Life

14 Names Parents Regret Giving Their Kids
by Eliza Castile
newborn baby
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What's in a name? Apparently, sometimes the answer is "a heaping pile of parental disappointment." Although new parents may be confident in their name choice when a baby is born, research has found that nearly one in five parents regret their kid's name later — but not for the reason most people would assume.

Last year, the parenting website Mumsnet published an online survey of more than 1,300 parents. According to the poll's results, 18 percent of respondents said they regretted the first or middle names they picked for their children. It appears the feeling set in quickly. Nearly one third of these parents reported baby name regret within the first six weeks of their child's life, and about a quarter said it happened by the time the kid started school. One in ten said they always knew the name was the wrong choice, but they went with it anyway.

If you're imagining these parents chose eccentric names that quickly fell out of fashion, you'll want to reexamine your assumptions. According to the survey, the most popular reason for baby name regret was that the name was too common. Maybe it's time to stop teasing celebrities for naming their children after spacecrafts and types of fruit.

Naturally, this is valuable information for anyone expected to pick out a baby name. So next time someone thrusts a newborn into your arms and begs you to name their child, keep in mind the following names parents said they later regretted.

1

Anne

Anne is a name with a regal history, but it appears to be falling out of favor.

2

James

It's already a short name, but James can be shortened to all kinds of nicknames — Jimmy, Jim, Jamie, and so on. There are just too many choices.

3

Thomas

Apparently, some parents wish they had left the name Thomas to the tank engine.

4

Alex

According to Behind the Name, Alex saw a huge spike in popularity after 1980. It's no wonder parents are beginning to regret giving their children such a popular name.

5

Amelia

Maybe it's best to let Amelia Earhart be the most famous person with her name.

6

Anthony

Anthony has always been a popular moniker, to the point where two saints bear the name.

7

Emily

A certain Bronte sister would be disappointed to learn some parents dislike her name.

8

David

Considering a Biblical figure was named David, it's easy to see why the name is so common in the Western world.

9

Elsa

After the Frozen craze that extended far too long, we're all tired of the name Elsa.

10

Lily

According to the Social Security Administration, Lily was one of the most popular names of the 2000s.

11

Jane

Wouldn't you agree that the name Jane is a little plain?

12

Louise

A common name in the early 20th century, Louise recently started regaining popularity.

13

Oscar

Thanks to the Sesame Street character, Oscar has a decidedly grouchy reputation.

14

Jack

Any reasonable parent would worry that a baby named Jack might freeze to death in the cruel waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I'm just saying.

Check out the rest of the baby names parents regretted choosing for their kids here.