out there' so nothing objectively wrong with it, but it feels quite jarring to me when someone calls me it. I'm not going to change it - I'm late 30's, two kids, career, friends, family so it would just confuse things. Anyone else? How do you get over it?

Kayleigh

I’ve always hated my name.
My reason is because it’s the name my birth mother gave me.
When I was adopted as a 5 week old baby my new parents planned to change it but they couldn’t agree on a name so decided to just keep it.
My mum always said she didn’t like my name and when she first had me she would often forget what my name was as it’s not a name she would ever had picked!!

I don’t hate my name but I have definitely never liked it. It’s dated. I never knew anyone else at school with the name which made me feel odd and unpopular.
Same here.

I think it's rare people like their name. In my case knowing the reason it was chosen makes it worse

Mine is so boring and there are so many of us of my era.

At school I was always ‘Emma T’ (not that name, but similar). Except for the point where there were two Emma Ts in the year so I went by my whole name constantly.

Now it’s instantly obvious that I’m 40ish… and I still have to be Emma T when I’m with people my age.

I was born abroad and my mum thought she was giving me an unusual name. Return to the UK and every other baby girl is called the same. Multiples in school and at work. I use a shortening that many Mnetters dislike but I like. My parents and family used the same shortening since I was very young and friends do now. I use the original for work/formal things and I think it’s quite sweet for a baby girl now. I loathe my middle name and due to its French spelling DH was questioned for not spelling it correctly on pre marriage interview at the register office.

@AGreatUsername Kayleigh?

I don’t mind my name, but it was generic. I am your quintessential 70s baby. Rachel Louise. Along with 3 other Rachel/Rachaels.

I hated my name, it was really common so I got called by a number half the time at school. And it rhymed with everything so I got every teasing variant. I changed it when I went to uni, I'm so, so glad so did.

I rarely tell people I changed it though because then they all want to know what my "real" name was. (My "real" name is my current name, which I've had for far longer than my birth name, is on my passport, etc!) People see it as some kind of weird power play to call me by my birth name. Which I don't respond to, obviously, as I haven't used it for decades. People are weird about names.

If I could change the world I would make it so everyone could choose their own name at 18 and no-one would be weird about it. That way, anyone who liked their name could keep it and if not, they could pick a new one without stigma.

I've only ever met 2 others of my name.. Ds's friend declared that obviously wasn't my real name when ds told him..
Dm had an unusual name and hated it. Yet did the same to me!!
My dc have a mix of unusual and pretty standard names.

Mine is a short Welsh name. My sister has a name that is long and has many diminutives. I have grown to love it; it is my only name. However the spelling is not recognised by any official documentation and so my name isn’t my name on my driving licence or passport and that pisses me off.

Mine very much dates me to the 80’s and I don’t like it, mostly because my parents chose a stupid spelling. If people want to use a stupid version of a name, change their own, don’t resign your child to a lifetime of having to spell it out and confused faces.

I think if you’re going to change your first name you need to do it when you’re quite young. Like after leaving university or similar. In a way, I wish I had, but my name became less of a problem once I moved out of my town!

I changed my first name as I didn’t like it, or the fact that my parents had chosen it. I chose it with my children and my partner and now feel much more comfortable.

My new name is very different to my old name as I didn’t want it to be influenced by what my parents had picked.

I don’t hate my name but it’s been annoying having it.

my name is more popular with the generation before me and I’ve never met someone my age with my name. Plus, my parents chose a non-traditional spelling. Plus, I’m forrin so when I announce my own name in my own accent, people where I live usually mishear me which requires me to correct them. It’s annoying

I really dislike my given name, so much so I've gone by something different since my early 20's.

It was 'Poppy' - which wasn't common like it is now, and it just felt infantile and silly to me at the time. I feel bad saying that, because I'm sure my mum felt she was giving me a gift. I once had a grown adult ask me, 'how will anyone take you seriously?' I just didn't feel like this name represented me at all, and really struggled with it!

I have used my middle name for a long time.

This is not to cause offence to anyone with a 'Poppy' - it's a much more common name now - journalists, radio presenters, lawyers, have it.

It didn't work for me though.

My name was unusual when I was young and made me cringe. It seemed affected somehow. Then it became very popular and it felt weird having all these younger people with my name. I'm still not fond of it but love the way my husband says it so I'm keeping it!

My name is also common( or was of that time) but I’ve learned to really like it because it’s classic and I think it’s classy. However I don’t have a middle name either and always wished I did. Every now and again I toy with giving myself one.

Poppy has always been one of my favourite names ever!

This is my name too. I don't hate it, but it doesn't feel like me. I don't like Debbie, but usually got called that at work. A couple of people call me Debs, which i think is ok, it sounds friendly. Most people call me Deb. My parents didn't give me a middle name, so had no alternative.