Mother says she regrets giving newborn an ‘adult name’

A mother has shared her regrets over giving her newborn child an “adult name”.

In a video shared to TikTok in March, the parent, Heather, discussed “name regrets”, before noting that she welcomed her son a few months ago. She then explained that since having her baby, she’s had mixed feelings about the name she chose for him.

“I am not convinced that I like his name, even though I like his name,” she said. “I named him what I called an adult name. I named him Reed. And for whatever reason, I can’t figure out if I don’t like the name. Or if I’m having a hard time connecting it to him, cause he’s like a little squishy baby.”

She then asked fellow parents if they could relate to her feelings, specifically those who gave their babies names that she considered to be “adult” ones, like George, Harrison, Theodore, or Thomas. She also said that she doesn’t frequently refer to her child by his name.

“Did you have that same problem or do I just not like what I named my kid? Like did it take you some time?” she said. “I mean obviously right now we call him the baby, and like little buddy or whatever. I just cannot call him Reed.”

She noted that while she’s told her husband, Scott, that she doesn’t like their baby’s name, she acknowledged that “deep down she still likes the name Reed”.

In the comments of the video, which has more than 20,000 views, multiple people praised the name that Heather chose for her baby. They also shared some of the meaningful experiences they had when naming their own children.

“I think it’s just because Reed doesn’t offer any age appropriate nicknames for the stage he is in. Great name,” one wrote.

“I named my son Reid and I love his name! He’s a young adult now, but when he was a squishy baby we just sort of nicknamed him… sometimes we called him Reido; sometimes we called him Reidie,” another added.

“Not a boy but my 15 month old is Jane. The name is extremely special to me but it was weird when she was tiny. We called her baby Jane a lot and by one it fit,” a third added.

Speaking to People, Heather explained that she initially “started wondering” if Reed was the right name for her baby when she brought him home for the first time. “I knew I loved the name, but I was having a hard time connecting it to such a tiny little human!” she said.

She also shared how reassuring her husband has been, acknowledging that he believes the name is a good fit for their child.

“He has been 100 per cent sure of the name since the day we chose it!” she said. “In fact, it was his name suggestion and he compared every other option to it.”

However, Heather clarified that she wouldn’t consider change her baby’s name. She also pointed out another reason why she could feel like connected to her child’s name.

“There is a sentimental meaning to the name, so I wouldn’t legally change it. He was my first boy after three girls, so part of me wonders if it was still just the shock of having a son,” she said.

The Independent has contacted Heather for comment.

Over the years, some celebrities have spoken candidly about regretting the names they’ve given their babies. In 2022, reality star Kylie Jenner first revealed that when she and her now ex, Travis Scott, welcomed their son, they were naming him Wolf. However, she later shared that she’d be changing her baby’s name, since Wolf “just really didn’t feel like it was him”.In January 2023, she officially revealed what her son’s new name was: Aire Wolf Webster.

During an interview with WSJ Magazine later that year, Jenner reflected on her decision to change her baby’s name, calling it “the hardest thing that [she’s] ever done in my life”.

“I’m still like: ‘Did I make the right decision?’” she said. “The postpartum hit, and the hormones, and I couldn’t even make a decision or think straight. And it just destroyed me. I could not name him. And I was like: ‘I feel like a failure. I don’t have a name for my son.’ So it took me a while. And then the longer I waited, the harder it was to name him.”