Study reveals 1 in 7 parents hate their baby name choice.
Choosing your baby’s name is a big life decision – and one that it seems many parents end up regretting. A recent study by Channel Mum found that 1 in 7 parents think that they made “a terrible mistake” when giving their child a unique identity.
“Picking your baby name is one of the most important parts of becoming a parent – and it’s also something which everyone from friends and family to total strangers has an opinion on.”
Baby Name expert SJ Strum @ channelmum.com.
We now know that millions of mums and dads out there grow to regret their choices. The survey revealed that 1 in 5 parents said this was because the name had became “too popular”, but almost 1 in 10 were put off because celebrities had then chosen the same name for their child.
“Celebrity trends mean there is an ever-growing list of baby names to choose from, but this also means more opportunities to choose a name which you, or your child, then learn to loathe.”
Baby Name expert SJ Strum @ channelmum.com.
Of the 2,000 parents surveyed, more than 1 in 10 admitted that even their kids have told them that they don’t like their name. Interestingly, 28% of surveyed parents have in turn told their child that they regret choosing their name!
The 1 in 3 who do regret their child’s name – did try to choose something unique – but now can’t venture to the park without bumping into scores of kids with the exact same name.
No wonder then, that 1 in 20 parents call their child something different to the name on the birth certificate, simply because they no longer like it. So far only 14% of parents have actually gone so far as to officially change their child’s name.
Some unhappy parents also claimed that the original name chosen no longer fits their child. It does raise this curious question – can we grow into or out of a name? Imagine if we simply let the kids choose!
Top 10 reasons parents regret their child’s name:
1. It’s become really popular.
2. I was pressured into choosing a name by my partner/ family member.
3. I’ve just gone off it.
4. I no longer think it fits them.
5. My friend chose the same name for their baby.
6. It’s too unusual.
7. It’s difficult to spell.
8. Someone with the same name became famous.
9. A celebrity named their child with the same name.
10. It sounds like something rude or awkward when you put it with their middle name/surname.
I don’t regret my kids names at all. Their Celtic heritage was being referenced by them and we’d hoped they wouldn’t be easy to shorten too, so Orla and Lorcan were selected . As they’re pretty ageless they were good when they were little and they’re still appropriate now they’re 13 & 16 which iI’d imagine , is why people go off their selections. I do find some names aren’t thought about in conjunction with the surname or the initials spelling something rude, which could also be an issue too !