Hey nameberries,
I sound so crazy for even asking and for even thinking this but my baby girl’s name is still not sticking for me. I stressed through my pregnancy and once she was born I went with what my husband liked because there was nothing else sticking for me.
Her name is [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_f]Kezia[/name_f]. I introduce her as [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]. I really like the name [name_f]Kezia[/name_f] but my husband doesn’t. Everyone calls her [name_u]Riley[/name_u] and it just feels almost embarrassing like I know there are people out there that don’t like that name and I’m having trouble with it too.
Would I be crazy to call her a nickname totally unrelated to [name_u]Riley[/name_u] or a nickname for [name_f]Kezia[/name_f] like K or [name_f]Kezzie[/name_f]?? Officially changing her name I don’t know if I could do but calling her something different would be possible??
I remember in the weeks following the births of both my daughters feeling something like what you’re describing (I too stressed over the names of my girls) - obviously not identical to your situation but your post struck a memory. I felt that both girls hadn’t yet grown into their names/become their names and looking back, I was a bit of a rollercoaster of hormones and sensitive to a lot more than I realized at the time. It was hard to call this baby “[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]” - such a big name, especially when people responded with either nothing or that it was a name they didn’t hear often (and not oh! I just love it!).
I’d say don’t worry at ALL what anyone else thinks, except your husband of course. I think it’s totally reasonable to call her [name_f]Kezia[/name_f] if you like it better and think it fits her, but I’d be honest with your husband, and maybe go back to the reasons you chose [name_u]Riley[/name_u] in the first place. Good luck!
I don’t think it’s crazy to think about changing her name. My partner and I took two weeks to choose and announce our son’s name. I struggled with feeling like we’d made the wrong choice until he was around eight months old, at which time we decided to (unofficially) change the spelling of his name to a more traditional, yet less common, spelling. I’ve felt much better about since then, even though it was just one letter! We have yet to officially amend his birth certificate but it’s in the works. I just wanted to share our story so you know you’re not the only one who has felt this way!
Lots of people go by a middle name (my partner included), so it doesn’t seem weird at all if you start calling her [name_f]Kezia[/name_f]. I always thought it was pronounced KEE-zee-uh or KEEJ-uh, so I like [name_f]Kiki[/name_f] as a nickname when I had it on my shortlist.
I’d try calling her by your preferred name for a while before doing the necessary paperwork to formalize the change. That way, you have time to try it out in the day-to-day, wider world, and see how it fits her. If it works and you feel at peace, then definitely make the change after that trial.
Look I love the name [name_u]Riley[/name_u]! I think the nickname Riles is really cute and that would be my preference. I think [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_f]Kezia[/name_f] is beautifully balanced with both common and unique and not super girly. [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is really sweet imo however if you do want her to go by Kezzy or K that’s perfectly fine. The nickname you choose doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else except your family. I would advise against changing her name simply because despite feeling unsure about it now you chose [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_f]Kezia[/name_f] for a reason.
This must be hard to go through on top of the general newborn adjustments! Firstly, I think it’s fine to call her [name_f]Kezzie[/name_f], or [name_f]Keziah[/name_f]. Nicknames can come from anywhere, and certainly from middle names.
Maybe you could try this out for a while to see if you want to go through with a formal change. Talk to your husband about how you don’t feel comfortable with the choice of [name_u]Riley[/name_u], and about considering a change. What do you (and your husband) think of [name_f]Grace[/name_f] as the used name for a compromise option?
If you end up mostly using [name_f]Kezzie[/name_f] you don’t need to make a formal change of course. People can use any of their names.
I can relate I think, because I too, am overly sensitive to the reaction of others so maybe that, combined with the difficulty in choosing a name to begin with is a big part of your concern. This was your baby to name so try to ignore the reaction of others. I think [name_u]Riley[/name_u] is really cute and she could have a nickname that is reserved only for you to use at home if that works better for you but I do think that with hormones, etc., you may be overthinking it.
Please don’t be embarrassed about people calling her [name_u]Riley[/name_u] just because “people out there don’t like the name.” There were tens of thousands little girls named [name_u]Riley[/name_u]/[name_u]Rylee[/name_u]/[name_f]Ryleigh[/name_f]/etc. born this year, so trust me - plenty of the people love the name. If we all chose names based on what other people liked, no one would have a name!
That being said, if you want to nickname her there are lots of options from her three names and yes, you can use a nickname for any of them.
[name_m]Ry[/name_m]-[name_m]Ry[/name_m]
RG
[name_f]Gracie[/name_f] K
[name_f]Kezzie[/name_f]
[name_u]Kay[/name_u]
[name_u]Kay[/name_u]-[name_u]Kay[/name_u]
[name_f]Izzie[/name_f]
[name_f]Gigi[/name_f]
Thank you so much everyone, despite me feeling completely crazy. Could be hormones. I just thought if I went with it I wouldn’t look back and I totally am. I’m going to play around with nicknames and calling her these things to see if it fits and could be something special just I call her or it catches on. We won’t be officially changing her name, I don’t want that as part of her story lol And my husband supports anything I feel comfortable with. He’s more concerned with that than keeping the name he likes.
I’m also going to try the hyphen when writing the name too, maybe people will use it. Nobody has even when introducing as [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] which is a little insulting actually - ie. “that is not the name I just told you”
My son was SO easy, his name was meant to be and I guess i can’t find anything as special as this little girl is to me. That is why I had chosen [name_f]Kezia[/name_f], its meaning is very personal and special to me.
