[name_f]My[/name_f] daughters name is [name_f]Elsie[/name_f].
Something that’s bothering me is I can’t help worrying we should have given her a longer name - [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] or Espeth so she had more options as an adult. We currently use the pet name [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband isn’t keen as a formal name (but could be persuaded)
She is 2 1/2. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think I am too late to change this now on Deed poll and do you think it’s worth it? [name_u]Or[/name_u] just continue to use the name ourselves.
have you been thinking about this for a long time or is this a recent concern? did you consider giving her a longer name when she was born? if so, why did you decide against it?
i do think it’s good to have a formal name but since she’s already 2 1/2, it does maybe seem a bit late to me? however, since you already use the name Elspeth as pet name, i think the transition would be easier. i’d talk it through with your husband some more so you can decide if it’s worth it or not
I’d stick with just [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. It’s a solid, substantial name, sweet and sparky but not super cutesy. Tbh, most people I’ve known who’ve decided they want more options as an adult have just straight up chosen a different name so
I would change it now (and do all sorted before school) if you really think it’s in her best interests to have a longer, more formal name. Otherwise it’s something on her to think about changing - which is much harder, because it then really will feel difficult to decide if worth it.
Thanks. I have been thinking about it for a long time. I think I’m worried she’ll want a more formal / professional name as an adult.
I have had a lot of name regret. We disagreed on names for ages and I’d loved [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] but was maybe last minute as she didn’t suit the name we’d picked when she was born. I had lots of negative family reactions/ comments which hasn’t helped I think.
I’d go on and change it, personally! Why not? Then she’s got her long name and her short name, can go by both or either in school when she starts… and since you’ve given it much thought, it seems perfectly reasonable and lovely to me. She’s so little that it’ll probably be naught but a fun story to learn as she’s older, not a hassle for her at this time. A vote for going for it here! [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] and [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] are utterly gorgeous.
I would change it, especially as it appears you’ve been wanting to for a long time. It will be a much easier transition as she is still young, but she also likely recognizes the name [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], so I imagine not too much would change, just enough that it’ll make you feel more confident in your choice!
I would change it now. It’ll be too late once she’s started school I think. Personally, I’d go with [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and use the nicknames [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] and [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]. That way she’d have lots of options.
She’s 2.5…… at this point keep it. She likely sees herself as [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] and you’re playing with a flip of a coin on what ifs. What if you change it to something more formal and she grows up wishing her name had formally just stayed as [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. [name_m]Plenty[/name_m] of people come in here and don’t see the point of formal names when the nickname is all that they’ll see themselves are…. What if you’re [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is the same? I know an [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. [name_m]Just[/name_m] like I know Elise’s and Eliza’s. They all seem to fair well as they get older. For just a “what if?” It’s not worth it.
I would keep it! [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] it totally fine as a full name, and she can always go by [name_f]Elle[/name_f] if she finds that a bit more grown up.
As long as you continue to call her [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] I think it’s completely fine to change her formal name to one that’s longer. That said, I think [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is more daring and unique & a lively choice. However, you know best & if you are still feeling like she’d want a more formal name down the road it isn’t a huge shift to just change the paperwork.
In this case I’d just change it (assuming your partner is ok with it). I think Elsie is a lovely name and can stand alone. But Elspeth is also lovely and if it bothers you I don’t think there’s anything wrong with changing it
Definitely change it since it’s been a concern for a while, and you don’t want to have name regret forever. Now is the best time to do so, it would just be harder to change later in life. I don’t see the harm in going with [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], she can still go by [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], but will just have more name options in the future.
[name_f]My[/name_f] great aunt was named [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. She had no problems as an adult being taken seriously nor did she wish for a more formal name.
How about waiting until she’s a bit older to see what she’d prefer to do? [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you were to wait until her early teens it’d probably still be relatively simple in terms of document changes. (It’s once you get a financial, legal, employment, etc. papertrail under the name you’re changing from that a name change gets harder to implement.)
I think changing it or not is fine, but I’ll throw in my experience. I have a longer name but have been called by a nickname since birth. It wasn’t a big deal in school but it’s a little weirder now when I interact with doctor’s offices and things. I don’t really feel like my longer name is me, but it’s more of a hassle to tell them what I prefer and even when I’ve told them, it doesn’t always stick. So I always just go by my longer name in official settings (medical, legal, bureaucratic) and feel a little fancier in those. I don’t have a career in which a more traditional name would be an advantage, so that hasn’t been a concern.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I like my longer name? Sure. Because my parents chose it in love.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I personally like longer names for my kids? Yep.
But do I think it’s absolutely necessary? Not really.
[name_f]My[/name_f] feeling is to change it to [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], the classic root name for [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. You would only be enhancing the naming possibilities for your child in the future….and no one knows what the future holds for her or how she will feel about her name. To me it is the most logical approach.
I don’t have a career in which a more traditional name would be an advantage, so that hasn’t been a concern.