How did you know?

SunnySurprise

I'm wondering when and how you knew you'd picked the right name for your child(ren)?

We have a pretty good feeling about what name we're probably going to pick for our LO. But while searching names, I never had that "wow"-moment that I had expected going into this. I never felt like I'd found the perfect moniker. Even with the name we're likely sticking with, I still have some small doubts. They're insignificant compared to the bigger doubts I have about any other name we've considered, but that doesn't mean they're not still on my mind. I'm wondering if this is just me being extremely picky or if this is setting me up for name regret?

Of course we still have a few months to go until DD gets here, so we're in no rush to decide. And it's not like I dislike the name we have. It was an informed decision and I'm perfectly content with it. I'm just missing that feeling of "we've got it and we don't need to keep looking because it doesn't get better than this". Right now I'm just terribly insecure about ever making a final decision. I guess I was just expecting a name to jump out to me and convince me so thoroughly that I couldn't imagine any other name in its place. And now I'm curious whether that's how it usually goes for people, or whether it's normal to only be 99.9% convinced of your choice.

So, to all of you who have already named children... How did you know it would be the name you'd definitely choose and how did you feel about it? Was there no doubt in your mind or were you still on the fence about one or two possible drawbacks? And if you were, did you end up with name regret or did it straighten itself out once baby "owned" the name?

LizaKate1213

I had highlighted names in a name book that I really liked, then DH's face lit up at one of them. It was the first time we had both agreed on a name at all. We both got really excited the more we said it out loud. Then we paired it up with the family middle name we wanted to use and it was just perfect. I haven't regretted the choice for a second and it has been over 5 years! Rider Gordon still makes me smile when I say or read it. 

emjeve

With DD we were Team Green so we had two girl names and two boy names picked out. When she was born, within 5 seconds of seeing her, husband and I both looked at each other and just knew which name was right. There was very little thinking about it, we just knew! (Her name is Juliet, FYI) We are doing the same this time around- we have 5ish weeks to narrow our lists from 6 boy names, 6 girl names, to two of each!

yellowbean15

We never got that feeling. We chose a front runner for each sex before going to the hospital. Basically said, let's say it's this name for now and then when we see him/her we can change our minds and go over our list if we want. We were so exhausted right after he was born that we weren't going over any lists or anything. They asked us and we said the boy front runner name. I still felt a slight hesitation about it because, like you, I never had that "this is it" feeling about it. 

He's 4 months now and I still love the name and couldn't picture him as anything else, though for the first couple of months I wondered if we made the right decision but I'm very happy with our decision now. I think that's just part of my personality. Im just not that decisive and confident. I don't think I'll ever be as confident that a name is "it" as some other people. If you made a thoughtful decision and are 99% sure I think that's ok. Any reservations will fade as the child grows into their name. I know as he grows into it and gets more of a personality I will love it more and more and be sure it was perfect.

Eta: while I wondered whether we picked the right name right after birth I never had regret or wished we'd chosen something different. He didn't "seem" like any name. I didn't know him yet. It's just that it's such a big decision I would wonder about it no matter what! Sorry this became so long.  But I felt the same way as you and thought I'd share my experience and realization that I'm just not the type of person who will have that "this is for sure it" feeling. Maybe you aren't either. 

Rshapiro86

We're Jewish and follow the tradition of naming after relatives who have passed away. As a result, we have far fewer names to choose from. DS is Judah, named after my father Julius who passed away. We chose to use the J and give DS his own name but their Hebrew names are still the same (its hard to explain if you're not familiar with the tradition). In this case, I knew it was the right name because we were honoring someone that meant so much to me (DH never met him).  I do admit though that I've grown to love his name even more as he grows. I love that it's biblical/Hebrew, traditional, and also refreshing. We've never met any other little Judah's and I love that. 

