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HelpName change for 3 month old daughter
Been having second thoughts about the name we chose for our daughter. We had a really hard time choosing a name & we needed to choose one before we left the hospital so we decided on Emilia Isabelle. She’s now 3 months old and it’s just never felt like the right name. I feel silly to change it so I keep going back and forth on the idea. I just don’t like the way it sounds anymore and it doesn’t feel like it fits her. We’ve been trying out Emma and Emmy as a Nick name for Emilia but I’m just ok with them and feel more attached to the other names we were thinking of naming her.
The other names we had picked out were
Juliet
Natalie
Sophie
I’m thinking we would change her first name and then either leave Isabelle as her middle name or change it to Belle or Emilia.
What do you think about a name change at 3 months? What do you think of the other name options? Any tips or suggestions are welcomed :) thanks!
The other names we had picked out were
Juliet
Natalie
Sophie
I’m thinking we would change her first name and then either leave Isabelle as her middle name or change it to Belle or Emilia.
What do you think about a name change at 3 months? What do you think of the other name options? Any tips or suggestions are welcomed :) thanks!
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Replies
Dreadful that they pressured you to choose before you were ready! It's silly.
If Emilia doesn't seem to suit her, then now's a good time to change it. It's not silly. People might give you a hard time, but people are just resistant to change. They'll get used to a new name before you even know it! If adults can change their names and people adjust, then a baby can too.
Juliet Emilia is very beautiful. Sophie Isabelle is also very cute ... Really, any of the names work well together. I also like Amandine's suggestion of adding it on the beginning so she can keep Emilia Isabelle too.
Do any of the other names feel more "like" her? Does any one name seem to roll off the tongue more easily? Or come to your mind unbidden? Which one feels the most right when you imagine calling it out after she dashes away from you at the supermarket in 5 years?
If Emilia doesn't seem to suit her, then now's a good time to change it. It's not silly. People might give you a hard time, but people are just resistant to change. They'll get used to a new name before you even know it! If adults can change their names and people adjust, then a baby can too.
Juliet Emilia is very beautiful. Sophie Isabelle is also very cute ... Really, any of the names work well together. I also like Amandine's suggestion of adding it on the beginning so she can keep Emilia Isabelle too.
Do any of the other names feel more "like" her? Does any one name seem to roll off the tongue more easily? Or come to your mind unbidden? Which one feels the most right when you imagine calling it out after she dashes away from you at the supermarket in 5 years?
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I don’t understand why they pressure parents to have a name for their baby before they leave the hospital?! It’s just mean and really doesn’t make sense to me. Here in Australia, you just fill in a form later and can name the baby after leaving, simple.
Anyway, if you feel like it’s not the right name for her, then changing her name sooner rather than later would be best. My 5 month old recognises his name when you call him, so you would want to do it soon. Choose the name that feels right to you and you will feel so much happier.
Anyway, if you feel like it’s not the right name for her, then changing her name sooner rather than later would be best. My 5 month old recognises his name when you call him, so you would want to do it soon. Choose the name that feels right to you and you will feel so much happier.
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You were under pressure initially-- Sorry that happened to you. I wish everyone could be given breathing room after pushing a baby out to sit and think, get to know their baby, and come up with a name that fits. Fortunately, names can be changed. Since your intuition is telling you that the initial name does not fit your daughter, please do follow your gut and get that name change.
My personal preference out of the new set are Juliet and Natalie. I would not try to jam any of them in as middle names just for the sake of using them. Stick with what sounds good to you, and good on her, for the entirety of the new-naming process. Although, I will say that Juliet Sophie does sound nice.
My personal preference out of the new set are Juliet and Natalie. I would not try to jam any of them in as middle names just for the sake of using them. Stick with what sounds good to you, and good on her, for the entirety of the new-naming process. Although, I will say that Juliet Sophie does sound nice.
This message was edited 9/19/2023, 6:51 PM
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All great names, I prefer them over Emilia. I don't like Belle as a full name though
Others similar to Emilia, what about Amelia or Amy, they would be lovely with Isabelle
My choice would in order would be Amy, Amelia, Sophie, Natalie then Juliet with mn Isabelle
A name change at this age is ok, maybe try the names out for a few weeks each, try the yelling out the back door test too.
The pressure of having baby named when you leave hospital is wrong, I know here many babies are known as baby at the 6 month mark, I knew 1 that finally get their name by their 1st birthday
All the best, let us know how you go
Others similar to Emilia, what about Amelia or Amy, they would be lovely with Isabelle
My choice would in order would be Amy, Amelia, Sophie, Natalie then Juliet with mn Isabelle
A name change at this age is ok, maybe try the names out for a few weeks each, try the yelling out the back door test too.
The pressure of having baby named when you leave hospital is wrong, I know here many babies are known as baby at the 6 month mark, I knew 1 that finally get their name by their 1st birthday
All the best, let us know how you go
This message was edited 9/19/2023, 2:37 PM
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It's fine, if you really feel like it's not her name.
To make it less weird for her later on, I would just add a name. So make it Juliet Emilia Isabelle (or one of the other two).
