Experts discuss ways to avoid baby name regret

Deciding on a baby name is one of the first (and biggest) parenting decisions you’ll make, so it’s no wonder many people experience stress during the process. Some parents choose to keep their naming choices private until the baby is born, while others hire a baby name consultant to help narrow down their choices.

Google Trends tells us that even with this service as an option parents In the past month, the search term “baby name change” increased by 2% year-on-year. People who searched for “baby name regret” also searched for “how to solve baby name regret”, “how to overcome baby name regret”, “baby name change cost” and “baby name change after birth”.

You say “Milo” – I say “Miles”

One parent on Reddit experienced child name regret when she chose two very similar names for her son.

“My oldest is Milo,” she explained in a post that received more than 500 comments.

For her second son, she explained they went with Miles. Three weeks after Miles was born, she wondered if she had “screwed up” because family, friends and even doctors had mixed up the children’s names. The Reddit user was so distraught that she admitted she considered changing Miles’ name.

Commenters were quick to weigh in on stories of similar names in a family, such as a person with the same last name as her husband who had cousins ​​named Mitchell and Michelle.

“That’s a tongue twister,” the commenter admitted, going on to say that she also knows twins named Rachel and Raquel. Another commenter said a friend has two daughters named Ava and Avery.

“I still can’t sort them out,” she admits.

Ultimately, Reddit users agreed that Myles and Minogue’s names were too similar.

“Doctor chaos won’t be the last. Imagine them going to the same school, same pharmacy, dentist, daycare, swimming lessons, field trips, you name it,” one commenter noted, adding, ” If you don’t change it, you’ll kick yourself.

To be fair, some people supported the mom, with one saying: “My neighbors are named Danielle and Daniel. This works great for them!

Another commenter declared: “That’s your child, you can name them whatever you want. Stop worrying about what other people think.

Browse similar baby name suggestions

Not everyone will agree with this particular case, but we asked some experts for advice on what to do if you fall in love with a similar baby name.

In fact, Jennifer Moss, CEO and co-founder of BabyNames.com, Baby Name Book and One in a million baby name bookas well as producers and co-hosts. Baby Names Podcast,Tell parents Mom and Dad definitely have “naming styles.”

“We don’t recommend that parents choose names for siblings that are too similar – even for twins! Each child should have their own identity,” she added.

Colleen Slagen, a baby name consultant in Boston, Massachusetts, agrees that many expectant parents are attracted to names that sound similar. Like Cameron and Camilla, or Charlie, Teddy and Henry, all ending with the same voice, or Brooks, Hayes and Miles. Some people may also prefer a soft-sounding name with heavy vowels rather than a name with harder consonants.

“Of course, many (but not all) parents tend to choose names that fall into the same style category, whether that’s a classic name, a retro name, a romantic-sounding name or a Western name,” she says.

Slagen says there are ways to avoid choosing names that sound too similar:

• Follow the three-letter rule and make sure names don’t start or end with the same three letters.
• Before your baby is born, think about as many names as you can.
• Communicate your thoughts to a trusted family member or friend. (if you are willing to share)

In the meantime, Moss’s advice: “If you absolutely must use similar names, encourage some different nicknames. Make sure you have different middle names. Give them their own identity and let them choose the name they want.

“I would say the best advice for parents who like similar names is to learn more about what makes them unique by delving deeper into the meaning, history and cultural significance of the names,” says the company’s genealogist Crista Cowan said. Ancestor Network and barefoot geneticist.

“A recent survey ancestor found that the two most important factors for parents when choosing their children’s names were history and culture,” Cowan told us parents,

Changing your baby’s name is a viable option

Even if you follow the three-letter rule, delve into the name’s meaning, and then experiment with nicknames, baby name regrets can still happen.

“Name regret and name change can be a very painful experience,” Slagan admits. “If you do find yourself suffering from incurable baby name regret, it’s worth changing your name before it’s too late.”

Moss explains that name change laws vary by state, so check the laws in your state.

“We recommend that if the baby is an infant, [name-change] There will be no harm to the child,” she said.

As for the Reddit user who has sons Milo and Myles, she updated her followers in an edit and plans to keep her sons’ names.