S/O: What do you/your kids wish they had been named?

[Haiku]

Have your kids ever told you that they wish they had been named something different?

 

My dd, who is six, loves her name but sometimes wants me to call her Violet. Today she told me that she wants her name to be Alis.

 

My son doesn't like his name and wishes that it were easier for other people, particularly for kids, to pronounce. He was named in his country of birth. He often wishes that people would call him by his initials, AJ. I have tried to do it in the past, but then he never responds!

 

When I was young, I wanted to be called Betsy after Betsy in the Carolyn Haywood books or Merry after Merry Primose in the Carolyn Haywood book Primrose Day.

 

I was supposed to be Sarah but ended up not being Sarah. I've always wished that I'd been Sarah.

 

Tara

[sweetfeet]

I was supposed to be Sarah but ended up not being Sarah. I've always wished that I'd been Sarah.

You are very much a Sarah.:D

 

Sophie really likes her name. She also likes her nickname, Gus.

[Tracey in TX]

DD's name is Francesca. I think it's beautiful and elegant. She'd rather be called Franny or change her name to Amy. LOL Told her I'd call her another nickname which I love and she loathes if she doesn't stop telling people her name is Franny!

[Plucky]

I used to find my name boring. I wanted to be called Crystal. It makes me laugh because I don't care for that name now. Then I grew up and for a long time I liked my name and identified with it. After I turned 40 I started to associate more closely with my middle name Elaine. I'm not sure why. I guess I see that I am growing and changing and want something to reflect that. Dh just thinks I'm odd as usual. LOL

 

My kids all like their name, except for my youngest boy. He's generally in a state of angst about the world though. I hope he finds a name for himself someday that makes him happy. I'll gladly call hiim anything.

[Aggie]

When ds was 5 or 6, he told us he was changing his name.

 

 

To "Jolly Roger"

 

He thinks outside the box, that one.

[Jenny in Florida]

Our kids know the stories of their names, why we chose the names we did and why they are meaningful to us. Both of them seem to like their names, although my daughter (who inherited my fascination with words in general and names in specific) occasionally likes to play around with deciding on a stage name (for when she becomes famous, of course).

 

If you'd asked me when I was a kid, I would have wanted to be Rebecca.

 

I disliked my first and middle names growing up. I disliked my first name--I was born "Jennifer"--because it was common, because it felt too formal, and because it was used only by people who didn't know me well or when I was in trouble. And I just never felt any connection to my middle name.

 

For years, the only time those names cropped up was for official documents, and I cringed every time.

 

I think I've told this story before, but I kept my maiden name when we got married, then changed my mind several years later. Because changing my last name at that point required a legal name change process, I decided to go ahead and change the whole thing. So, I took my preferred nickname as my official first name and changed my middle name to one I liked and that had personal significance for me.

[bumbledeb]

ds 14 used to tell people his name was Buzz Lightyear.

 

Another time, when he was about 4 and we were in Tesco and he was dawdling behind me, I was calling his name as I walked "Joseph" "Come on, Joseph" "Joseph!" He looked around the crowded aisle and said, his voice full of almost regretful patience, "My name is Bill."

[Jenny in Atl]

I hated my name as a kid... so boring. I wanted to have an exotic name like, Ivy, Zoe, Sophia or Rhiannon. So far my kids like their names. I do remember my oldest wanting to be called Rose for a short while, around the age of four. I think it was doing her Disney phase. She has since gotten over that. :D

[gardening momma]

I was supposed to be Sarah but ended up not being Sarah. I've always wished that I'd been Sarah.

:lol: Had to chuckle...my sister Sarah doesn't use her first name anymore--she uses her middle name. I think she wishes she hadn't been named Sarah!

[Plucky]

When ds was 5 or 6, he told us he was changing his name.

 

 

To "Jolly Roger"

 

He thinks outside the box, that one.

 

I like outside the box! And at least he wanted to be Jolly. :D

[AnnetteB]

Jonathan wanted to be called "Flapdoodle" when he was little. Steven had the name "Bronsun" on his door during college. Olivia doesn't like it when I call her Livy, so I try not to.

[mrsdash]

I named my kids by default for the most part. I wanted all Italian names but my ex. kept vetoing me so we went pretty American traditional.

I would have liked to name them something like Francesca, Camilla, Angelina and Gianna...I remember liking Ava,too.

 

I have never liked my name. There are about 6 ways to spell my name and it's never spelled right. I would have liked Gina or something with some flavor.

