Kids names

[DCJenn]

I was reading an article (I can't remember where) and it talked about people who have changed their kids names. Like not right after birth but YEARS later. I know lots of foreign adoptive parents who have adapted or changed their child's foreign name but that's usually for different reasons. These parents changed their childs name because they didn't like the name anymore, there were 'too many' of the name or they decided that the child's personality didn't fit the name.

Opinions (hahahaha- like this group wouldn't have an opinion...)

We kept Nikolai because it was his given name and we thought it was beautiful. and if (and we don't know for sure) his birth mother named him, I wanted him to have that part of her with him forever.

Anyone else?

Jenn

Re: Kids names

I suppose the name is common enough and this was long ago so I'll post.

In jr or sr high I had a friend Aimee. That was her birthname. That her parents gave her. They decided the spelling was too "weird" and made her change it to Amy.



Aside from the foriegn adoption issue, I think it is nuts. Friends of ours who adopted from Africa modified one child's name to something that would be easier for people to say but resembled her full name (which they kept I think and used the nickname). Our friends who adopted from China kept her Chinese name as her middle name. She was 8 months old and probably didn't get a lot of attention specific to that name.

[peggyfromwastate]

Re: Kids names

I wouldn't change my own kids' names... And going to court for Kate's adoption and name change (they were separate legal documents, separate fees, $$$) would make me wonder why people would go through the hassle. I tell my kids they can certainly change their names, after they are 18 AND fully emancipated, independent, blah blah blah.

I like Nikolai too. I think it's perfect.

[HouseofWool]

Re: Kids names

I can't imagine changing Caleb's name now.

As for the foreign adoptions, he has several classmates who were adopted from overseas and some have changed the child's name and some haven't. My personal favorite is Haben who was 5 when he was adopted and brought to Wisconsin. Definately was old enough to know his birth name, but it isn't so foreign sounding that it wouldn't work in English. I think it is really neat that he gets to hang on to that when so many other precious things were lost.

[migirl]

Re: Kids names

I can't imagine changing my kids' names. Jack looks like a Jack, and Jamie ... will grow into his name, I suppose. If they want to change their names, though, I guess that's another story...

That said, I have a friend whose parents named her Shevan. Somehow (?) people kept screwing up the pronunciation so she said "to hell with it" and changed it legally to the original Irish spelling (Siobhan).

I guess I think it's fine for the child to change it (once s/he is of legal age, of course), but it's kinda weird for parents to change it (adoption situations aside) ... particularly since they gave their child that name. :huh:

[alison]

Re: Kids names

I've said this before, but I LOVE the name Nikolai.

[Sheherezade]

Re: Kids names

I've considered changing my son's middle name. I gave him an old family surname as a middle name - because my grandfather died when I was pregnant and it was his middle name. PA state screwed up the spelling on the birth certificate; my son thinks the name is weird. He's embarassed to tell anyone his middle name. For those reasons, we've told him that if we ever go through the hassle to change the name on his birth certificate, we will give him the option to choose his own middle name.

That said....the hassle is significant. It has never been a pressing issue so we've just used the screwy, odd-sounding mis-spelled surname that is *legally* his middle name when necessary. It is funny to have a middle name that means nothing - and isn't even a name. Poor kid. At least it's his middle name and unused most of the time.

Re: Kids names

Odd that you posted this. For some reason I was ruminating on Quinn's name today and wondering if we'd done him a diservice. :huh: I'd never go so far as to change his name -- I was just thinking about the topic today.

On a similar note - here's a clip from the Today Show about "bad baby names"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... 7#23671347

[Auspicious]

Re: Kids names

Odd that you posted this. For some reason I was ruminating on Quinn's name today and wondering if we'd done him a diservice. :huh: I'd never go so far as to change his name -- I was just thinking about the topic today.

A disservice how? I really like Quinn's name! Both Quinn and Quinlan.

[Vanquisher]

Re: Kids names

I would never change my children's names, and I hope they each like their names. I hope Ryan isn't too common for my son, and I hope Alexia isn't too unique for my daughter, but I really do like their names.

In hindsight, I wish we would have changed Chad's name when we got married. It's too late now, but Chad is actually his given middle name. He has never gone by his first name, and his parents never intended for him to. THe just felt that David Chad sounded better than Chad David. I will tell you all that it has been nothing but a PITA for him as an adult. Airplanes, banks, credit cards, medical licencing, anything official is a nightmare. He never knows which name to sign. It is stupid. Parents, please never name your child with the intention of them not using their first name.

[DCJenn]

Re: Kids names

Heidi, my father has fought that battle his entire life.

His given name is John Sperling Martin, Jr.

He uses J. Sperling Martin. That's how everyone knows him, he is called "Sperl" or "Sperling" by everyone (except the family- Nikolai calls him "Ing" which we think he got from Sperl-ING and Jack calls him Pop.)

When I got married the first time, the wedding invitation people got all pissy because we put Mr. and Mrs. J. Sperling Martin. It was ridiculous. and the Feds totally can't deal- his Social Security and his Medicare stuff is all done with the 'proper' name. You'd think they'd like to use the other one since there's 4 of them in my family- poor Jack is JSM IV.

Jenn

[alison]

Re: Kids names

I hate my first name. My mom was bullied into my name by her mil. I don't even think my mom likes it. I use my middle name most of the time anyway, although I'll answer to both.

Dh doesn't like his either. While it was one of the top 10 names in Germany in the late 70s, it's just too much. And then his middle name is Ulrich. Poor kid.

[Vanquisher]

Re: Kids names

Jenn, yeah, Chad often goes by D. Chad. A lot of his stuff ends up this way. Really stupid. So, parents, a fair warning. Do not name your children something that you have no intention of calling them.

[HouseofWool]

Re: Kids names

I've never liked my first name and when I did a study abroad to Brazil when I was a junior in high school I couldn't use it at all. I turns out in Portuguese it means the red comb on a chicken's head. Needless to say I shortened it up to Kris in a hurry.

Re: Kids names

Odd that you posted this. For some reason I was ruminating on Quinn's name today and wondering if we'd done him a diservice. :huh: I'd never go so far as to change his name -- I was just thinking about the topic today.

A disservice how? I really like Quinn's name! Both Quinn and Quinlan.

Thanks Julie. I dunno - I've been having lots of weird thoughts lately. I couldn't sleep last night b/c we had tickets to go to the Underground Salt Mine Museum today, and I kept panicking that there would be a mine collapse and we'd be trapped.

He's a Quinn through and through. I think my concern is more with spelling it Quinn instead of Quin. Where did I get that 2nd 'n'?

I've got issues. :huh: