experience of using a child's second name not

[mumofeightplusfour]

dd now 7 weeks we really struggled too find a nmae we aggreed with and on the last day we could register her put 3 names on her birth cert name1 dh favourite but i didnt like it feel it was the right name etc over the next few weeks tried very hard to live with love her first name which is a lovely name but still felt the same, name 2 my favoutite but dh didnt like and name 3 both are second favourites but were concerned others wouldn't like it and ruled it out for this reason . in the last week or two we've decided to call her by her third name which has really grown on us suits her perfectly and has been well received by all

my only worry with regard to using her third name is when she's older will she understand why her birth congratulations cards etc use the name she was first given or why she has some engraved items with this name on (will she be scarred for life worries still hormonal new mum ) . also how easy is it to change to using another name with drs ,hvs etc and in time schools etc

should we amend her whole birth cert to change to put the name we are now using first will this make life easier for her as she grows older or is this uneccesary

any experience of using a second or third name and how children and parents deal with it would be gratefully received

Two of my DH's children from his first marriage have always been called by their second names. It hasn't been a problem. I didn't even realise they had 'proper' first names until ages after I met him. One of them doesn't use their proper first name at all; the other uses theirs on bank accounts and pay-slips only. They were known by their second names at school. When you fill in a school registration form, you have to underline the name you want the child to be known by, so it's very straightforward.

Our DD is known by an abbreviation of her real name, and that's what we put on her school forms in brackets and underlined. She has never been called anything else at school. We also registered her with her shortened name at the GP's surgery.

Two of DDs friends are known by different names to their first name - never been an issue - DD herself is mainly called by a number of variations of her full name so I don't think the birth cards is an issue at all.

As your child gets older they will also undoubtedly get given all sorts of other nicknames so go with whichever name you wish

Hi,

I have always been called by my second name since birth. I am Welsh and I think it is quite common in Wales for some reason. Another reason it was done was so my initials would be AMG rather than MAG.

To be completely honest sometimes it is a pain in the backside and sometimes I like it. I changed schools quite a lot as a child due to Dad's job and always found it a real pain and I got picked on because of it even though parents explained.

Now I use it on everything official (bank, doctors ect) and use my proper name (second name) on everything else. This can actually be quite useful at times.

It can still be quite confusing at times but mostly it is now amusing rather than anything eles. Quite often I can be sat in a doctors waiting room being called by first name and ignoring it initially. I am also quite surprised at how unusual a lot of people think it is and it does get quite a bore to explain.

I love my second name (the one I use) and my first name often seems quite alien to me but maybe a lot of people feel like that about their middle name. Anyway am 30 weeks pregnant and DH and I have decided that juniors name will be his first name.

Wanted to give you an honest and hopefully balanced view from someone actually in this position. If you really love the third name and think it suits then go for it but just bear in mind the above.