It all started when creator @gabbylamby posed the question to parents on TikTok:
"Do you ever regret what you named your kid?"
Given the number of things we regret on a daily basis, parents definitely think twice about such an important decision as naming another human being. After all, it'll only be something they carry with them for their entire life.
No pressure of course.
Luckily, a wrong name is fixable.
But even though they can fix it, do they? Are parents actually going to go through all of that work?
In 2016 there were about 329.5 million people living in the United States. Considering the millions of unfortunate names people encounter, only 85,000 people legally changed their names that year.
That means only .025% of the country's population legally changed their name.
So, what are people doing with those regrets if not filing paperwork and attending court for a name change hearing? Apparently, biting tongues and taking remorse to TikTok.
Just think about it, there are hundreds of thousands of people out there living with horrible names who dread being called on in class by their teachers.
Lamby's video gained thousands of views and left many to ponder on their own tales of titles and tags gone wrong.
But one viewer in particular had a story to share and created a stitched video in response to Lamby's inquiry. Fellow creator and mom Jen Hamilton explained not only did she regret the name chosen for her second born after a few months, she also took the steps to fix it.
Here's @_jen_hamilton_'s response.
Hamilton named her son Aspen after seeing how outdoorsy her first born and husband had become.
Believing her youngest would fall into their adventurous and wildlife loving footsteps, she felt Aspen was the perfect fit, but after months observing her baby boy she began to feel a bit differently.
Hamilton shared:
"Surely, this child will have this soul of like a river rafting tour guide."
"So, when we were looking for names I went into Pinterest, and I typed in outdoorsy boy baby names. And we settled on the name Aspen."
Aspen's car sickness, aversion to blueberries, and fondness for sitting still were all tell-tale signs to Hamilton Aspen may not have been an "Aspen".
So, Hamilton chose a name that signified the light her son truly was and after 18 months Aspen was renamed Luke.
Hamilton shared that before legally changing the name, she confided in her sister.
"So, I began noticing that Aspen was not gonna be for him like early on, he's just a few months old."
"And, um, I told my sister first, I told my sister even before I mentioned it to my husband, and my sister's like, 'change it.'"
To Hamilton's surprise, her sister supported the change.
Hamilton expressed her hesitation around changing the name because it wasn't something most parents did.
"But nobody does that, so I didn't feel like that is appropriate to do, I thought I was just gonna have to like go my whole life just calling him that name even though inside it just didn't feel right."
"So, um, we got a lawyer, did all the paperwork and it took like a year to do, but, by 18 months old he had his new name official."
According to Hamilton it was the right choice.
"On his first birthday he lost his ever-loving mind when his toe touched his cake. He loves air conditioning, and sitting down and at six years old, loves being held by his mom. Still, constantly."
"And whereas most kids have like a stuffed animal or a blanket that they really enjoy their whole life, uhh, he has a comfort mole."
"But he is such, he's just, a little light, he's the sweetest little boy. So, we chose a name that means light, which is Luke."
"And 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, and I love him. So much."
Hamilton concluded her video by telling viewers how happy she was with her choice to change Aspen to Luke.
"So now, he's officially Luke! Lukey my pookey bear, stinky bear, biscuit baby Hamilton."
Many commentors supported Hamilton in wanting to legally change her son's name.
Some however poked fun at the possibility of Luke growing up to be the exact name that was once discarded. Could Luke formerly known as Aspen grow up to be an Aspen afterall?
In some cultures, waiting to name a child is not only traditional, but very conventional.
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A few commenters shared in some places, countries like Denmark for example, it's customary to name children only once they turn 18 months old.
@_jen_hamilton_/TikTok
Hamilton wasn't the first or the only parent to have ever expressed second thoughts on the name of her child.
Many commentors and Hamilton alike agreed Luke was the right choice.
They may have lost a name, but they'll always have a good story.
