Naming regrets

little_bren · April 2016

Those of you who have one or more children, do you regret a name you chose? If so, why?
DD is Sophie Grace. I wish we'd named her Sophie Lynn after both grandmas and because it's less common than Grace.

ashleyandely · April 2016

Sometimes. I adore DD's first name but her middle name is trendy/made up. My boyfriend and my best friend both came up with the name and at the time I agreed to it. I find myself wishing she had a family name or a classic name (in the MN spot) but it doesn't bother me too much. Also FWIW I think Lynn is just as common as Grace.. both are 'filler' middle names but I understand that Lynn has family ties.

bbiutmcph · April 2016

I don't regret the names we used I love them all but I have sadness I never got to use a couple of my favorites due to them being vetoed.

doodleoodle · April 2016

I love the name Rose and when I was pregnant wanted to use it as a first name, but DH and I couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed well with it. So we gave DD Rose as a middle name. I regret it because now I have a middle name that I think will go beautifully with Rose, but I obviously can't give my next daughter her sister's middle name as a first name.

little_bren · April 2016

ashleyandely said:

Sometimes. I adore DD's first name but her middle name is trendy/made up. My boyfriend and my best friend both came up with the name and at the time I agreed to it. I find myself wishing she had a family name or a classic name (in the MN spot) but it doesn't bother me too much. Also FWIW I think Lynn is just as common as Grace.. both are 'filler' middle names but I understand that Lynn has family ties.

Curious what the mn is?

neither are filler names to us

OliveOyl2014 · April 2016

I had big time naming regret with my daughter. Everyone told me the name we picked sounded more suited for an old lady. The comments kept coming and we eventually settled on a different name. I regret it because I think my original pick would have been perfect for her. And coincidentally, she was born on the feast day for that Saint. That's why for our second child, we didn't share any names before he was born.

Latina211508 · April 2016

I have four children and I don't regret my eldest daughters name but I would of liked to use one of the names I loved that was on my list. My husband chose her name and it meant a lot to him so of course I compromised. Lol but her name is very unliked in this forum. Oh well.

little_bren · April 2016

OliveOyl2014 said:

I had big time naming regret with my daughter. Everyone told me the name we picked sounded more suited for an old lady. The comments kept coming and we eventually settled on a different name. I regret it because I think my original pick would have been perfect for her. And coincidentally, she was born on the feast day for that Saint. That's why for our second child, we didn't share any names before he was born.

What was the name, @OliveOyl2014

little_bren · April 2016

Dang, SHARE THE NAMES, PEOPLE!

lizhurt · April 2016

I kind of regretted naming my cat Henry when I learned we were having a boy and that it was a family name I could have used. Oh well lol.

JamieK1882 · April 2016

I don't regret DD's name although it is very un-liked on this board (Adalyn). However, I just posted a somewhat similar discussion that I fear for our next picking a name that is just "ok" and that I don't really love since DH and I can't agree on any. I don't want to settle and end up regretting it.

SmrBrd2012 · April 2016

I have very mild regret about our son's middle name. We gave him my husband's MN. I wanted to honor my late grandpa by giving him his middle name but H didn't like it that much. I loved the first name that I found and pushed so I let H have his way.

klirwin82 · April 2016

I love our son's name (Alaric) but we did not announce it to anyone prior to his birth and I'm shocked SO MANY PEOPLE pronounce it "alar-ik" instead of "al-uh-rik". I don't think I would've changed my mind on the name, it's just an annoyance we did not foresee.

I would've chosen a different MN, probably Henry for my dad and grandfather, but my husband was dead set on Osiris and I relented since initially he really wanted Osiris Alaric. Happy we MN it instead of getting into a huge argument about it.

KyleeWaller · April 2016

I'm a FTM, but I wanted to add that my MIL will occasionally express a regret that she named my 17 year old SIL "Lindsay Kay" instead of "Lindsay Lee." I think it's normal to have a glimmer of regret here or there. However, my SIL will tell my MIL that she likes her name the way it is, every time.

