Picking a name is one of the most exciting parts of having a baby – but what if you come to regret your choice?
Whether you’ve inadvertently gone for something that every other child seems to have or you feel your name is a little too out there, it’s not uncommon to feel uncertain about it long after your baba has been christened.
A mum online is opening up about her name regret after deciding to call her three-year-old daughter Evelyn.
The woman said she and her partner chose the name for sentimental reasons but that other people’s opinions on online parenting forums have made her worry about it.
“I know people are going to say not to worry but it’s something that I think about regularly,” she wrote on Mumsnet.
“When we named her I had never been on a site like this and having never met another little Evelyn.
“I get really sad that it is pretty much always called boring or horrible on this site.
“I very rarely see anything positive about it and it makes me regret not calling her Eliza.”
She said that she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to love the name again and asked if any fellow mums suffered from name regret.
There was an outpouring of support for the fretful woman as other users reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her choice.
“I’d ignore all the negative name comments on this site, some people are weird, tactless and just plain unpleasant.”
“You loved the name once and will you again, just ignore the opinions of people who don’t matter to you.”
“I think it’s a beautiful name! You can’t please all the people all the time.”
If you can relate to what this mum is feeling, you’re not alone.
A 2016 survey found that one in five parents regret their baby’s name.
So what to do if this happens to you? Do you learn to live with your choice, or introduce a nickname and hope it sticks?
Let us know in the Facebook comments or on Twitter.
