One in five parents don’t like the name they chose

A study of 3,000 parents in Great Britain found that one parent in five now questions the name they bestowed upon their child.

According to a report published in The Sun newspaper, many parents now wish they had chosen a less popular name. One parent in ten liked the novelty of a name they chose at the time but now wishes they had chosen something different.

The most surprising finding was that 15% of parents say they have been mocked by friends or family for the name they chose. One parent in five even confided that strangers looked down on them when they heard a child’s name.

19% of parents chose a family name to keep the peace.

Faye Mingo is president of the Bounty parenting club which conducted the study. She says: "Choosing a name that you and your child will love for the rest of their life is one of the first most important things that you’ll ever do."

That’s true enough. Then she adds: "It can be one of the first issues that expectant parents argue about and sharing baby name ideas with family and friends who want to give a helping hand in the naming process can also cause tensions. Today’s baby name trends move very quickly, so names that seem relatively unusual and quirky can quickly become mainstream and common in the classroom."

The most popular names for girls in Great Britain are Chloe, Ruby, Olivia, Emily and Grace, while the most popular names for boys are William, Oliver, Jack, Alfie and Thomas.