Sematti · April 2016

I feel for you! I don't have it too bad because our situation is fixable but we named our daughter thinking we would call her by a certain nickname...however it never felt right to me after saying it enough and now i (along with about half the people in her life) call her by her full name while my husband and the other half use her nickname. Wish I would have just let a nickname naturally occur! Lesson learned.

OliveOyl2014 · April 2016

little_bren said:

OliveOyl2014 said:

I had big time naming regret with my daughter. Everyone told me the name we picked sounded more suited for an old lady. The comments kept coming and we eventually settled on a different name. I regret it because I think my original pick would have been perfect for her. And coincidentally, she was born on the feast day for that Saint. That's why for our second child, we didn't share any names before he was born.

What was the name, @OliveOyl2014

Bernadette

saham07 · April 2016

OliveOyl2014 said:

little_bren said:

OliveOyl2014 said:

I had big time naming regret with my daughter. Everyone told me the name we picked sounded more suited for an old lady. The comments kept coming and we eventually settled on a different name. I regret it because I think my original pick would have been perfect for her. And coincidentally, she was born on the feast day for that Saint. That's why for our second child, we didn't share any names before he was born.

What was the name, @OliveOyl2014

Bernadette

Gosh! I love Bernadette. What did you end up naming her?

OliveOyl2014 · April 2016

saham07 said:

OliveOyl2014 said:

little_bren said:

OliveOyl2014 said:

I had big time naming regret with my daughter. Everyone told me the name we picked sounded more suited for an old lady. The comments kept coming and we eventually settled on a different name. I regret it because I think my original pick would have been perfect for her. And coincidentally, she was born on the feast day for that Saint. That's why for our second child, we didn't share any names before he was born.

What was the name, @OliveOyl2014

Bernadette

Gosh! I love Bernadette. What did you end up naming her?

We ended up naming her Ale.na. For a few months after she was born I thought about going to the courthouse to petition for a name change. When we started talking names for our second, my husband then says, if it's a girl we can use Bernadette. We ended up having a boy, but I don't think I could have used it on a second girl. I just felt it fit my first girl perfectly.

Eko14 · April 2016

klirwin82 said:

I love our son's name (Alaric) but we did not announce it to anyone prior to his birth and I'm shocked SO MANY PEOPLE pronounce it "alar-ik" instead of "al-uh-rik". I don't think I would've changed my mind on the name, it's just an annoyance we did not foresee.

I would've chosen a different MN, probably Henry for my dad and grandfather, but my husband was dead set on Osiris and I relented since initially he really wanted Osiris Alaric. Happy we MN it instead of getting into a huge argument about it.

I have never heard this name NOT pronounced alar-ik in real life, only just googling right now did I find a couple vids pronouncing it allah-rik. So strange this is not something I would have thought of. This is one of our top boys names.

klirwin82 · April 2016

Eko14 said:

klirwin82 said:

I love our son's name (Alaric) but we did not announce it to anyone prior to his birth and I'm shocked SO MANY PEOPLE pronounce it "alar-ik" instead of "al-uh-rik". I don't think I would've changed my mind on the name, it's just an annoyance we did not foresee.

I would've chosen a different MN, probably Henry for my dad and grandfather, but my husband was dead set on Osiris and I relented since initially he really wanted Osiris Alaric. Happy we MN it instead of getting into a huge argument about it.

I have never heard this name NOT pronounced alar-ik in real life, only just googling right now did I find a couple vids pronouncing it allah-rik. So strange this is not something I would have thought of. This is one of our top boys names.

Theres some show where the character pronounces it alar-ik which is where people get it from I guess.

"Alaric in song, story & screen: | Edit

Alaric Saltzman, character on The Vampire Diaries, played by Matt Davis.
^^Though, in the show, they pronounce his name as uh-LAR-ik. The name Alaric is traditionally pronounced AL-er-ik."

