You’d think that nine months is plenty of time to settle on a baby name, but apparently, it wasn’t enough for me. When my daughter, Mia, was about a month old, I glanced down at her adorable, scrunched-up little face and thought, “This child is definitely not a Mia.” Yikes. We had given our baby the wrong name!
But instead of speaking up, I kept my thoughts to myself, convincing myself that I’d eventually warm up to it. I figured maybe Mia just needed to grow into her name—or maybe I did. My husband and our family would call her by her name, while I silently bristled. To be fair, it was the name we chose. I found myself referring to her as “the baby” or playfully trying out names like Zoe or Lily when no one was around.
Months rolled on, and one day, I casually turned to my husband and said, “What do you think about changing Mia’s name?” He looked at me like I had two heads. After all, our daughter was now six months old! But hey, he knew what he was signing up for when he married me, so maybe this was more his fault?
After two more months of debate, we finally decided to start calling her a new name when she hit the eight-month mark. Yes, we made the switch at eight months old! Surely this happens to everyone, right? And that’s how “Mia” transformed into “Sunny.”
I totally snagged the name Sunny from the now-defunct TV show “The O.C.” Sure, some parents name their kids after sports icons or movie stars, but I genuinely believe that names inspired by cheesy teen dramas are the way to go.
Now, changing a name isn’t as easy as it sounds—especially in this post-9/11 world. At least not in New York City! They needed to ensure my child wasn’t trying to pull a fast one to escape criminal charges or debt. I can’t keep tabs on her every nap, but I’m pretty sure she’s led a squeaky-clean life so far!
Ultimately, it took six trips to civil court to officially change her name to Sunny. On one visit, I sat in the courtroom, watching person after person request their own name changes. There was a guy named Tim who wanted to flip his name to Timmy. A transgender individual seeking a more feminine name. A dad looking to Americanize the names of his kids. And then there was a woman who couldn’t recall if her middle initial “J” stood for Jane or Jenna. She just couldn’t remember!
In that moment, I realized two things:
- Being a judge in New York City must be quite the entertaining gig.
- I’m not as crazy as I thought!
Looking for the perfect baby name? Be sure to check out this other blog post for some fun ideas.
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To sum it up, naming a child can be a challenge, and sometimes, a change is exactly what you need. Whether it’s adjusting to the name you initially chose or finding an entirely new one, remember that every parent navigates these decisions in their own way.