I don't like my baby's name anymore

Lizzen · November 2010

My baby boy, who is 5 weeks old, is named Evan. It was #1 on DH's list and near the top on mine, so I felt good about it and never questioned it. We chose this name before we knew if it was a boy or girl, so it's sat with me for a long time even though it felt weird calling him that when he was still just a bun in the oven.

Now that he's here it still feels weird calling him by his name, and the other day I realized I just don't like it. Plain and simple.

It's too late now and I won't ever tell anyone IRL, as I'm pretty sure it would not go over well. I'm sure the older he gets and more his personality develops I will love it more. For now, I'm a little blue about it

Anyone else feel like this?

smash_effect · November 2010

I accidentally clicked on the wrong board (I have a 2 year old). But, I wanted to give you some encouragement that if you and your DH are on the same page about changing your LOs name, I'd go for it. One of my closest friends changed her daughter's name at 9 weeks old. It never clicked with them once she was here. They got some snickers and stuff but now we just know her as her new name- fits her so well!

countrymice06 · November 2010

No, I like my baby's name, but I know what you mean about feeling weird saying it. In fact, I usually call her baby, haha! My daughter has what I think of as a "grown up" sounding name, so it feels odd using it for a little baby.

For what it's worth, I LOVE the name Evan. It was one of our top names, too.

Sarahhhlynn · November 2010

I felt like that a week before LO arrived about his middle name (though he arrived a week late). Brayden was on the top of my list, but a friend from high school took it from me so at first i wasnt going to use it, but then once i found out it was a boy i said screw it because i liked the name from day one. Then his middle name was Paul, after my grandfather .. but after a talk with my grandfather about how i really didnt like how the name sounded, i changed it to Everett. Finally a week overdue, the name was set and on the birth certificate.

I think its normal to not like his name, but like you said it will set with you soon enough. Maybe because you have been hearing it for so long your kinda sick of it, but i like the name Evan!

Carilyn · November 2010

I read an article in a parents magazine quite a while ago about a couple who changed their son's name at 6 months. I say, if you really don't like it and your hubby is on board...change it. It's probably a PITA to do, but you'd probably feel better if you did. If your DH is not on board, then hopefully you'll grow to like it as he develops a personality.

aribs2010 · November 2010

My LO is Vivian, which I like, but I still think it is weird to call her such a grown up name. I call her Viv, Vivi, VC, baby V, the Vivster and Maggie (because she reminds me of Maggie Simpson when she sucks on her paci). I am not sure if I will ever call her Vivian. My mom said that her generation often had a given name (usually a family name), but often had a nickname that had nothing to do with the given name.

goobersgirl9 · November 2010

I was in your shoes. We decided we were going to name LO when she arrived. So we brought our list of names to the hospital. DH really wanted his top name of Breeya so I finally agreed when I saw how happy he would be. The first three days at home I cried and cried and I only called her "baby, peanut, sweetie" etc. I hated Breeya. So after DH and I talked about how unhappy I was we decided to change it. After changing it, I thought I would feel like a complete idiot to my friends and family but not one person was negative, they all thought it was great that I did change it and am happy now. Im sooooo happy I changed it. My nurse I had at the hospital said she still regrets to this day not changing her daughters name and her daughter is now 11!

Go with your heart, if you feel you should change it, then do it. I read that most babies dont recognize name until 5-6 months so you still have time. GL to you!

katlor9 · November 2010

this was the only name we agreed on. we call him ev, evvy, evvy boo, the evanator, evanasauras, and evan! i do refer to him as the babe, baby, the boy though.

TheSkimmy · November 2010

I JUST had this conversation with DH. I love giving a baby a formal name and then a nickname... however I don't think my DD's a Lexie. I think she is a Lanie but we didn't like Delaney and I wasn't sure about Alaina... so we went with Alexandra (I didn't like Alexis) and we call her Lexie. I hope she grows into it. DH asked me today if we wanted to change her name- but I don't think I'd be ok with that. I would always look at her as Lexie (birth annoucements- cards etc) and realize I was an idiot and named her wrong. I will keep my daughter as a Lexie and if down the road she wants to be called something else that's up to her. (initials are ACE so that's an idea) Ally won't work since it's a cousin's name.

Lizzen · November 2010

Just reading your responses made me feel so much better. At least I'm not the only parent to feel this way, and that means a lot.

I guess I don't violently HATE it, so maybe it is just the thing that he's so new he hasn't quite grown into it. I know DH loves it so he would not be cool with changing it, but if I was really, REALY having a hard time he'd at least talk it over with me.

We do have a few nicknames that we call him more often than his name, but they're silly ones like The Dude (and variations on it), Ewok, and most in my family still call him Baby Evan.

I'll give it some more time, but if we continue to call him Dudenstein for the next 10 years I'd still love him

starrkitten89 · November 2010

I always feel weird calling my daughter by her name.I like it but I think it sounds like a "grown up" name. Her name is Adria and I've tried calling her Addy a few times but she just doesn't look like an Addy.