KaLikeAWind

We were team green and had a for sure girls name picked out. Boys names we had struggled with, both DH and I had come up with our own personal choices, and neither of us were moving towards each others choices by the middle of the 2nd trimester, so we scrapped them both and started searching for an alternate boy choice. I thought we had pretty much decided on one, then while we were at the hospital he told me we could use my original name choice. Which threw me for a loop because I had already mentally adjusted to using the compromise name choice, and had dismissed my orginial submission entirely. I was even like 'no, let's use this (the compromise name)' while at the hospital and of course we ended up having a boy, meaning no matter what we had to resolve this. 
So DH just kept at me about it, and we ended up using it. I had to go thru another mental adjustment name-wise, where I just used his name often. Now I love his name and couldn't imagine using the compromise name. I tried to say it to myself just now, and it sounded weird, haha

PugsandKisses

With our 2nd, we started to try out names out loud for a few days. With in hours, we were able to scrap some really nice names. Once we landed on 'the one' , it just felt natural.  It stuck and flowed and made us both smile.

cy&damonsmommy

With my first son I had like five picked that I liked. I finally picked on and I love it now but for a while I kept swinging back and forth. With my second son my husband and I somehow loved the exact same name and it was the only one we chose. So I honestly think it can happen both ways

m8881

With our first son we went into the hospital with a list and the day after he was born we looked it over and one just felt right to us both. 
That name sort of locked us into a sibset theme and took us down a different path than if we'd chosen any of the others on the list. Boy 2 was decided halfway thru my pregnancy and boy 3 we knew from the start. Once you have older siblings you have fewer choices in my opinion. I'm happy with our sibset and if we have a 4th kid I already know what we'd name a boy. A girl name is a little more uncertain but we had ideas. 

ehowa499

We had a couple of options for a girl during my first pregnancy, but we both thought we would have a boy and were totally set on a name (family names). When DD was born DH was so awed after watching the birth that he said I should get to choose her name and he would be fine with any of the options we had talked about. I gave it a few hours and we talked about it some more, and when I finally said which one I thought was right, DH said "good, that's what I've been calling her this whole time I've been holding her". We both came to the same decision on our own, and it just felt right. 

PhoebeJune1984

I only had one name that I absolutely loved....and my husband hated it. Our list of 20 names that we walked into the hospital with, was my one named I loved and the 19 names that were just kind of "eh". My "wow" moment came after she was born, I instantly knew what her name was, and it wasn't the one that I loved....it was one that I was "eh" about. I liked it, but I wasn't in love with it. However, after she was born, that was the only name that I was drawn to....and it was settled. 

satuttle1014

We had 2 girl names and 3 boys names. Once we found out it was a girl, my husband just said one of the two names and it sounded right. 

When we were deciding on the middle name we had a hard time. We had a long list and my husband picked one and I noticed any other name just didn't sound right. So I guess that was my "ah ha" moment for the full name.

LoveLee85

We 'knew' when LO was born. We had a list of about 5 names. Now I think we messed up his middle name. Lol. My DH and I have the same common middle name and just gave him our middle name! Now I feel like when we have another baby, that LO will need our same middle name or might feel left out?! Oh well...I worry about weird things. 

PYLWhammy

I fell in love with my girl's name ages ago. Like, 15 years before having babies was even on my radar. Before DH and I were married, we were talking about having kids and I mentioned the name, and hooray, he liked it too! So there was no question there.
As far as a boy's name..we had a name that we both liked, but were still throwing around alternatives when we had our ultrasound and found out it was a girl.

elle313

I never really had that "wow this is the name!" feeling with my daughter. It was just the best name we could agree on. It didn't really fit her as a baby but I didn't regret it, I just called her other things like Bubba and pumpkin until she grew into her name. Now I love her name and feel like it's absolutely perfect for her. 

klirwin82

I had made a list of about 30 names I liked, starred about 3 I really really liked and read them to DH as we were driving. He had some comments on some of them that he hated and then at the end he said "you know, I kind of really like Alaric", which was a name I loved and had starred on the list. It was agreement on the name right up front so we felt like that was a sign that it was the right name.

holli0801

we both had names we liked, but Silas was the first we agreed on. I think it's a name that grows on you.. We didn't tell anyone else, so we had time to think about it, say it, call him by this name in utero ETC. And the more time passed, the more we were sure. I had a freak out moment when JT named his so Silas.. Thinking it would get popular, or people would think that we were "copying" celebrities... But my husband reinforced how much he loved it and didn't want to change it, and my defensiveness showed me how sure I was. It suits him. No regrets :-)

FluffleSprout

We had a top 2. My favorite and his. I honestly really liked his pick but I was more drawn to mine. It had been a name I felt warm fuzzies about that grew in intensity. It was not a bolt of lightning or dramatic moment where knew. When she was born, my H asked what I thought. I said I still prefered my name and he agreed.