Eko14 · April 2016

klirwin82 said:

Eko14 said:

klirwin82 said:

I love our son's name (Alaric) but we did not announce it to anyone prior to his birth and I'm shocked SO MANY PEOPLE pronounce it "alar-ik" instead of "al-uh-rik". I don't think I would've changed my mind on the name, it's just an annoyance we did not foresee.

I would've chosen a different MN, probably Henry for my dad and grandfather, but my husband was dead set on Osiris and I relented since initially he really wanted Osiris Alaric. Happy we MN it instead of getting into a huge argument about it.

I have never heard this name NOT pronounced alar-ik in real life, only just googling right now did I find a couple vids pronouncing it allah-rik. So strange this is not something I would have thought of. This is one of our top boys names.

Theres some show where the character pronounces it alar-ik which is where people get it from I guess.

"Alaric in song, story & screen: | Edit
Alaric Saltzman, character on The Vampire Diaries, played by Matt Davis.
^^Though, in the show, they pronounce his name as uh-LAR-ik. The name Alaric is traditionally pronounced AL-er-ik."

Love that show, it was my GP tv show during the first few seasons hehehe. My family (german/lithuanian) pronounces that name the same as uh-LAR-ik maybe that is why I have never thought twice about the pronunciation. We are also located in Ontario Canada. Geography can definitely change the sound of names. (I say DHs name differently than his mom does and I think it drives her a little crazy but I can't help the way I speak. His name is Alas.tair I say ah-lass-tair and she says al-luh-ster)

keri0426 · April 2016

Owen Everett
Eloise Victoria
Emeline Violet

I don't regret any of their names. They have grown/are growing into them quite perfectly. Their middle names honor family/close friends. I have always wanted a Lydia but that name is so common (at least in my area) we ditched it. I can't imagine either if my little girls as a Lydia now.

Mamabeagle · April 2016

little_bren said:

ashleyandely said:

Sometimes. I adore DD's first name but her middle name is trendy/made up. My boyfriend and my best friend both came up with the name and at the time I agreed to it. I find myself wishing she had a family name or a classic name (in the MN spot) but it doesn't bother me too much. Also FWIW I think Lynn is just as common as Grace.. both are 'filler' middle names but I understand that Lynn has family ties.

Curious what the mn is?

neither are filler names to us

They may be namesyou like or that have meaning, but they are absolutely common filler middle names. Ann, Rose, Mae/May, etc are also filler names.

Knottie1442268460 · April 2016

I'm naming my child a name I love despite the board not liking it. Everyone in real life likes the first name. My middle is Felicity. I love it from the book pride & prejudice. It has good meaning. I get a few comments in real life about the 90's show or Felicity Smoke. But we're not naming her after tv! It's middle so I ignore the comments. I love it that's what matters.

Im sad because there are several names I want to use that I won't get a chance to. I want a sib set: Kienan, Kayler, Miles, Marlo, Etta & Elin. For one of the boys middle names i'd like James. Or a 1st.

solitude1984 · April 2016

doodleoodle said:

I love the name Rose and when I was pregnant wanted to use it as a first name, but DH and I couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed well with it. So we gave DD Rose as a middle name. I regret it because now I have a middle name that I think will go beautifully with Rose, but I obviously can't give my next daughter her sister's middle name as a first name.

My cousin gave her second-born the middle name Victoria ... she then had a third baby and named her Victoria. I thought it was a very odd thing to do, though I assume she and her husband couldn't come up with a name they both liked. Still, I would never do it.

fghmama6701 · April 2016

DS is Samuel Kelly. I love it, it fits him and do not regret it in the slightest. However, I went to the hospital 99.9% set on Benjamin Kelly. I know I would have had name regret if I hadn't gone with my gut and changed my mind at the last second.

doodleoodle · April 2016

solitude1984 said:

doodleoodle said:

I love the name Rose and when I was pregnant wanted to use it as a first name, but DH and I couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed well with it. So we gave DD Rose as a middle name. I regret it because now I have a middle name that I think will go beautifully with Rose, but I obviously can't give my next daughter her sister's middle name as a first name.

