My 17-year-old daughter wants to change her name. She’s wanted to change her name for many years and will pay for it. Should I let her?
I’ll never understand why parents think that their children should be thrilled about being saddled with a name the parents like.
My niece just recently adopted her two granddaughters because the parents couldn’t parent due to drugs and alcohol. The parents named the first daughter after marijuana. I don’t have anything against cannabis, but a child shouldn’t have to go through life named after her father’s favorite hobby. The second daughter, born 13 months later was called Shadow. When my niece legally adopted the girls, they were given the option of changing their names. Sativa renamed herself Allison, and Shadow now goes by Sera.
My kids didn’t like their names either. My son absolutely detests his middle name which comes from his father’s favorite character in history. My son refuses to use the name and uses just the initial instead. He’s lucky his father didn’t get his way, and his first name would have been what is now his second name. My daughter wanted to change her name from Courtney to Clara and use the original ancestral surname instead of the shorter name we now use. She also resented the nickname of Corki, which her grandfather started. When she was five, she put her foot down and said, “My name is Courtney” and refused to be called Corki.
I think all children should be given the right to change their names if and when they don’t feel it fits them. Children are not property, but we name them as if they are.
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