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My Daughter Is 5 Years Old, and I Regret My Baby Name Choice

12/06/2018 - 10:25 PM

I knew pretty soon after my daughter was born that I regretted what my husband and I named her. I figured, eventually, I'd fall back in love with the name and get over any misgivings, but now, five years later, I still think we picked the wrong moniker for our little girl [1].

We chose our daughter's name as a family. More accurately, my two older daughters insisted we give her a name they'd overheard at the park. I was OK with the idea, but not overly thrilled. I said I'd consider it. Once my girls latched onto this name, however, it was impossible to change their minds, and I ended up giving in.

I tend to call her by her middle name quite a bit, which makes me happy.

My hesitation has always had to do with how popular the baby name has become. Think of the top five baby names for girls [2], and you'll know what it is within a small margin of error (to protect her privacy, I won't share it here). Everywhere I go, I hear other parents calling their daughters the same name, and it kind of irritates me. My daughter is special, and the fact that she shares a name with so many other girls just doesn't feel right. The other reason I have never really warmed to the name is that there are so many nicknames [3] associated with it. I can't control what her friends and teachers call her to the point that I honestly don't even try anymore.

I'm not sure there will ever come a day when I don't feel a twinge of regret over the name we picked [4]. If I haven't shed all my doubts in five years, what are the chances I will suddenly fall madly, deeply in love with the name? I figure what's more important is that I am madly, deeply in love with my child. Her sisters are also very proud when they tell the story of how they chose their sister's moniker, which always makes me smile and feel better.

The bottom line is that it is what it is at this point. I'm not going to change her name and confuse her or make it seem like we're in the witness protection program or something. Instead, I tend to call her by her middle name [6] quite a bit, which makes me happy. And she likes her name, which I have decided trumps any regrets I may harbor. She is and always will be my special girl, and a name won't change that (no matter how many times I hear it at the park).


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/parenting/Essay-About-Regretting-Your-Baby-Name-Choice-44937683