My cousin gave her second-born the middle name Victoria ... she then had a third baby and named her Victoria. I thought it was a very odd thing to do, though I assume she and her husband couldn't come up with a name they both liked. Still, I would never do it.

That is so strange! I've heard of people giving their children all the same middle name, but never that. When they get angry at their second daughter and call her by her first and middle name does their third daughter also think she's in trouble? Lol

solitude1984 · April 2016

doodleoodle said:

solitude1984 said:

doodleoodle said:

I love the name Rose and when I was pregnant wanted to use it as a first name, but DH and I couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed well with it. So we gave DD Rose as a middle name. I regret it because now I have a middle name that I think will go beautifully with Rose, but I obviously can't give my next daughter her sister's middle name as a first name.

My cousin gave her second-born the middle name Victoria ... she then had a third baby and named her Victoria. I thought it was a very odd thing to do, though I assume she and her husband couldn't come up with a name they both liked. Still, I would never do it.

That is so strange! I've heard of people giving their children all the same middle name, but never that. When they get angry at their second daughter and call her by her first and middle name does their third daughter also think she's in trouble? Lol

The third daughter is only 6 months old, but it will be interesting to see if that happens lol.

katlarissa · April 2016

keri0426 said:

Owen Everett
Eloise Victoria
Emeline Violet

I don't regret any of their names. They have grown/are growing into them quite perfectly. Their middle names honor family/close friends. I have always wanted a Lydia but that name is so common (at least in my area) we ditched it. I can't imagine either if my little girls as a Lydia now.

I love your taste in names! So old-fashioned and beautiful!

LoveLee85 · April 2016

My DH and I have the same middle name, both named after our fathers. We were going to do a random middle name that we both liked, couldn't agree on one. Then I had our son a week early. So he got our matching middle name! I was exhausted and we slapped our middle name on there. I'm wishing we would have thought a little longer about a random middle name for him. Reason why is now if we have one more child, it will be weird if they are the odd man out. Like they need the matching middle name so they aren't the only one without it?! BUT I don't really want to use it again. LOL Oh well.

irohspupil · April 2016

I loved the name my husband had picked out while I was pregnant and the first couple months after she was born. La.cie Pa.ige. Our last name is an object from the medieval era and we thought Paige (as in squire and knight) would fit well. I still like pa.ige. But, for some insane reason, I changed the spelling of Lacey to look more like Paige (and my name has a billion variations [McKayla, Micaila, Michaela, etc] that I didn't think it'd be a big deal). I really regret the spelling more than anything.
Plus the first name doesn't mean much to me. And now that she's 8 months old, I have a hard time looking at her name written out. My husband ADORES her name though.

Next go around, I'm swearing to myself that I won't change the spelling of the name I end up picking out.

groovylocks · April 2016

No regret exactly. I named Olive after my great grandmother by the same name. Olive suits her.

But it was a LONG THROW from my first choices. I wanted her to be named Marie or Meredith or Juno. My husband flat out refused to entertain any names he didn't like and from day one, he made it clear he didn't like those. Olive was the only name the two of us could agree on. I tried to continue suggesting names after we came up with Olive but he flat out refused to discuss it.

A lot of choices in our home are made that way. By him just being bratty and me just giving in.

Luckily the english translation of her middle name is Red Dawn, which is hilarious. I'm trying now to decide whether to nn her Dawn or Scarlet.

I mean, I like Olive but it's so hipsterish. I want her to have normal options.

Escheffler34 · April 2016

I have no regrets I absolutely love my sons name. It's Byram. Bug family name that goes all the way back to the revolutionary war, and it's my husband and his fathers middle names. However, I did not foresee having to correct everyone. They always hear Byron, which is understandable because it's a lot more common. Then when I try to annunciate the end more, the other person says "oh byrAM" when it's pronounced like by-rum. Oh well. Good thing I love it hahah

elle313 · April 2016

I regret giving my first daughter the middle name Marie instead of Maria. It's supposed to be in honor of Dh's grandma (Maria) but I thought Marie sounded better with her first name, and DH didn't care either way. Now I wish we'd just used her actually name since I feel it means more that way, and flow is really not that important in real life.

