Changing son’s name- your reaction

Hi everyone, I’m looking for support here. My son is almost 3 weeks old and I made a horrible mistake in choosing his name. I regretted it almost immediately and now I am at the point where I am certain I need to legally change it so I can be happy. My partner is supportive and we’ve told our parents already. I guess what I’m wondering is an outside perspective of if you would think it’s weird if someone changed their infant’s name. What would your reaction be if you heard a friend or someone you knew growing up did this? I don’t think this will impact my decision to change his name because I found a name I adore instead but I am just curious what the general reaction of others is.

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He is so young and you seem so certain of the new name that I don’t think anyone would make a fuss over it! [name_m]Even[/name_m] if they did, this is your child and your decision. You have to feel good about it and living with a name you regret doesn’t have to be your reality! I’ve known of 2 people who changed their baby’s name when they were newborns and it really didn’t affect anything to my knowledge.

Go with your gut and do what’s best for your family!

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i don’t see it as weird at all ! your son is just 3 weeks old, so it’s not like the name change will affect him in any way, and i don’t think it’s weird for a parent to change their mind on a child’s name. i’d only feel relieved for that parent that they got to it before the child was too old for the change

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The name nerd in me would be a tiny bit curious (in a completely nonjudgmental way!), but I truly wouldn’t think twice about it otherwise. I don’t think it’s strange at all to have second thoughts about a name, even to the point of wanting/needing to change it, after seeing what it feels like to use it for a real baby. And a year or two down the line, hardly anyone will remember this little blip. It sounds like you’re making the right decision for you, and I’m so glad you’ve found a name you love and feel really confident using!

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3 weeks of such a small blip of time, I’m glad you’re happy with your son’s new name!

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I think the longer someone waits to change it, the weirder it is, but I think if he’s only 3 weeks old, it’s completely fine :blush:

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Thank you so much :heart:. And that’s so interesting you know of 2 people who changed their newborns names. That does make me feel better to hear

Thank you!

If I knew someone IRL doing this, I’d be very intrigued as to the reason. Not at all saying this is the case for you but I’d be wondering about PPD or if it would simply be a case of name regret. Childbirth, hormone changes, sleep deprivation and adjusting to having a newborn is A LOT to go through. It would honestly cross my mind…

But overall, I don’t think changing a 3 week old’s name is a huge deal. If he were older and you (not he) didn’t like his name and wanted to change it, I’d find it ridiculous.

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No, I wouldn’t at all—especially a baby as little as your son is! A name is meant to be loved and cherished. I think it’s a fine idea to change it if you’re not smitten! And better now than never at all.

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I don’t think it’s a big deal ! It’s such a small time in his life , but I would probably do it sooner than later

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Not weird at all. He’s only a baby and at three weeks it doesn’t matter and people will adjust super fast. Name regret is a real thing that parents deal with, a lot more than you’d think. I knew someone once who named her daughter [name_f]Mercedes[/name_f] before she was born because she loved the name, but after a month of her being born she changed it to [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f] because she just found it more fitting.

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There’s a Tiktok of a woman who changed her son’s name from [name_u]Aspen[/name_u] to [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. The way she explained it made me understand completely. So my opinion is definitely to change it :grin: (I can message you the link to the Tiktok, if you want).

[name_m]Just[/name_m] make sure the insurance company (if in the US) and all doctor offices know. People think we are told somehow but we aren’t :sweat_smile:

Thank you!! I just watched her tiktok. loved it! I can totally relate to the line where she says it’s such a cool name…for someone else. Exactly how I feel.

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thank you for sharing this. It’s really making me feel better to hear I’m not alone or the only person to have felt this way

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I don’t think it’s weird - maybe if it was six months down the line, sure, but three weeks in, I wouldn’t think too much of it :slight_smile:

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I wouldn’t think it weird. I would think you were willing to admit you made a mistake and smart enough to remedy the situation, as awkward as it might be. The sooner the better. Good luck. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] proud of yourself.

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100% not weird. People change their names often enough. There are also plenty of people who go by a different name or a different version of their current name. Changing while that young is way easier as well.

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No big deal. Go for it! He’s only 3 weeks and I’m sure not everyone in your life has even met him yet.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] start calling him by his new name and people will catch on fast.

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100% a pain the butt to do, and 100%worth doing if you’re sure… but I agree that the longer you wait the harder it’ll be. [name_f]Do[/name_f] it now!

What made you change your mind?

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