The change was honestly soooo much better.
For the most part, parents do their best to come up with a baby name that will serve their child for years to come. Even with the best of intentions and meticulous planning, however, that chosen name can feel a bit off once the baby actually makes themself known in the world.
When this happens, parents are left with a choice—changing the name, or sticking with it in hopes that somehow, someway, it’ll eventually make sense. For mom Jen Hamilton, the right choice was painfully obvious.
In a hilarious clip posted to her TikTok, Hamilton recalls being pregnant with her second son, and thinking that he’d be as “outdoorsy” as her husband and first son.
“Surely this child will have the soul of a river rafting tour guide,” she quips, saying that after scouring Pinterest for apropos boy baby names, she settled on Aspen.
An outdoorsy name for a sure-to-be outdoorsy boy.Photo credit: Canva
She would come to find out that “Aspen is a super cool name…for someone else.” Because in a little over a year, Aspen grew into a little boy who “gets carsick in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru,” “gags at the thought of a blueberry,” and prefers “air conditioning and sitting down.” Not to mention that he prefers being held in mama’s arms and touching her “comfort mole” to having a blanket or stuffed animal.
While Aspen didn’t exactly give off the adventurous spirit Hamilton expected, his sweetness made him a “little light,” she explains. Which led her to the name Luke, meaning, of course, “light.” Even though the name felt like a much better fit, Hamilton was hesitant to make a legal change, since it was a bit unconventional.
Still, after getting encouragement from her sister, Hamilton then pitched the idea to her husband, and thus Aspen was renamed Luke.
“He may never guide river rafting tours, but he will for sure be in a very comfortable location, being just as sweet as he can be.”
As many noted in the comments, it’s hard not to think that Luke really is a better match, even visually speaking.
“He actually looks like a Luke” one person wrote.
It’s the open lightheartedness and ease with which Hamilton shares the story that really make it impactful. A good amount of moms do feel regret over the name they chose for their baby specifically because it doesn't authentically reflect the personality that develops. Which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, around the world, other cultures might wait until a year to bestow a name unto their kiddo.
Indian Maharashtrian baby naming ceremony event.Photo credit: Canva
Point being: it’s natural to not accurately predict exactly what your child will be like before they even come into this world. If you are experiencing name regret, there’s nothing wrong with making a change. Who knows, your kid might thank you for it years down the line. Or maybe they find a new name altogether, thus eradicating all the time and energy you put in. That does kind of come with raising a human. But it’s all an important part of your parenting journey.
A husband and wife disagree over the naming of their newborn babyImage via Canva
The mom took to social media asking if she was in the wrongImage via Canva
People took the side of the father when asked to commentImage via Canva
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