Guy and I have had our first child’s name picked out for quite some time, depending on the sex, of course. There will be no discussions or arguments, except maybe for the middle names that haven’t quite been selected. I love finding out what people are naming their children and really love names that have meaning or heritage or names that are flat out awesome.
I can’t help but wonder though, does anyone ever regret their name choice after the fact? I’m not sure that too many would admit to this, but does anyone fall head over heels for a baby name and then a month or a year later wish you wouldn’t have picked it? Given more time our choices surely would change on nursery decor, wall color, crib bedding etc. – why is the name different? Choosing a name is much more important than deciding on lady bugs or flowers for the bedding, but it is a decision non-the-less – one you may regret.
My hope is that the name that you choose for your child will end up fitting their little face and personality so exactly that you couldn’t picture them being called anything else. Even if the name fades or gains in popularity, you know that this is the name chosen just for them and that makes it special. Am I right? I just can’t stop myself from thinking that I will wake up 6 months after giving birth and look at my little baby and think, “I can’t believe I named you that.”
Sher Bailey is a writer in the Midwest who believes the power of humor, Mod Podge, and grandkids can fix most problems in life. You can find her at SherBailey.com.
Cristina says
You choose the name because it means something to you, unless you name your child something ridiculous like “apple” I am sure whatever the name is it will be perfect for your little one.
Lucy Marie says
I am not a parent so I don’t really have an answer here but I will still give my two cents. I think that no matter what you name a child, as soon as you meet the child and begin calling them that name, it becomes who they are and you would never imagine them with any other name. I think parents probably think of other names they like in the years following the birth of their child(ren) but probably very few actually regret the name they chose, unless like Cristina pointed out, they choose a ridiculous name.
I wasn’t very keen on the names that two of my SIL’s chose for their daughters at first, but now, after knowing the child and seeing their personality develop, it seems as though no other name could possibly fit.
We have our names picked out too and I always find myself wondering if those will actually be my kid’s names when we have them. We have stuck with the same names for more than 2 years now, so I don’t really see them changing anytime soon but we’ll see!
Allyson says
I personally think the child grows into their name. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they regretted the name they picked.
Jessi says
When you see your child and call them the name, it’s as if they were absolutely MEANT to have that name and you can’t imagine them being named anything else. I’ve never known anyone to regret naming their child the name that they did.
My sister named my niece Skyla. We all tried so hard to get her to change her name, we didn’t like it. But the moment she was born and we all saw her, she was Skyla and we can’t imagine her being anything else.
It just becomes who they are!
Don’t worry, you’ll see soon 🙂
Laura says
I agree with Lucy. The name definitely becomes who they are. We picked out names before I was pregnant, and as soon as we found out Cam was a boy we started calling him Cameron in my tummy. I can’t imagine his name being anything else.
Dollface says
I agree.. I dont think half of these babies know what apple or gavin or whatever means… i know u will choose a great name, xxooo
a H.I.T. says
My name was Stephanie. My mom and dad picked it out with loving care. They were so excited to bring me into the world to join my sister.
Then my mom went into labor. Short, quick, painless labor (as painless as labor gets). She held me in her arms, kissed my forehead and called me “H.I.T.” My dad wasn’t in the room (he wasn’t allowed in at the time). In that moment, she just knew that I wasn’t a Stephanie and never would be. The name she gave me is absolutely perfect and I know that she would never change it for the world.
Anonymous says
Well, you know my situation. When I found out that “they” were naming him Zimmer Jordan. Ofcourse, I was also 10 hours into labor when I found out too. I remember going off. ‘You’re naming him what?! What the hell kind of name is Zimmer?’ Yea, that wasn’t to pretty of me….. But in the end, I accepted the name and it kind of grew on me after awhile.
I believe that you name a child for a reason. Whether it be because of heritage or of a meaning, or something personal… you name a child for a reason. And you’ll love the name as much as the child forever….
Keith Wilcox says
I have two boys. Their names are Neil and Alan after Neil Armstrong and Alan Shepard. I picked them because they have meaning (two people I respect for their achievements) and they are simple. They fit the boys perfectly. Most people go through too much effort picking out a name. I was born Nicholas but was adopted and got a name change when I was two. I have been told I look like a Nicholas and a Keith. Weird, but maybe that means something. Hope that helps — at least anecdotaly.
Lindsay says
I think picking names for your children is such a big task. You want to like it, you want them to grow up and like it too. The way I went about picking my daughters names is pretty simple. I knew I didn’t want a name that everyone else had. I also didn’t have any traditions in the family about naming my kids after certain people. I searched for names from the time I found out I was pregnant. In the end, I am very happy with my girls names. They are McKenna, Kambry, and Aislynn and each one fits them perfectly. Good luck with your name, I am sure it will be wonderful and you wouldn’t have changed it to any other name.
Abby@AppMtn says
Actually, I *do* regret two things about my son’s name – his middle name AND his nickname (or lack thereof.) We just plain couldn’t settle on a middle name. My husband refused to discuss it. A few days after we brought him home from the hospital, I arrived at the perfect one – my husband even agreed it was the perfect one. But by then, the birth announcements were printed and the birth certificate filed, so … too late.
We also failed to agree on a nickname, so my poor kiddo sometimes answers to Aly, Alexei, Alex and Olus (that last one is Polish and sounds like oh LOOSH) in the same sentence. As for the idea that he can choose his own nickname? Sure. Eventually. But not in kindergarten.
With our daughter, I insisted we nail down everything – including her nickname – well before she arrived. She’s Claire Caroline Wren, but everyone calls her Clio – which is just exactly perfect.
Ashley says
I gave my son a very “grown up” name. Its very rare, and the only people that I’ve found that were named this are like 80+. I don’t regret naming him it because I love the name, and one day when he’s an adult he’s going to appreciate that I didn’t name him Blue Rainbow or something lame, lol. I have thought, though, that we should’ve maybe given him a more modern name, but I’m happy with our choice. 🙂