Family changes name of 3m/o

KimmySchmidt · August 2016

I saw this post on buzzfeed and thought it was interesting and relevant to us, as people who are currently naming babies.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/these-parents-changed-their-daughters-name-when-she-was-3-mo?utm_term=.wzmD8G8e0B#.wzmD8G8e0B

TLDR- a couple named their daughter Ottilie and were disappointed that people weren't pronouncing it right, so they changed it to Margot when she was three months old.

Thoughts on this?!

Bibliobebe · August 2016

Naming a kid is a big deal, and if the name doesn't feel right I don't think there's anything wrong with the parents changing it. I feel like there's an ideal time for this, though. I have no idea what that ideal time it is, exactly, but I'd personally say that by the time the child was able to recognize or say his/her own name that you'd probably want to proceed with caution when altering it.

3 months is early enough that I don't think it'd cause too much of a ripple.

steminist · August 2016

I didn't think the name was hard to pronounce, either before the phonetic spelling or after. However, if they thought it would be the best thing for their daughter, then more power to them. Naming is a really stressful process for me (from video game characters to this LO), so I get the panic. Would it have been easier just to teach your family to say her name properly? Probably. Will it prevent teachers, people reading resumes, etc. from mispronouncing her name every time for her life? Probably, too. At least it's well before the girl could start to learn her own name and get confused!

JennM205 · August 2016

Granted, it was her middle name and I didn't change it, I added to it, but I "changed" DD's name when she was seven months old...

We knew her first name would be Evelyn and her middle name was either going to be after DH's Grandmother (seriously the most amazing person in the world) or after my Grandmother, my Mom and I who all share a middle name. Before she was born, I was totally fine with "breaking tradition" and not giving her my middle name, especially since it allowed us to honor DH's Gma, who has been such a positive influence on him/us. But immediately after she was born I felt the need to give her a "part" of me...which I know sounds weird. Hormones, maybe? I didn't want to not name her after DH's Gma so I considered giving her two middle names but felt that was silly and might be a burden to her later in life. So she was named after DH's Gma. Months later, I couldn't shake the sorrow of not sharing my name with her. Finally, DH encouraged me to just give her a second middle name since it was obviously so important to me. So at seven months old, she and I stood in line at the Social Security Office to officially change her name, haha!

ketomommy · August 2016

There was a family on my mom's street that named their daughter a popular name, like Ellie or Sophie. A year later my mom hears them calling her by a different, but equally popular name. She asked about and they said that after a year they just never felt like the name they gave her fit.

Flowr4246 · August 2016

I commend them for realizing Ottilie is a truly awful name. I side-eye them for not being able to come up with a better alternative than Margot.

steminist · August 2016

@Flowr4246 Aw, I love Margot! It's on my names list right now.

Eta: auto-correct!

KimmySchmidt · August 2016

@Flowr4246 One of my oldest and dearest friends is named Margo (without a T). I don't know what's wrong with it. She's never had any trouble. Anyone who has read The Diary Anne Frank (which SHOULD be everyone) should be familiar with it.

Cricket Bug · August 2016

I feel like there are a lot of people that should entertain the idea of changing their kids names before it becomes the child's issue more than the parents. If the name is truly regretted, and terrible, it isn't going to affect the child at all (for the worse) to have people confused for a brief time if they're only a few months old. I think it shows a responsible parent (in some cases) to recognize what will be best for their child in the future and admit a mistake.

asht · August 2016

I changed my daughters name when she was around 6 months. She is now 4.5 and will be changing it again as my spouse is in the process of adopting her. Granted just her last name but still different

sareej521 · August 2016

I thought the original name was cute but I also have a friend who's daughter has a name very similar so maybe that's why I sat well with me. I do stress a lot about names though, with our daughter we say had she been a week or 2 later she would have been an Aria instead of Ava because hubby got into GOT but looking at her 3 years later the name never would have suited her... so tough and stressful haha

KimmySchmidt · August 2016

I guess I can't believe they didn't consider the names pronounce-ability before they signed the birth certificate.

Did everyone pronounce this name like "Natalie" except with "Odd" at the beginning instead of "Nat"?

They say that a lot of people have baby name regret. I guess we can revisit THAT discussion in a few months ourselves!

KimmySchmidt · August 2016

asht said:

I changed my daughters name when she was around 6 months. She is now 4.5 and will be changing it again as my spouse is in the process of adopting her. Granted just her last name but still different

What you're talking about is an obvious exception! Kids change last names with adoptions/marriages often. This was a completely different first name!

asht · August 2016

But at three months its not a big deal. A lot of know ds at adoption get new first names as well

sareej521 · August 2016

When I fist read it the other day to me it definitely looked like that @KimmySchmidt but then I read the ending was pronounced with an "ia" sound and it threw me off! I could see in that case for pronunciation sake but i dont see why they wouldn't just alter the spelling to match up more...