[Haiku]

I'll gladly call hiim anything.

 

I feel the same way. Just because my kids my kids have names that they were given some time in the past doesn't mean that they will identify with those names or feel that those names accurately and adequately reflect who they are. I don't care what my kids want to be called. I'll call them whatever they like (and I expect the same in return ... so when my son announced he was going to call me by my first name, I said, "No, you're not, I like being called Momma and I get to decide my name.").

 

My husband doesn't get it at all. His opinion is, your name is what it is. To me, a name is more than that.

 

But he was also adamant (and I agreed with him) that we not change our children's names when we adopted them.

 

Sweetfeet, you are welcome (and encouraged) to call me Sarah!

 

Tara

[SquirrellyMama]

My son wants to change his name to Caleb. That was one of the names by dh vetoed. I love that name.

 

I always wanted to be Jessica or Jennifer.

 

Kelly

[elegantlion]

My ds loves his name and the 40 nicknames he has.

 

DH loves his name. It a somewhat common name with an Irish spelling, I wish people would pronounce it correctly. I just spell it for everyone.

 

I dislike my name. There is no family heritage and my middle name is Ann. The Ann was for an aunt Annette, I wish they had just named me that. there are no nicknames for my name which I hated as a kid.

 

However, if dh uses my name it's because he's mad at me. I'm EL (short for ElegantLion) to everyone online so I guess I finally got my nickname.

[Crissy]

My younger son is just happy that he's not a girl, as he doesn't like the name my husband had decided on if that had been the case.

[Melissa B]

Dd5 asks everyone to call her Princess. She learned to spell it and puts it at the top of all of her papers. She signs any cards or letters that way too. She will often say that is her name when someone asks. Most of the time, ds3 is the only one in our home that actually calls her that, but he does it faithfully. I've never heard him call her by her name. She has identified with Princess for at least the past year.

 

Ds3 says his name is Person. I have no idea how this came about, but he is very adamant about that being his name. He used to insist on being called Person and would only respond to that name. Now he will respond to his own name but always introduces himself as Person. When he first learned to talk he would go by his own name, but he has been on Person for a good year.

 

I have completely given up explaining to people we don't know well, so there are any number of people around town and elsewhere that actually think I named my children Princess and Person. :D

 

My husband can't stand it, but I like the independence they show in choosing a name that is somehow meaningful and sticking with it. Of course, I call them both by their given names. :)

[Cindy in MO]

My kids like their names. But my husband chose the name of our first child, a son, and it took me many years to completely accept it. I wish I had named another son differently because, it was a name I knew my brother and sister-in-law liked. Sure enough 5 weeks later they named their son the same thing (it's really their daughter's fault). So now we have 2 Shane's in the family who are the same age. We have to use middle names when they are together.

 

Cindy

[Pamela H in Texas]

My daughter has gone through a few things in the past but mostly she just wishes I would have named her what *I* wanted to name her instead of being influenced by my mother. Her name would have been Kirsten Michelle had I done what *I* wanted.

[AnnetteB]

I wish I had a dime for every time someone sang "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E...." at me in school :glare: or asked for " a net":glare:

[Jean in Newcastle]

My dd has liked the name "Jayleen" for the last few years. She writes it on her papers. But she does respond to her real name and introduces herself with her real name.

[abbeyej]

DD's name is Francesca. I think it's beautiful and elegant. She'd rather be called Franny or change her name to Amy. LOL Told her I'd call her another nickname which I love and she loathes if she doesn't stop telling people her name is Franny!

 

My dd is Flannery, which she likes pretty well, but she also likes to be called Franny. I don't think anyone outside our family ever calls her Franny, but I wouldn't be surprised if there comes a time in her life when she uses them interchangeably. She has already started saying "Franny" if someone new can't seem to understand her name the first time...

[Lawana]

Ds has always been called by his initials AJ (planned since before he was born). He used to deny that his name was Aaron! He reports that he is AOK with his name.

 

Dd sometimes wishes she had a less common name. Guess why we named her a standard name with standard spelling? Growing up with my nonstandard name, Lawana, made me do that. Dd has enjoyed naming her dolls and animals all kinds of unusual names. Arload, for example.:001_huh:

 

Lawana

[lynn]

My kids all like their names. Of course I am the only one that uses the full names, they use the shortened versions. DD loves her name and has not asked to called anything else.

