Mother wants to change her four-year-old daughter's name because it is 'so common'

A mum says she is contemplating changing her four-year-old daughter’s name - because it is too “common.”

In a post on Mumsnet, the mother explained that she had named her daughter Esmée because it was a name she “thought was very original as I hadn’t heard another girl called it in about 20 years.”

However, when Esmée started school the mum realised that many other children shared the same name - which prompted her to question whether she should change her daughter’s name before the school year starts in September.

“Maybe an overreaction but in the 1970’s I was one of five named the same in my class and vowed never to have my children live with the same,” she wrote.

According to the mum, there are already two other girls with the same name in her daughter’s class.

The responses to the mum’s identity crisis were all variations of “absolutely not,” considering her daughter is already four-years-old.

“Are you crazy! She’s four! You can’t change her name. Your daughter won’t mind being one of three. She is her name now, it belongs to her,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t change a four-year-old’s name! How on earth would you explain it to her?”

Despite the backlash, the mum is not alone in her name uncertainty - as a 2017 survey by Baby Centre found 11 per cent of parents experience baby name remorse.

The majority of parents, however, regret their choice within the first year - when it is still possible to change a child’s name without any significant consequences.

After 12 months, the choice becomes more complicated as “children already recognise the sound of their names,” according to Dr Karla Umpierre, a Miami psychologist and family counsellor.

Speaking to CNN, Dr Umpierre said: “It’s best to change the name before then, because by two or three they have a sense of identity, and it could send mixed messages.”

Name changes can also lead to instability and insecurity in children who may feel that they need to change as well.