Plenty of parents spend ages to-ing and fro-ing over choosing the perfect name for their newborns.
But one mum has opened up about her change of heart concerning her baby daughter’s pre-birth chosen name, confessing that she ‘loved it’ while pregnant but has had a rethink since meeting her little one face-to-face.
The mother reached out on Reddit seeking guidance, sharing that after eight weeks with her daughter, she’s keen on a name change, yet feels “awful” and “embarrassed” about it.
Her post read: “I had my baby girl eight weeks ago. We named her Judith Mae (Judy) for short. I’ve loved this name all throughout my pregnancy but it just isn’t a good fit for her.
“We are thinking about changing her name to Valorie Jane, my question is should I leave her name as is or go through the trouble of changing it?”
Adding to her story, the mum confessed: “I feel awful for feeling this way and will feel a little embarrassed if we do legally change it, but I also want to Love my child’s name and be proud to share it when someone asks what her name is… help.”
The conundrum left many raising their eyebrows in surprise as one person expressed: “Curious how you can tell the name doesn’t fit in eight weeks.”
Others though offered a bit more support, suggesting she might want to dwell on it a while longer and grow into the original name. Chipping in with their two pence, one user encouraged: “Judith is a beautiful name and there are many vintage/old fashioned names that are becoming popular again…. I know of babies named Hazel, Esme, Esther, Cora, Mabel, Adelaide and Polly! I think you should keep it.”
Another person resonated with the choice of traditional names, saying: “I agree! Have met a bunch of little Elenor’s, Amelia’s, and Charlottes. Judith has the same classic vibe and very much fits in with current name styles, without being too trendy. Judy is also a very cute nickname.”
They continued to reflect on how the perspective of names constantly evolves, noting: “Keep in mind the perspective of names is always changing. I’ve worked with kids and have heard them say names like Justin or Ashley is an ‘old person name’, but don’t bat an eye at a 5 year old named Henry or Evelyn.”
Another individual chimed in with their personal anecdote, saying: “When I had my first daughter, we gave her a ‘big’ name. It didn’t fit her right away. It felt too grown-up for a tiny baby. I referred to her as ‘the baby’ for a while, but we loved the name (pre and during pregnancy). We got used to the name for a baby and she grew into it. It now fits her beautifully. I don’t know if this applies to your situation, but I thought it useful to share my experience.”
Other commenters suggested she should feel free to choose a different name if the original one did not feel right, with one remarking: “My mother has always said ‘You can spend your whole pregnancy loving a name… and then you get eyes on that critter and the name just doesn’t fit.’ My older sister was supposed to be Lindsey, til mum saw her and just knew it wasn’t right.
“It took them a few days, but they nailed down the perfect name. It’s so funny to me because it’s ‘true’ – my sister is NOT a Lindsey. I like the name Lindsey too, just not on my sister when you know you just know!”