RG1 · August 2016

KimmySchmidt said:

I guess I can't believe they didn't consider the names pronounce-ability before they signed the birth certificate.

Did everyone pronounce this name like "Natalie" except with "Odd" at the beginning instead of "Nat"?

They say that a lot of people have baby name regret. I guess we can revisit THAT discussion in a few months ourselves!

Yes I pronounced it like that. Natalie but Ott as in otter, then alie. Is that how they intended it to be pronounced?!

BernieRae · August 2016

KimmySchmidt said:

Did everyone pronounce this name like "Natalie" except with "Odd" at the beginning instead of "Nat"?

Yes. I do not enunciate the t(s) in Ottilie or Natalie. The Ts sound like Ds. Sounds like they preferred the name pronounced with a British accent. Good call to change it.

estellegetty · August 2016

Ahhh I don't want to even think about name regret...I have enough things keeping me up at night @KimmySchmidt haha

SuperFudge00 · August 2016

My cousin adopted her foster child at one year and changed her name from Destiny to Cambrie. The change fits with the other girls' names. Also, I don't personally care for the name Destiny and tried, without success, to prevent BFF from naming my niece that.

Shiva14 · August 2016

In Denmark you don't have to name a kid until 5 months! Kind of crazy to me but I guess it's normal to take your time for some people (which I guess could include changing it). Don't think I could do it.

AnnaS930 · August 2016

In 2nd grade I wrote "Agnes" on all of my papers instead of Anna because I wanted to change my name. Luckily my parents knew it was just some weird phase and didn't move forward with obeying my commands!! Hahaha

ruemcclanahan · August 2016

I almost changed my 1st name and my last name when I was 20.
no real reason lol
I didn't end up doing it

estellegetty · August 2016

When I was four my dad passed away. My mom got our house completely redone and one day the construction crew asked me my name so that they could add the initial to our new front step...I told them my name was Kimberly because that's really what I wanted my name to be. Like desperately! When my mom saw the stoop and asked who the K was for she couldn't believe I lied to them! Thank God she laughs about it now - haha! One of the first questions when I announced hat we were having a baby was "if it's a girl will you name her Kimberly?!?"

marajay6 · August 2016

On my last BMB there was someone who was considering changing her daughter's name (or was it middle name? I don't quite recall). Shortly after delivery when she was filling out paperwork for the baby, one of the hospital staff made a rude comment about the name she had chosen. With the exhaustion and post-partum emotions, she ended up writing a different name on the forms. She ended up regretting it by the time she got home from the hospital.

RG1 · August 2016

marajay6 said:

On my last BMB there was someone who was considering changing her daughter's name (or was it middle name? I don't quite recall). Shortly after delivery when she was filling out paperwork for the baby, one of the hospital staff made a rude comment about the name she had chosen. With the exhaustion and post-partum emotions, she ended up writing a different name on the forms. She ended up regretting it by the time she got home from the hospital.

That is terrible! That's totally something that would throw me off and ruin my confidence in my name choice

marajay6 · August 2016

@RG1 - I know! I don't recall what the name was, but it wasn't a bad name at all. She did file a formal complaint to the hospital about the employee. They should know better than to make negative comments on the names parents choose!

abberson · August 2016

That is terrible!! I hope she got training! I got a few rude comments about DD's name after she was born, but not from hospital staff. One of my mom's friends: "Seriously, is there a story behind that name or what? Why would you choose it?" Because we liked it, obviously. I had mild name regret at first, but love it now (aka still!). I might have hormonally done the same as your bmb girl if someone had been so critical before the paperwork was done. Which would have led to much bigger regret!

Flowr4246 · August 2016

I think the Margot thing with me is that I automatically associate it with the bitchy neighbor from Christmas Vacation...
"And why is the carpet all wet, Todd?!"
"I don't KNOW, MARGOT!"
LOL. If that's your style, then I say roll with it. To each their own and all that.

AnnaS930 · August 2016

My cousin's name at birth was Lyle. When my aunt told the nurses that, they commented on how many Lyles had been born recently. My uncle had gone down to the cafeteria for food, when he came back he said "and how's Lyle?" my aunt told him "I don't know, but Ross is doing great!" ...he just smiled and nodded because, well, he's a good husband and knows to roll with the punches. Both were family names.

Other family members know a child who went home without a name (some states allow this). The baby always slept with her hand over her ear, so they named her "Cochlea". We always joke about how lucky that girl is with where she placed her hand.. not that Cochlea is a good name, but better than some alternatives.

sareej521 · August 2016

Hubby and I were watching a movie last night and a characters name was Ottilie and so I started telling him about this story and he thinks it's a cute name! Haha

SarahNH1 · August 2016

Ottilie makes me think of 'OliveOil' from Popeye the cartoon. And Margot just seems to close to maggot... Or Margaret (what I would,go with if switching that way)
Not saying they are bad! Just never heard of anyone with the names so it just strange to me.

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