Baby Name Regret?

Has anyone ever felt regret about the name they chose for their baby? We named our son [name_u]Julian[/name_u] and all I can think about is [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_u]Julianne[/name_u], [name_f]Jillian[/name_f], Who-lee-in, etc. It wasn’t my first or even second choice but my wife pushed for it and here we are. Curious if anyone else has felt this and how they got past it?

That’s so hard. How old is he now?

For what it’s worth, [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is a stunning name! Incredibly handsome, strong yet soft at the same time. [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is such a timeless, classy name. Would calling him [name_u]Jules[/name_u] make things better or worse?

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First of all congratulations on your new baby and I hope things are going well for you guys. This is a tough predicament to be in. I’m expecting our first and we are actually considering the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u], so from that perspective, I have to say I do think it’s a handsome, classic, strong name. To me it’s very masculine sounding even with the similar “Julia” names out there.
But this is about how you and your wife feel about it, not anyone else. Have you brought up your concern with her? It’s a tough conversation to have, especially since she wanted the name more. Maybe a compromise can be reached- like switching his first and middle if you like his middle name enough to do so.
Be honest with her that you want both of you to love or at least really like the name, not just you and not just her. Maybe there’s another name from your lists she’s willing to consider.
Best of luck to you!

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[name_f]My[/name_f] parents regretted my name and changed it when I was a baby.

As for my own children, one of them I have always felt certain that we chose the right name and the other I feel like we could’ve named them a different name and still felt good about it.

Sorry you feel this way :confused:

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[name_u]Julian[/name_u] is a stunning name.

my mom is starting to regret not naming me Farnham like she wanted.

bring it up to your wife, it will save you a lot of headaches in the future,

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If you comb through these forums you’ll find a lot of people on here that have doubts about what they named their baby. It is not unusual. In some cases its just a matter of getting used to it or getting through the newborn/postpartum haze. But if you really feel regret about it, changing it isnt such a big deal either!

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It’s actually pretty common. I sometimes regret the name we chose for one of our twin boys. I felt pressured into making a choice, and although I like his name, I still wish we’d gone with something else (they’re now 2,5 years old). I don’t love it as much as my other children’s names.
It was such a chaotic time, and when I truly realized I regretted our choice it was too late to change it. I don’t hate or even dislike his name. And after a while it just felt like him. He’s our [name_m]Endymion[/name_m], our sassy little rascal, and I couldn’t imagine him being anything else. For that reason I love his name. But if I had to do it again, I’d make a different choice.

If [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is still very young, maybe you could talk to your wife about changing his name, or maybe finding a nickname that works for you?

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I think [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is such a fun and handsome name! However, I’ll echo others and say there’s no harm in changing baby’s name if he’s still quite young. Hopefully there’s some sort of compromise that can be reached.

If baby’s name is here to stay, I would also suggest maybe gravitating towards books, movies, or TV shows with inspiring or strong characters named [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. Sometimes I catch myself falling in love with names I had no idea I could like, purely because of an amazing story.

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Thanks everyone. It is nice to know I’m not the only one who has felt this way. The baby is not even a week old. He came 5 days early so it was a hectic few days for all of us and the hospital constantly pushes you to pick a name. To make matters worse, my wife is a nurse who worked in that hospital for 10 years so everyone she knows came in and put their support behind the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u]. I felt bombarded and eventually caved. I spent months and months researching names and creating lists. Writing them down and even talking to my imaginary child to see what sounds right. After all that it’s hard to accept we ended up with a name that I’m not in love with.

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[name_u]Julian[/name_u] is a fab name. He’ll grow into it, I’m sure, and the nn [name_u]Jules[/name_u] is pretty cool as well. [name_f]Julia[/name_f] and [name_f]Juliette[/name_f] are feminine versions of the name. [name_m]Julius[/name_m] [name_m]Caeser[/name_m] was definitely male. [name_u]Julian[/name_u] makes me think of all the historical Caesers there were!

That must’ve been so stressful at the hospital! I am pregnant now & I don’t think we’re going to have a name fully settled before the baby’s born. Maybe for a boy, but definitely not for a girl (and we’re not finding out). I feel like I need to see the baby before I can make a final decision! I guess I need to mentally prepare to not give into the pressure if I don’t feel ready to choose yet.

I think you should probably tell your wife that you feel unsure about his name, but that you’ll give it a couple weeks to see if it grows on you. That way, you’re giving her choice some time to settle but she’s still aware that you’re unsure about the name & won’t be blindsided in a month or so if you still want to discuss changing it.