I changed my baby’s name after name regret

Regretting a child’s name might be a struggle unique to parents, but it doesn’t make it any less significant. Nearly 1 in 10 mums regret the name they chose for their babies, according to BabyCenter.

Choosing the right name is a daunting task: it’s essentially bestowing an identity on your baby before their true personality has had a chance to emerge.

In today’s digital era, naming has also become an act of branding, with social media influencer names becoming a popular choice for parents. Similarly, TikTok has created a space for a community of new mums sharing their experiences and challenges of being thrust into motherhood. The story comes as Gen Z and Millennial parents embrace gentle parenting – and focus on health.

TikTok creator Jen Hamilton recently shared her experience with “name regret”, opening her audience’s eyes to the uncertain nature of parenting, and resonating with those who feel trapped in the same predicament.

Hamilton shines a light on ‘name regret’, reports the Mirror US.

At the start of the video, she asks her audience, “Do you ever regret what you named your kid?” To which she responds, “That would be me.”

She reveals that when she was pregnant with her second child, she was searching for a name that conveyed a sense of adventure and the outdoors, inspired by her husband and elder son. They eventually settled on the name: Aspen.

However, the baby didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm. She stated that Aspen “gets carsick in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru, gags at the thought of a blueberry,” and prefers “air conditioning and sitting down” over an adventurous outdoor lifestyle.

“Whereas most kids have a stuffed animal or a blanket they’ve really enjoyed their whole life, he has a comfort mole,” she observes, indicating a tiny mole on his own body.

She realised the name Aspen wasn’t a good fit but was hesitant to change it. However, after months of dissatisfaction with the name Aspen, she finally decided to legally change it.

She eventually changed it from ‘Aspen’ to ‘Luke’, which means light.

The legal process took nearly a year, but by the time Luke was 18 months old, his new name was official.

She captioned her candid TikTok video, “Did you know you could do this?” signalling to new parents that it was possible and completely okay to change your mind.

Hamilton’s TikTok is changing the conversation about name regret, and how it’s okay to change your mind. Motherly writes that people can view this as an “empowering decision, one that embraces the fluidity of parenthood itself.”

Commenters agreed, and some even said the new name suited him better.

“He looks like a Luke, not an Aspen,” one commented.

Another wrote, “Luke is such a gentle and calm name. It’s perfect.”

A third remarked, “It’s crazy how some babies just fit/don’t fit their names. My one week old nephew is John and he looks like a John. It’s like he’s been here a week and he’s already grumpy about taxes.”