Survey Shows Nearly 10% Of Mothers Regret The Names They Chose For Their Children

"You know what, we are not doing this again"

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• September 7, 2024

After giving birth to her second child, a male named Wolf, in 2022, Kylie Jenner famously changed his name to Aire. Jenner disclosed that she made an impulsive name choice out of pressure to sign the birth certificate, which she later regretted.

And it turns out, according to a BabyCenter survey, that almost one in ten mothers have some regret about the names of their child. Nine percent out of 478 parents questioned by the baby names blog said they regretted the name they gave their child.

Jenner and Travis Scott, the father of her son, "just didn't feel like it was him." So Wolf became Aire a few months after his birth.

Jenner took some time to come up with the ideal name for Aire; for a while, she even referred to him as Knight. But then, she said, "'You know what, we are not doing this again.'"

"Ad my daughter, still to this day, is like, 'Do you remember when Aire's name was Knight?'" she recently told British Vogue. "And I'm like, 'No.' And she's like, 'That was so funny, Mom. I like Knight better.' And I'm like: 'You know what, we are not doing this again.'"

Approximately 6% of parents who participated in the study later changed their baby's first or last name legally, a procedure that can take a while.

Name choices shaped by society and history

According to some survey participants at BabyCenter, their regret didn't last and even if it did, they could use a nickname or change it legally. But why the regret, exactly?

Ten percent of respondents expressed similar feelings to Jenner's, stating that the name of their child simply didn't fit their personality.

In a stand-up routine, Amy Schumer said that she had given her baby a new name, Gene Attell Fisher, because the original name sounded like "genital fissure." Her son's middle name was changed to David in honor of comedian Dave Attell, a choice she made.

According to the survey, 15% of respondents preferred their child's middle name, while 20% preferred their child's nickname. Although they refer to Serena Williams' first child by her middle name, Olympia, she is named after her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

According to 15% of those polled, others have made fun of or criticized their baby's name

Actress and podcaster Casey Wilson called her son Henry Bear, and during her "Bitch Sesh" podcast, she expressed her wish that she had given him the name Bear as a first. It's unclear if she formally changed his name, but she now calls him Bear.

Although they appreciate their child's name, 11% of the parents surveyed indicated they prefer to refer to their child by an English name because it is culturally specific. Additionally, some parents find it difficult to decide on a name right away.

Some people seek baby name consultants, while others simply browse through baby name books or online

Colleen Slagen, a baby name consultant, told Inside Edition that her fees range from $250 to $400. A baby name consultant known on TikTok as @emdoodlesandstuff uses these factors, among others, to assist clients in choosing names for their infants.

She makes predictions about the baby names of social media celebrities based on their online personas and styles. She also considers family names and names they like but don't want to use.

Maryjane