A mum has said she regrets the name she gave her daughter as she’s realised it’s ‘too common’ and she wants something more unique – but people have told her not to change it
Choosing a baby name is a big decision. The name you give your child is one they’ll have for their entire lives unless they choose to change it when they’re older, and settling on just one moniker that you like more than anything else can be a huge task for some parents.
If you have several names you’re considering for your baby, then trying to pick just one can leave you feeling like you might regret it after your child is born. In fact, that’s exactly the situation one mum has found herself in. She said she chose a name she thought she would love, but two months later, she’s worried it’s “too common”.
In a post on Reddit, the mum revealed she named her daughter Sophia to honour the various parts of her heritage, which has roots in Britain, Italy, France, and the Middle East.
But two months after her daughter was born, the mum has discovered that Sophia is an “extremely common” name, and she’s now regretting her choice as she wanted something more unique for her child.
She wrote: “My baby is two months old now, and I’ve started feeling a lot of regret about naming her Sophia. Part of it is because it wasn’t really my top choice. I felt pressured to choose from a limited set of names because of our multicultural background (she’s Italian, British, French, and Middle Eastern).
“We wanted a name that would sound familiar and work well across cultures, so she could feel connected to her heritage. My list of names included Sara and Nora, but Sophia was the best for both our families.
“The challenge is that we just moved to Italy for work, and here, the name is extremely common. I hear it everywhere, and it feels like every other girl is named Sophia. Before moving here, I honestly hadn’t met anyone with that name, so I didn’t realise just how popular it was in Italy. Now I find myself second-guessing the choice.”
The mum is now considering changing her daughter’s name, as she doesn’t want her to “feel unhappy” later in life if she “ends up in a classroom full of other Sophias”.
Asking fellow Redditors for help, she added: “What do you think about the name Sophia overall? Do you think it’s a good name that will still feel strong and beautiful 10 years from now? And does it matter that it’s so common? I don’t want to regret not changing it when she’s so young and not aware yet.”
Commenters on the post encouraged the mum not to change her daughter’s name. Many of them pointed out most children “don’t care” about having a unique name, and it’s usually only something the parents think about.
One person said: “I think parents care more about giving their kid a unique name than the kid cares about having one.”
Another added: “Sophia is a lovely name – it’s classic, pretty and popular for a reason. I know everyone feels differently about this issue, but as someone with a common name, I never really minded having ‘name twins’ in my class at school.”
Changing your child’s name
In the UK, you can start calling your child by a new name whenever you want, as long as this change is not done with the intention to defraud or deceive someone. This change will not be a legal one, but is often done when parents start calling children by their middle name or by a nickname.
You can also make a statutory declaration, which is an official statement confirming the name change. This won’t change your child’s name on their birth certificate, but will make the name change legally recognised. To prove your child’s identity, you’ll need to present the declaration alongside their birth certificate.
It is also possible to change a person’s name by deed poll, which is a legal document officially recording the name change. A deed poll allows you to change your child’s name on documents such as their passport, but does not change the name on their birth certificate.
