Outrage as mum considers changing four-year-old daughter’s ‘common’ name

A mother has come under fire after revealing she’s considering changing her daughter’s name at age four – all because other kids in her school share the same one.

Choosing a unique and special name for your child can be difficult, with many parents hoping to pick one that’s rarely heard or used by other families – but that’s undoubtedly difficult to achieve when your child starts school alongside hundreds of other kids of the same age.

However, one mother took her frustration to a whole new level, as she took to advice forum Mumsnet to ask for advice on changing her daughter’s name four years later, just as she’s starting school. 

Esmée is due to start school in September, and will share the name with two other girls in her class. Her mother explained: “My [dear daughter] is 4 years old and I gave her a name which, I thought, was very original as I hadn’t heard another girl called it in about 20 years. Only to find when she started nursery another girl called the same but spelt differently.

“[Dear daughter] is due to start full time education in September and there will be 2 other girls with the same name so 3 in the class including [her]. Now there’s another in other [dear child]’s class.”

She admitted she’s “totally hacked off” and “upset”, and while she understands it may be an “over reaction”, she struggled in the 1970s herself with having the same name as four other kids in her class.

“[I] vowed never to have my [dear children] live with the same. Now history is being repeated. Am I being unreasonable to change my [dear daughter’s] name before September? I love her name but HATE it’s so common now.”

Read more: Mother wants to change baby’s ‘unusual’ name after four months

She later clarified the name was Esmée, and admitted she went on to change her own name – as the one she was born with began to make her “shudder”.

It got a fairly shocked response from many fellow mothers, with one commenting: “I don’t think it’s up to you, surely it’s up to your daughter, it’s her name now, not yours! She might not care that she shares her name in the same way that you did.”

Another added: “Are you crazy! She’s 4! You can’t change her name. Your [dear daughter] won’t mind being one of 3. She is her name now, it belongs to her.”

The feelings were mirrored by Australian parenting expert Sharon Witt, who told the Mail Online it was “ridiculous” to even consider changing it so late in childhood.

“Esmée isn’t even an offensive name or causing any distress at school. Changing a child’s name purely because another person has the same name is ridiculous. Parents shouldn’t worry about something that’s a very minor issue,” she told the publication.

“It’s a no-brainer for me, it’s not even worth considering.”

What do you think? Do you agree it’s the daughter’s choice whether to let her mum change her name now she’s four?