My son hates his name and now it brings up bad memories for me too – is it too late to change it?

Choosing a name for your child can be difficult, as it is a choice that both you and they will live with.

But what really happens when you mess up and your child is miserable with the name you’ve given him?

Taking Mumsnet, a woman, believed to be from the UK, shared how her four-year-old son hates his name so much she doesn’t care either.

On the parenting forum, the woman divided opinion when she asked if she should continue to call her son ‘Jake.’

She said: ‘My son (4) hates his name. He says that he is boring and has actually cried about it.

‘He was named after my cousin and also has the same name as a close relative. He says that he wants his name to be his own name and not someone else’s.

However, he went on to admit: ‘I don’t like his name either, he’s not horrible at all (Jake).

“He wasn’t my first choice and his dad decided it, his dad is no longer in our lives and every time I say it I’m reminded of his dad.”

Going further, she revealed that the name ‘Jake’ has no happy memories for her or her son.

She continued: ‘His name seems to have bad connotations. I haven’t told my son my feelings towards his name, I always assure him it’s HIS name and it’s lovely, but it’s been over a year since he really started hating his name and it hasn’t changed .

“I thought it was a typical kid thing, but it really distressed him.”

However, she questions if she should start calling her son by the name she wants to be called and ask others to do the same.

She asked the forum: ‘Should I name him ‘Evan’ so he’s called that at school and then if he sticks to this when he grows up we can legally change his name?

A mother has caused debate after revealing how much her son hates his name. On the Mumsnet parenting forum, she revealed that her name has “bad connotations” for both of them. stock photo

‘Or should I continue to encourage him to be called by his real name?’

Opinions were divided on what you should do in this situation.

One person commented: ‘Call him by whatever name he likes. See how it goes.’

While another suggested: ‘Can you change it to something similar to Jake? Jacob? Jackson? If not, he starts calling him Evan and you’ll see how he goes with him. Many children have nicknames.

A third added: ‘Let him change his name. He seems pretty hell-bent on it.

“I had a friend who did this when she was a kid, the parents let her change it and then they changed it by deed vote for her 12th birthday. She never regretted it.

‘Just put ‘known as Evan’ on school stuff.’