You’d think nine months would be ample time to settle on a baby name, right? Well, apparently, that wasn’t the case for me. When my daughter was just a month old, I looked down at her tiny, scrunched-up face and realized, “She is definitely not a ‘Presley’.” Oh, the regret! We had picked the wrong name.
But I kept my thoughts to myself, hoping I’d eventually warm up to it. Maybe Presley just needed to grow into her name—or perhaps I did. My husband, family, and friends all called her Presley, and I quietly cringed. I found myself referring to her as “the baby” or experimenting with other names, like “Lila” or “Harper,” when no one was listening.
As time marched on, I casually approached my husband one day and suggested, “What do you think about changing Presley’s name?” His expression told me I had lost my marbles—after all, our daughter was already six months old. But really, isn’t this his fault too? After months of discussion, we finally decided on a new name when she turned eight months old. Yes, eight months!
This must happen to others, right? And so, “Presley” transformed into “Summer.” I confess, I swiped the name from the now-canceled TV show, “The O.C.” While some parents draw inspiration from sports legends or Hollywood icons, I believe in embracing names from nostalgic teen dramas.
Changing a name isn’t straightforward, especially these days. In New York City, they scrutinize every detail—ensuring your child isn’t a potential threat or trying to evade the law. I can’t track every moment of her nap time, but I think she’s led a pretty clean life so far.
The process took six trips to civil court to finalize her name change. One day in court, I witnessed a parade of individuals requesting name changes. There was a man wanting to switch his name to “Woo Woo,” a transgender person seeking a more feminine name, and even a dad wanting to Americanize his children’s names. Then there was a woman who couldn’t remember if her middle initial “H” stood for Harriet or Hazel.
In that moment, I realized two things: 1. Being a judge in New York City must be wildly entertaining. 2. I’m not as crazy as I thought.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect baby name—first time or not—check out the Scary Mommy baby name database for unique names and fun inspiration lists!
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In summary, choosing the right name for your child can be more challenging than anticipated. With a little patience and perhaps some creative inspiration from unexpected sources, you can find a name that truly fits your little one.
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