That way she won't have to find out later that she used to have a completely different name and she won't mourn it ("Oh, I wish they would have stuck with Emilia", because she'll still have it and could switch to it).
I personally like Juliet better than Emilia, but I like Emmy better than Juliet, I think.
1. Juliet Emilia Isabelle
2. Sophie...
3. Natalie...
Before you change it legally, call her Juliet for two days, to see if it feels right.
To make it less weird for her later on, I would just add a name. So make it Juliet Emilia Isabelle (or one of the other two).
That way she won't have to find out later that she used to have a completely different name and she won't mourn it ("Oh, I wish they would have stuck with Emilia", because she'll still have it and could switch to it).
I personally like Juliet better than Emilia, but I like Emmy better than Juliet, I think.
1. Juliet Emilia Isabelle
2. Sophie...
3. Natalie...
Before you change it legally, call her Juliet for two days, to see if it feels right.
5
Emilia as a middle name: Juliet Emilia fits best as it prevents the duplication of ee sounds at the end of the first and the beginning of the middle.
Isabelle or Belle as a middle name: I don't think any of them particularly work other than - again - Juliet. Juliet Isabelle works to me because at least one of the names is "grounded". I don't know how you explain this well and I don't know if it has a name, but Natalie, Sophie, Isabelle and Belle all have open-ended sounds to them. Juliet, on the other hand, has a finish with the -et sound over the -elle sound. Same with Emilia as it finishes with a more final-sounding -a
This does not mean I think those names are bad, I actually love all of those names with the exception of Belle which is just okay to me. Its just the way they sound; airy and soft.
Of course, this might change dramatically depending on your surname. For example (except I can't really give you the real example), my name is French and ends with an open-ended sound... as does my middle name. But my surname has such a good final sound to it that when read in sequence of first middle and last, it works.
The best advice I can give you is this:
Open up an excel document or something similar and list out all possibilities:
Juliet Sophie
Juliet Isabella
Juliet Belle
Juliet Natalie
Juliet Emilia
Sophie Emilia
Sophie Isabella
Sophie Belle
Sophie Natalie
Sophie Juliet
etc etc etc
With the process of elimination, you will arrive at your final options.
Remove combos you don't think work. Eg if you don't think Isabella Emilia works, remove it as a candidate
Remove combos you don't think fit with your baby for whatever reason
Pit names against each other eg Juliet Sophie vs Sophie Juliet and choose which you prefer, place one above the other
You should eventually have a shorter list of names with your top 5 or 10 options
When you have a smaller amount of options, get yourself and your partner to rank them independently of each other, and then compare.
Isabelle or Belle as a middle name: I don't think any of them particularly work other than - again - Juliet. Juliet Isabelle works to me because at least one of the names is "grounded". I don't know how you explain this well and I don't know if it has a name, but Natalie, Sophie, Isabelle and Belle all have open-ended sounds to them. Juliet, on the other hand, has a finish with the -et sound over the -elle sound. Same with Emilia as it finishes with a more final-sounding -a
This does not mean I think those names are bad, I actually love all of those names with the exception of Belle which is just okay to me. Its just the way they sound; airy and soft.
Of course, this might change dramatically depending on your surname. For example (except I can't really give you the real example), my name is French and ends with an open-ended sound... as does my middle name. But my surname has such a good final sound to it that when read in sequence of first middle and last, it works.
The best advice I can give you is this:
Open up an excel document or something similar and list out all possibilities:
Juliet Sophie
Juliet Isabella
Juliet Belle
Juliet Natalie
Juliet Emilia
Sophie Emilia
Sophie Isabella
Sophie Belle
Sophie Natalie
Sophie Juliet
etc etc etc
With the process of elimination, you will arrive at your final options.
Remove combos you don't think work. Eg if you don't think Isabella Emilia works, remove it as a candidate
Remove combos you don't think fit with your baby for whatever reason
Pit names against each other eg Juliet Sophie vs Sophie Juliet and choose which you prefer, place one above the other
You should eventually have a shorter list of names with your top 5 or 10 options
When you have a smaller amount of options, get yourself and your partner to rank them independently of each other, and then compare.
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Juliet Emilia gets my vote!
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A name change at 3 months is inconvenient, but that's about the only cost. If it gives a sense of rectitude, worth it. People do it all the time, I'll bet.
Those are all good names. There's no reason to prefer one over the others IMO, unless they sound less good with her last name. Like I wouldn't prefer to name a Juliet O'Toole or a Sophie Farley or a Natalie Addison.
You have plenty of time. A name change at six months is not a bigger deal than a change at three months, really. So you could try out each name for a few days at least, and really see what feels best.
Those are all good names. There's no reason to prefer one over the others IMO, unless they sound less good with her last name. Like I wouldn't prefer to name a Juliet O'Toole or a Sophie Farley or a Natalie Addison.
You have plenty of time. A name change at six months is not a bigger deal than a change at three months, really. So you could try out each name for a few days at least, and really see what feels best.
1
I think they all work well, but Juliet to me has the most draw, because it's more unique.
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