Family Parenting

Why some parents end up regretting their baby’s name

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Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

Are you a parent who’s regretted giving your child a name that seemed good at the time?

A study conducted by SJ Strum for parenting website Channel Mum shows that one in seven parents admit they made a “terrible mistake” with the name they chose for their child. Moreover, the research found that millions of parents grew to despise the name they had originally picked for their baby.

According to the research, there are 28 per cent of people who have told their child that they regret choosing their name. As a matter of fact, more than one in ten parents said their children have told them they don’t like it themselves.

SJ Strum, a baby names expert, says: “Celebrity trends mean there are 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.”

Indeed, the study shows that one in 10 parents ended up put off of their baby’s name, because of a celebrity choosing it for their own child. Another one in 10 pair started to regret the name after someone with the same one, went onto become famous.

The deception does not end here. About 20 parents from the study, call their child something different to the name on their birth certificate because they no longer like it. Moreover, 14 per cent have even considered officially changing their child’s name.

Top 10 reasons parents regret their baby’s name:

1. It became 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

Top 10 celebrity baby names which put parents off:

1. Bear (Cheryl and Liam Payne)
2. Harper (David and Victoria Beckham)
3. Kai (Wayne and Coleen Rooney)
4. Shiloh (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
5. Harvey (Katie Price)
6. Teddy (Robbie Williams and Ayda Field)
7. Mason (Kourtney Kardashian)
8. Parker (Mario from TOWIE)
9. Nelly (Billie Fairs)
10. Penelope (Kourtney Kardashian)

Top 10 names people are put off because of a celebrity:

1. Donald
2. Paris
3. Rihanna
4. Kourtney
5. Cheryl
6. Miley
7. Kylie
8. Zayn
9. Khloe
10. Coleen