PhoebeJune1984 · April 2016

doodleoodle said:

solitude1984 said:

doodleoodle said:

I love the name Rose and when I was pregnant wanted to use it as a first name, but DH and I couldn't come up with a middle name that flowed well with it. So we gave DD Rose as a middle name. I regret it because now I have a middle name that I think will go beautifully with Rose, but I obviously can't give my next daughter her sister's middle name as a first name.

My cousin gave her second-born the middle name Victoria ... she then had a third baby and named her Victoria. I thought it was a very odd thing to do, though I assume she and her husband couldn't come up with a name they both liked. Still, I would never do it.

That is so strange! I've heard of people giving their children all the same middle name, but never that. When they get angry at their second daughter and call her by her first and middle name does their third daughter also think she's in trouble? Lol

My mom and her sister share names. These are not their names, but just an example, my mom is Tanya Susan and her sister (born right after her) is Susan Irene. They have never cared, as Tanya, Susan, and Irene are all family names.

AlphabetFish · April 2016

Not a regret, but I have never quite connected with my son's name (Timothy). I do really like it, and it's true there were no boy names I liked more, but I still kind of have a feeling of "Oh, right, that's my kid's name", when I hear it. Hearing my family call him his name is weird still, like I don't immediately realize they're talking about my baby.

I am happy with his name and I don't want to change it (like I said, there was nothing I liked better) but I'm still getting used to it, I guess.

Vivian0809 · April 2016

I ADORE our daughters name.. Elise Vivian. Her middle name is after my Aunt/Godmother who thinks it's the absolute biggest honor of her life.
Now that we're having another girl, I reallllly love the name Vivian best, for a first name. I wish I had saved it.
Oh well!

kmvisioli · April 2016

AlphabetFish said:

Not a regret, but I have never quite connected with my son's name (Timothy). I do really like it, and it's true there were no boy names I liked more, but I still kind of have a feeling of "Oh, right, that's my kid's name", when I hear it. Hearing my family call him his name is weird still, like I don't immediately realize they're talking about my baby.

I am happy with his name and I don't want to change it (like I said, there was nothing I liked better) but I'm still getting used to it, I guess.

I felt the same way about my son's name the first few months! I think it was mostly because we didn't have a name picked until at the hospital after his birth, so I was so used to just calling him "the baby" and not associating any name with him.

SmrBrd2012 · April 2016

AlphabetFish said:

Not a regret, but I have never quite connected with my son's name (Timothy). I do really like it, and it's true there were no boy names I liked more, but I still kind of have a feeling of "Oh, right, that's my kid's name", when I hear it. Hearing my family call him his name is weird still, like I don't immediately realize they're talking about my baby.

I am happy with his name and I don't want to change it (like I said, there was nothing I liked better) but I'm still getting used to it, I guess.

I think that's kind of normal, especially if you didn't call him that while you were pregnant. It took me a couple months of everyone else calling him that for me to "catch on," haha. Now he's almost a year old and it comes a lot more naturally!

NerdyLucy · April 2016

My son's name is Peter Joseph and I have absolutely no regrets.

Having said, when I was pregnant, I kind of regretted naming one of our cats Thomas since I would've liked to have considered it for our son.

Ultimately, it's fine. Thomas is perfect for our cat and Peter is perfect for our son.
Both Peter and Joseph have family meaning.

little_bren · April 2016

AlphabetFish said:

Not a regret, but I have never quite connected with my son's name (Timothy). I do really like it, and it's true there were no boy names I liked more, but I still kind of have a feeling of "Oh, right, that's my kid's name", when I hear it. Hearing my family call him his name is weird still, like I don't immediately realize they're talking about my baby.

I am happy with his name and I don't want to change it (like I said, there was nothing I liked better) but I'm still getting used to it, I guess.

That's interesting. How old is he?

eta: we knew DD's name before she was born. I don't remember feeling that way. We aren't as sure this time around. It's a lot of pressure naming another human being!

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