Has anyone changed their child's name beyond babyhood?

[spidermama]

My four year old says he doesn't like his name.

Much as I love the name I have to admit that it doesn't suit him.

It's a big one to get my head round but has anyone heard of children changing their names successfully?

I have all these names spinning round in my head now... picturing a 4 year old called Butch

Don't think his parents called him Alice .
Dd has a friend who changed her name from Hattie to Ottie aged about 3 or 4. Bit strange at first but everyone has got sued to it.
I know several people who have reverted from nicknames to the full version of their name (say Cathy to Catherine) or to a different shortening in adulthood and again it's only odd for a short while.
After all many of us girls have to get used to new surname after 30 odd years and after a few years you start to forget that you ever had another one.
If it's really making him unhappy and you agree his namke doesn't suit then I'd go with the middle name.

I went to Uni with a guy who was called one name there and another at home! That was because the name his parents had chosen was not in the approved list, so they had to pick another one for offial purposes but used the first one between themselves.

My dd's got a French name and it really annoys me when I have to repeat it 3 times. So now I just give in and say something that is pronouncable for English ears and is short for her name, as a compromise. But we never call her that.

I think using a middle name is a good option.

I'm always confused by people with multiple names though - the colleague who introduced himself with 'Hi, I'm Andy, but please call me Reg'.
the flatmate known to all his college friends, his girlfriends and their parents as Bruce, when his name was nothing of the sort. Very confusing on the telephone.
And a girl who was referred to, introduced, and addressed as Chan for several months before we discovered her name was actually Selina and Chan was her surname.

SM are you sure it isn't just a phase? everyone i know as a child wanted to change their name. I was often Suzy or Daisy and my best friend wanted to be Julie.

if you change it are you sure he won't want something different in 6 months time?

I hope this is the case starlover but I have to say that the name really is at odds with his personality at the moment.

i had a friend at school who aws called by her middle name, and pretty much all of myDPs family dont use their real names.
i can remember i always wanted to change my name when i was small, because i have an unusual name and my friends all had normal ones.
needless to say, i am pleased now that i have an unusual name and i cant stand boring ones!

My mum changed mine when I was c 18 months.

I blame her for everything.

Sorry, spidey, that doesn't help you, does it? (I was joking, honest )

Can you alter it in a subtle way so that it doesn't sound like an obvious change?Maybe he'll grow into it.

SM
When I was younger I used to go by my middle name and never had problems with people getting used to it.
FIl also goes by his middle name, in his work life he went by his first name but for family and friends he goes by his middle name..a bit confusing sometimes..lol

My ds1 was born Anthony Thomas William surname. Dd was 16 month when he was born and could not say Anthony. She called him Finny, and now at 8 he is known to all, even at school as Finn. He loves the name, there are loads of Anthonys at his school and only 1 Finn. Having said that, ds2 is named Louis (king Louis)and EVERYONE calls him Lewis, but I think gaylord might be more appropriate.....

My brother changed to his middle name when he was about eleven or twelve....from Andrew to Paul: still is Paul to this day, and no one bats an eyelid!

I'd be chuffed if my ds changed to his middle name, it's Sherlock!

My parents are both known by their middle names. My dad's middle name is actually quite odd, but that's the one he is known by. Strange really.

Im still not sure over Rebecca's name, but I will persevere - she is only 20 weeks!

I think names are such a minefield - I hate my name, but would never change it.

Jessica is definately a Jessi so no worries there - and I doubt she will revert to middle name later in life - Helen sure doesnt suit her.

Rebecca on the other hand, she is so like her middle name Alison but that is more to do with the fact she is the spitting image of my late mum who was an Alison.

We shall see what the future holds...

Spidermama,
Do you live in Aberdeen?? If so, what area??

My ds was JJ until he was 2, when we felt that JJ might not be right for a strapping 20 yr. old, so we should change it. I thought I would never get used to his real name, but I have, and never think about the change.

When I was young I wanted my name to be changed to Maureen - and I am not actually quite glad that dp's didn't listen, as my own name is fine!

Fredly - that's the problem I've had my whole life! None of my friends could figure out why I would answer to my 'name' if they called me. But it's cause I didn't realize they were calling ME!!

jerry I was brought up in Bridge of Don, but I'm down South now.

Thanks fairyjay and thanks all.

I'm going to give it another couple of months to see if he's still unhappy then take it from there. I'll treat September as the new deadline as that's when he starts school.

if you change it you have to tell us what his (current) name is! i'm v. intrigued now!

Spindermama - Hi, its just when you mentioned Aberdeen, I thought I would have a Mumsnetter to meet up with!!! I'm still here unfortunately!!!! Weather is terrible! Do you miss it here??
Sorry to hijack, just had to check!!

dd1 has a fairly unusual name (Xanthe) but has requested we call her instead Ianthe Smelling (after a book character - in "Robomum"). I guess that means she doesn't mind unusual names, at least.

i know quite a few people who've changed their own names as teenagers or beyond. a Susan who thought it was too boring (but she's the most boring person I know). A Roger Mee who got sick of the jokes.

I worked with someone years ago who changed his name when he went to uni (might have been his middle name) to something he felt suited him more. I think his family always called him his original name but he used his "new" name at work. I know lots of people who are known by their middle name (seems to have been very common at one time where I'm from). It might be that children were called after a family member but then the middle name was actually used to save confusion. I found out a few years ago that a close friend I'd known for years was actually known by his middle name and his real name was something else! I think he uses his first name at work now just because it is easier than to keep explaining. Also know a few people who have always been known by a name that doesn't even appear on their birth cert.

Using a different name (even his middle name) might cause a lot of hassle in the future with official documents so if it sticks it might be a good idea to change it officially before he is an adult.