So my husband found an article the other day on Digg that talked about how the reason name regret is on the rise is due to having too many options. Of course he had to tell that today and now I can’t find the article!
Did anyone else by chance read it and know where I can find it? [name]Do[/name] you agree? [name]Do[/name] you think that it is better to actually have a shorter list of names to choose from rather than a long one?
I find myself kind of disagreeing with this since I am sooooo picky! I have a very short list of names I like despite looking at over thousands of names. What do you guys think?
I disagree, I don’t think the number of options really matter. But then again, I have my long list divided up into small ones, so maybe he’s on to something.
I agree that more options can add to the name regret. With my son we chose a family name from a short list, mostly because it was one of the few we could agree on, but I loved it and never looked back after we made the decision. We are having a girl in [name]January[/name] and we have chosen her first name, again one of the few we could agree on, but one out of lots that I liked. So even though we settled on one of my favorites, since there were so many I would have considered I can’t help but still think about it and question my decision. I think just having the internet to over research names makes us think too much about our decision than it did for our parents and generations past.
I think it makes sense. I even think that’s how it always is in life. [name]Even[/name] with job choices and all that. The more options you have, the more options you have to let go.
I agree with you. I have searched for years for names and I only end up having 3 or 4 favorites for girls and boys at once. I’ll have 3-4 boys names I like and 3-4 girls.
Also, when it comes to actually naming kids, you can have an extensive list, but when you talk it over with your husband and/or come to reality about what name you want to stick a child with for the rest of their life, the choices get very narrow.
We don’t like to find out our child’s gender until the day they are born, either. We always have one named picked out for each (boy or girl) sometimes as late as the day before the due date. I have never regretted any of my children’s names. I am very picky with names as well, however. I tend to really love the idea of a certain name on somebody else’s child but would never use it for mine.
I remember reading an article that sounds like what you were talking about, I think the above link was what the article was. It talks about how parents experience name regret because there are more name options out there, not really because your list is longer. I don’t really find that true for me–I feel like I’ve seen what’s out there and I’ve found what works for me. Despite the thousands of names out there, I am still about 95% sure my first daughter and son will be [name]Isabelle[/name] and [name]Caleb[/name], if I get say over it. I might be adopting before I get married (if I get married), so if that’s the case, then yes, [name]Isabelle[/name] and [name]Caleb[/name] will likely be their names. [name]Even[/name] if I choose a name with a future husband, I don’t expect it to be a problem–all these years I’ve been narrowing down what I like and I know what I want (and what I’ll be willing to compromise on), so hopefully, when the time comes, I won’t experience name regret. Now that I’m saying that, though, watch, in about five years I’ll be back with one of those terrible name regret stories!
I can definitely see how so many options would pose a problem. I’d like to think I won’t get caught up in all the dozens of names and combos I have on my “may potentially use someday” list, seeing that only have a small handful of names I absolutely love. (as opposed to “really like”) That and when it comes time to show the list to my BF, I’m quite sure many will get eliminated.
It’s kind of like choosing a flavor of ice cream. I usually find myself choosing between an old favorite flavor of mine or a newer concoction of something with chocolate or peanut butter. (in the case of naming, this would be “a new twist on an old classic/favorite”) Maybe I’ll go with an old favorite for one child, and something that deviates a little further from my “absolutely love” list. (assuming I have more than one child)
Personally i think having a smaller amount of options, like really well thought out middle name first name etc would contribute towards more name regret like say you absolutely love love LOVED these combos for a girl
[name]Lillian[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] Last Name
[name]Coralie[/name] [name]Zoe[/name] Last Name
and you thought okay i’ll see what fits best when she’s born. She’s born and to be honest she’s a newborn she has no distinctive personality from most other newborn babies she could really be either so you go with [name]Lillian[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]. But you would be far more likely to wonder forever 'what if i’d called her [name]Coralie[/name] [name]Zoe[/name]?"
as opposed to having several options
[name]Amy[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Kathryn[/name]
[name]Jemma[/name]
[name]Gabrielle[/name]
[name]Lucille[/name]
where you choose one and the rest fade away, whereas with the two beautiful well thought out meaningful names you’ve fallen in love with [name]BOTH[/name] the names and therefore opens the door to more name regret.
I can see how it could be like that for some people. Especially if you have more than one well thought our name that you are in love with. I have a friend who named her daughter [name]Clara[/name] [name]Elise[/name]. They had 3 names they chose from at birth and I know that they were wondering what if we named her [name]Holly[/name] [name]June[/name] or [name]Clare[/name] [name]Elise[/name]. When they had their second daughter they named her [name]Holly[/name] [name]June[/name] and feel a lot better about the choice the made
For us we gave our eldest a family name and now our other children’s names have been/will be chosen to match ie. 9 letters long and more traditional/classic names. It limits our choice a lot!
Now that I’m saying that, though, watch, in about five years I’ll be back with one of those terrible name regret stories! 
