A mother impulsively chose a name for her son when she found out family members didn't like the name she wanted. Photo / Getty Images
A mother impulsively chose a name for her son when she found out family members didn't like the name she wanted. Photo / Getty Images
A solo mum who was persuaded by family members to choose another name for her baby has decided a year on that she hates the name so much she wants to change it.
Finding herself embarrassed to tell people what her baby's name is, the mother revealed she wanted to call her son Jarrah, but ended up going with Ezra after her family disapproved of her choice.
According to Kidspot, the mum shared on parenting website Mumsnet that, a year on, she wants to change her son's name to her original pick, Jarrah.
After giving birth, she found out no one in her family "approved of the name", so in an attempt to please them, she impulsively named him Ezra.
The woman explained: "In a horrid mixture of pregnancy hormones and anxiety, I instead chose a random name that the doctor suggested. I am a single mother with no father figure in my child's life, so probably cared far too much about the opinions of my family members."
She admitted that since that moment, she's regretted the name and "hate(s) telling people his current name", so now, following "much heartache and soul searching" she's going to change his name to Jarrah, the name she initially wanted.
There's a nice meaning behind the name Jarrah, she explains: "It is an Australian name that refers to a type of eucalyptus tree and means 'tall and strong' in the local Aboriginal language.
"Not everyone likes it, but it has special meaning to me. I'm a wildlife conservationist and rehabilitator, so my baby was really only ever going to have a nature name."
The single mother believes it suits him much better, and hopes there won't be any negative impacts after she changes the name at this stage of his life.
"If I change his name now it will forever show on his birth certificate and I will have to explain to him as an adult how I misnamed him as a child," she wrote.
The woman wants to change the name of her one-year-old son. Photo / Getty Images
She wanted to get in touch with anyone else who had been through a similar situation.
Users responded to her post, with many standing behind her decision.
One commented: "Jarrah is beautiful and was picked with love and has a special meaning. What an auspicious and lovely name, it would be such a shame not to use it."
"Change your son's name to Jarrah so you can move on. He honestly will not mind a jot when he's older and it will probably make for a funny story," said another.
"Change it. This really is not a big deal whatsoever. Maybe keep Ezra as his middle name as it makes for an interesting story and doesn't try and hide his original name," one user said.
However, some weren't so supportive of her change of heart.
"Surely he already knows his name? I'd be more worried about that then having to explain your mistake as an adult," one said.
