It’s almost disappointing when a celebrity names their baby something normal like Michelle or Richard, but while stars may briefly delight us with their Pilot Inspektors and Fifi Trixibelles it seems more and more parents are realizing that you just can’t put Jermajesty on a job application (so it’s a good thing no Jackson kid will ever apply to be a barista at Starbucks). A new survey found that about one in 10 parents eventually decide that their attempt to bestow a unique name on their precious progeny has backfired.
According to a highly scientific study conducted by yourbabydomainname.com, 8% of mothers and fathers later regret the name they choose for their child. (Presumably you can avoid this fat by spending more time at yourbabydomainname.com!) That’s a 3% jump from last year’s survey. Of the parents suffering from baby name remorse, more than half said they were influenced by fleeting fashion trends. (Who could have predicted that Tamagotchi Pog Jones wouldn’t have the same panache 15 years down the line?) Another third were shooting for an uncommon name, only to find they weren’t the only person who read Twilight.
Pamela Redmond Satran of baby name site nameberry.com said that many parents don’t realize that a name like Jayden or Addison can shoot into the top 20 baby names within a matter of years. She says:
First-time parents especially may be out of touch with quickly-changing baby name trends and so a name they believe is really original may be overused by the time they choose it for their child. Then they’re dismayed when they get to the pediatrician’s office or playground and discover there are lots of other little babies names Lila or Grayson and so suffer baby name remorse.
Of course, if you’re really dead set on giving your child a unique name, there’s a way to guard against this: Just go with a very unusual spelling. Your daughter may not be the only Sophie on the playground, but she’ll be the only Sophie who spells her name with two “Y”s and a silent “W.”
So Do You Still Like Apple Now, Gwyneth? How One In Ten Parents Suffer From Baby Name Remorse [Daily Mail]