 

I on the other hand am thrilled I can use my middle name which I always liked better than my first name, even if it's just on the internet. I never really liked my first name. My mother let my nana pick it out :glare: but I guess it's better than nana's second choice which was Candy.:001_huh:

[JFSinIL]

My oldest dd, 15 now, wishes she was Bella. Any other Twilight fans out there?;)

[kalanamak]

My son has been "LillyPad" for some time now. He even gets email from girls he meets in the park who address it to LillyPad. Perhaps it is the Monet I have up in his room??

[Storm Bay]

My eldest used to want to be name Lorena. My second used to want be called Sarah. My son wanted to be named...he doesn't remember, but now he wishes he were named James.

 

When I was a child I wanted to be a Linda for a while, but mostly an Elizabeth.

[nukeswife]

I used to hate my name but mostly because of how it was spelled. I'm Kelly and where I grew up that is the masculine way to spell it. My mom didn't know there were Kellie's or Kelley's in the world. She also didn't give me a middle name so no hope there. I grew up with her calling me Kel though which I'm good with and that's what I'm introduced as, if she ever called me Kelly I was in DEEP DOO DOO! :tongue_smilie: I guess it worked out for the best because she wanted to name me Angelina, but my dad said no way, that you couldn't give a Polack an Italian name (his words not mine) I come from a long line of Polish people married to other Polish people. My aunt was the first to marry someone that wasn't Polish in the entire family so I'm actually surprised I don't have a more unusual name.

 

My kids all like there names although my oldest prefers his nickname of Ev (short e) instead of his full name Everett. My dd hates that people are always mispronouncing her name. She's Annika Clare, AH-ni-ka short i in the middle emphasis on the first syllable, most people that don't know her say uh-KNEE-ka with a long e sound in the middle and an emphasis on the middle syllable. They also always misspell her middle name, which is spelled different than most but it's after my grandma Clara, but we thought Annika Clara sounded a bit odd. My youngest loves his name, Lucas, but will only answer to Lucas or Luka, not Luke. If someone calls him Luke, he'll turn around and put his hands on his hips and say "I'm not a luke, I'm a LUCAS" Although once after he first discovered Bob the Builder he told me "I'm not Lucas anymore, I'm Pilchard" LOL

 

I do have a cousin though that now in his twenties has embraced his unusual name. My uncle named him Mars Arlo, after yes the planet and Arlo Guthrie. He used to hate it and wanted to be Michael for a long time, but has since found it to be cool, and since he does have some of the most red hair I've ever seen says it fits and it's better than always being called "Red"

Edited November 15, 2008 by nukeswife

[Jennay]

Growing up as one of many, many, many Jennifers in the 70s I often wished I had a different name. I got tired of always being called Jennifer R. In my Kindergarten carpool there were 3 Jennifers - two Jennifer Lynns and one Jennifer Ann. I remember wanting change my name to Rebecca or Sarah. I have a daughter Sarah now :)

[Zelda]

My 9yo dd wants us to call her, "Elle". I bristle a little. I gave her a perfectly fusty, old fashioned name and she has to go and jazz it up. 6yo ds seems happy with his name so far. 3yo dd occasionally asks us to call her some new favorite thing; this week it is, "Blabbermouth", and while it fits I told her it wasn't really appropriate (then proceeded to call her that after she went to bed).

[Angel]

My older dd likes her name, Skyeler. She likes that it is unique. Well, it was more unique when we named her 14 years ago. Now we have one in our church!

 

My younger dd has been asking about her name, Alyxandra, for a few months now. She wants to be called Lily. Why didn't we call her Lily? Why can't we change our names? I'll be glad when this phase is over. :D

[RoughCollie]

My DD told me the other day that she hates her middle name -- Catherine -- because it is old-fashioned and just plain awful. I told her she can legally change it when she is an adult if she still feels that way. She didn't offer an alternative name, and I didn't ask.

[Michelle in MO]

all right, but thinks it's too old-fashioned. Her name is Lydia, which I think is beautiful. The one thing that bothers her about her name is that it's not very common, so whenever we encounter stores where kids can find their names on mini license plates, necklaces, bracelets, pencils, bookmarks, etc., she can never find her name. That's when she tends to get irritated at me for choosing a name that's not in the norm!

[Storm Bay]

My DD told me the other day that she hates her middle name -- Catherine -- because it is old-fashioned and just plain awful. I told her she can legally change it when she is an adult if she still feels that way. She didn't offer an alternative name, and I didn't ask.