I'm hoping that like you as she gets older,I'll just get used to that being her name,because I do like it!I just wonder sometimes if I would have been happier picking something else.

MarshMop · November 2010

A couple weeks after DD was born, I decided I hated her name -- it didn't suit her and she looked much more like another name that was never on our list. Her name was my top choice.

That lasted for a couple of weeks. Now I'm back to liking her name and I think it suits her, but I did go through a period regretting naming her.

reneepruitt · November 2010

I feel weird when I call my daughter by ner name. (Reese) I try calling her Reesey and I'm not sure that fits either. I have even tried thinking of a name that fits better, and I can't. I really wish I would have taken a list to the hospital and decided when she arrived. I will do that the next time.

spydurbug · November 2010

dh and I agreed on our name together (Rowan Mackenzie), I got first name, he got middle name (cultural) so we were both happy! then after putting the name on paper and having everyone ask where did that name come from? I wondered that myself and if maybe we made a mistake. dh started asking if we could change her middle name, too, once he decided that it was very popular (why I vetoed it as a first name to begin with). and I felt much happier calling her baby and got a little weirded out when other people called her Rowan.

I think it is just natural to have second thoughts about the name. I think it is part of the awesome responsibility it feels like to name a child. It's still weird to to call her Rowan but I am happy with the name.

m&r2010 · November 2010

I say change it!!!! we named our daughter Heleena Grace.We love it before & after she arrived.

I would hate feeling the way you do,talk to your husband & start a plan that you both like!

GL

FinallyMrs.G · November 2010

Is it too late though? I mean if you really don't like it why not change it. Evan was our boy name, I absolutely love the name not that that matters to you. lol

nadinethequeen01 · November 2010

i'm kind of the same way right now, i love her name but i feel weird calling her by it right now. i'm hoping, like you said, once she grows and develops some personality it wont be so weird to me!

berrybuzz · November 2010

my daughter is almost 6 months now, and i LOVE her name, i had thoughts in the beginning, but i couldnt think of a better name to pick for her. my husband actually picked her name and i agreed on it. it wasnt easy and i practiced calling her name before she came. now that shes here and i call her my her name regularly it has grown on me. when she was younger she got alot of nicknames though, baby girl, girly, microwoman,peanut. but now that shes older we are calling her more and more by her first name.

if you truly feel that it isnt the right name talk to your husband and right now its not to late to change it if thats how you feel.

Allie30 · November 2010

TheSkimmy:
I JUST had this conversation with DH. I love giving a baby a formal name and then a nickname... however I don't think my DD's a Lexie. I think she is a Lanie but we didn't like Delaney and I wasn't sure about Alaina... so we went with Alexandra (I didn't like Alexis) and we call her Lexie. I hope she grows into it. DH asked me today if we wanted to change her name- but I don't think I'd be ok with that. I would always look at her as Lexie (birth annoucements- cards etc) and realize I was an idiot and named her wrong. I will keep my daughter as a Lexie and if down the road she wants to be called something else that's up to her. (initials are ACE so that's an idea) Ally won't work since it's a cousin's name.

um, there's LOTS of nicknames for Alexandra, not just Lexie (which I agree --yuck). Alex, Ally, Sandy, Sandra, Sasha, Andie, Dre, Drew, and even Lanie if you want (why not? it has a L-A-N and if Elizabeths can be Libbies and skip the Z then Alexandras can be Lanies and skip the X.)

Allie30 · November 2010

to the OP, I went through this when she was born, even posted about it on the baby nameboard, In my case (like some of the PP) I'd given my baby a very "grown up" name, and none of the nicknames seemed to fit.

I started calling ehr by name more often, instead of calling her "sweetie" or whatever and I remembered why I liked the name so much.

It sounds like you have been trying that and it doesn't work. I'd change it now -- better to change it now than be stuck with a name you don't like once he recognizes it. yes, you might feel a bit sheepish to family and friends, but compare a moment's embarrassment to a lifetime of calling your child by the wrong name!

bellybaby · November 2010

I love my babies name I just wish it wasnt so popular, Isabella. She definately suits the name but of course we call her Bella! I'm just hoping not too many kids in her class have the same name, LOL. For now we will keep referring to her as woo woo, woowies, ma ma woo woo!

caramia582 · November 2010

I think when it comes to picking a name it's best to just go with your heart and what YOU truly like, and not get caught up in extraneous things like, its too popular, so-and-so doesn't like it, stuff like that. Just my two cents!

Disneygeek77 · November 2010

I say change it. My little sister started out as a Bailey but my mom decided she didn't like that name for her and changed it to Brea. She is so much more a Brea than a Bailey.

kspies · November 2010

Maybe it's just part of getting to know your LO? I still love my DD's name, and can't think of anything that suits her better, but it feels so weird to call her by it--we call her bug or baby girl most of the time. Part of the problem is that we have to sort out what she'll go by--Beatrix, Trixie, Trix or Bea? I have a feeling that once she starts to show some individuality it will be impossible to imagine her by any other name!