‘I’m a baby name consultant â parents all make same mistake that ends in regret’
Making this mistake with your child’s name could end in regret.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a baby name. Whether you want something that regularly appears on popularity lists or a moniker that’s more unique, there are countless names to pick from. Everyone has different tastes in names, too, so some parents also struggle to agree on a moniker.
However, according to one baby name consultant, there’s one pitfall that many parents fall into when choosing a name for their baby. And if you make the same mistake, it could leave you deeply regretting the moniker you picked, even if it was one that you thought you loved.
In a video on TikTok, name expert Jessie said that more parents should focus on their child’s nicknames before settling on a baby name. She explained that many parents will opt for a name they love and will refuse to use the common nickname for the moniker because they don’t like it.
But the problems come when their child goes to school and starts interacting with other children and adults, as they will likely use the nickname without thinking. So, if you’ve named your child William but can’t stand Will, you might be in for a lifetime of regret when everyone around you calls your son Will.
Jessie said: “Whether you’re a nickname person or not, you need to consider every nickname possibility within the names that you’re looking at. Whether you like nicknames or not, they’re going to go to school and people outside of the home are going to be nickname people.
“If there’s a name you love but can’t stand a nickname that is very intuitive to come from it, don’t use the name. I love the name Genevieve, but the thought of my little Evie going to school and going by Gen? It had to come off the list. Same thing if you’re planning for a Magnolia and want to call her Noli, you need to settle with the possibility that she might be Maggie.”
The name expert also said that parents shouldn’t worry too much about their child’s name, because there’s also a huge possibility that you will end up calling them something “so far from their name”. She said that her son is named Pierce, which she chose on purpose because it has no nicknames – but her entire family calls him Peeps.
She added: “The baby in my stomach, the baby I’m carrying, we call her Ducky. We don’t use her name; we call her Ducky. Do I think this is going to change when she’s earthside? No, I don’t. Poor little girl. She’s Ducky.”
Commenters on the video largely agreed with Jessie’s advice, with many sharing their own stories of nicknames they didn’t want their children to be called. One person said: “I so badly wanted a Penelope but I HATED that people might use Penny rather than Nelly so I had to veto.”
Another added: “As a Samantha who goes by Sam, I DESPISE when people use Sammy. I’m fine with close friends and family using it, but hate when others do it.”
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