 

:lol::lol: My eldest used to hate both her given names vehemently, even though her middle name lends itself to a number of shorter versions & variations. So I used to tell her the same thing--that she could legally change her name when she was adult. She definitely always had an alternative name, though. She's finally got to the point where she no longer hates her name (she's 13).

[Tap]

DD9 doesn't like her name much. "Susanna Beth" is not her name but I will use it as an example. She is okay with the name but she gets tired of it being mispronounced.

 

So to simplify :lol: she has different names that she goes by.

 

She uses her long formal name at home. "Susanna"

She uses her middle name at church. "Beth"

She uses a shortened first name (the first half) "Susan" at our homeschool program.

She uses a shortened first name (the second half) "Anna" in some circles of friends.

She also has a few little kids that call her names that are real names but not Her name. "Ruthanna" :confused: I think it is because her name is an average American name that has a phonetic combination that is difficult for young children. Little kids tend to find a name simililiar that is easier to say and just call her that.

 

Some of our friends know all 4 names and some don't, so it can get confusing some times :0) .

 

On any one day she can be called Susanna, Susan, Beth, Anna or Ruthanna. Just to throw another one in the mix, her first name has two pronuncications, and if anyone calls her the alternate pronunciation, she still answers and doesn't correct them. Because of this she has friends that we have known for years that still mispronounce her name :)

 

She doesn't care for her name. Can you tell :lol:

[Arch at Home]

My middle child actually changed her name at 18 months. At 7 years old though she sometimes plays with her real name, she is definitely not going back. The other experiment with other names but I am pretty sure that I only have one name changer.

[ereks mom]

Just wondering, since that's the only Flannery I know of. ;)

 

My dd is Flannery, which she likes pretty well, but she also likes to be called Franny. I don't think anyone outside our family ever calls her Franny, but I wouldn't be surprised if there comes a time in her life when she uses them interchangeably. She has already started saying "Franny" if someone new can't seem to understand her name the first time...

[ereks mom]

First, she wanted to be Brittany; later it was Veronica, then Polly, then Crystal, etc., etc. I think right now it's Skylar. ;)

[abbeyej]

So, are you an O'Connor fan?

Just wondering, since that's the only Flannery I know of. ;)

 

Yes, that's where the name came from. There are some other Flannery's out there, but she's the only famous one I know of who had it for a first name.

 

Weirdly, I've run into three or four other young Flannerys since she was born...

[Nakia]

My girls use different names a lot when they are playing. They've never said they don't like their real names.

 

I have always disliked my name. Why, oh why, couldn't I be named something normal?? I have often asked my mother. She adores my name, of course. She almost named me Allison. I wish she had!!

[Storm Bay]

My girls use different names a lot when they are playing. They've never said they don't like their real names.

 

I have always disliked my name. Why, oh why, couldn't I be named something normal?? I have often asked my mother. She adores my name, of course. She almost named me Allison. I wish she had!!

 

I love your name. I always wished I'd been named something different. Instead, I got one of the top 10 names of my era...

[Nakia]

I love your name. I always wished I'd been named something different. Instead, I got one of the top 10 names of my era...

 

Thanks so much! We always want what we don't have, huh? :001_smile:

[Robin Hood]

I named my "Kate" (not real name) after my sisters by using the first letters of each name. After the fact, I discovered that it is the same name as a hindu and hawaiian goddess and not a good one. I dread the day she sees a picture of that goddess. It is gross. Through our history lessons, she discovered the name and what kind of goddess she was and it didn't make her very happy. She has yet to see a picture.

[ereks mom]

Yes, that's where the name came from. There are some other Flannery's out there, but she's the only famous one I know of who had it for a first name.

 

Weirdly, I've run into three or four other young Flannerys since she was born...

 

I'm about 20 minutes from there.

[Just Me]

My dd says she wishes we had called her by her middle name, Brooke. Which is funny because I grew up being called by my middle name and hated it.

 

My oldest ds like the names Michael and Christopher (or at least used to).

 

My youngest ds...I don't think he has ever said...he did have an imaginary friend named Jackson (and my ds's middle name is Jack). I think he really likes that name.

 

[LibraryLover]

lol

 

My oldest says he'd have preferred Ben.

 

I haven't hear anything from the others about any alternatives, but my youngest says she's not fond of her name. Of course, her's in my favorite, I do think my oldest has shades of Ben about him. lol

[keptwoman]

The boys have never had any desire to be called anything but their own names.

Missy M however.....

First it was Annie

Then it was Flash (nooooo idea)

Right now it's Farm Boy (they have been watching Princess Bride)