Changed Mind About Baby's Name Nervous to Tell My Mother

I would just tell her. It's not like you're leaving Elaine out all together. We did a similar thing, changing the middle name at the last minute (after experimentally yelling it a few times like she was in trouble and realizing it didnt flow well...hee).

Just like you told all of us, straight from the heart. Luckily this time, the answer is really in the question.

I would just be honest. "Well, you won't believe this, but we've changed our mind on our baby's name. After seeing her in the ultrasound, I just felt she was a Sophia. We'll use Elaine as a middle name. We just love how Sophia Elaine sounds together!"

Well I feel like you are not letting your M. down because you are still naming her Elaine just not as a first name now. I named my kids the names I wanted for them to go by and made their middle names special. My oldest daughter has my middle name(that was her father's doing), my youngest daughter has a combination of his M. and my M.'s name and my son who will be born July 1 of this year will have his dad's and his grandpa's name as his middle name. So even though it is not their name they will be called, it is still honoring that person. Good luck!

Sophia Elaine flows just beautifully. M. is just going to have to be understanding about this. I can't imagine getting upset if my daughter came to me with the same situation. After all, it is her baby, not mine. She should have named you Elaine, lol. Just tell her the way you told us, that it has been on your mind for weeks and once you saw her, you just knew. Even if she does get upset, once she sees that baby, she'll get over it real quick.

But you are naming her Elaine. You are honoring your family and pleasing yourself at the same time. I don't thing there is any way that your M. or anyone would blame you or fault you in any way for making it a middle name. The honor is still there.
Congratulations!

Do you want ot call her Sophia? Maybe name her Sophia Elaine and call her Elaine or Ellie. Ultimately the babys' name choice is yours and your husbands. If you choose to name the baby Elaine, Sophia or Grover. Let you rmom call her Elaine, kinda Grandma's nickname for her.

I think Sophia Elaine sounds beautiful. I think you have to go with your instinct here. Just tell you M. exactly what you wrote in your question. You saw the ultrasound and knew in your heart that your daughter is a Sophia. (I have to disclose that I am partial to the name - if I ever have another daughter, I would name her Sofia - different spelling but the same name!)

In the end, it's the parents that have to be happy with what they name their child because you want, not only your daughter..but her name to resonate with you when you call her. :) So I say, you and your husband have the call on this, not anyone.

But just an fyi and something you might want to take into account since whatever you name her will be permanent. In the past 4-5 years, i've heard of many children named sophia through the women I know. i think, by the time they all start school, there will be a lot of Sophia's in one class. Because they're all born around the same time. Same with Madison too.

Pretty much every other moms I've come across has a Sophia or knows someone who's daughter is a Sophia. I belong to 2 different M.'s organization (that i attend 1x a week for each group) and I also go to Gymboree classes 2x a week. There's definitely a few Sophias in the M. groups and definitely at Gymboree. I can name..gosh 4 parents off the top of my head. Maybe it's just here in CA. :)

But the name Elaine, I don't remember the last time a parent introduced her daughter as Elaine. Honestly, not once have I come across a child named Elaine. It's truly become a classic name. I also had considered naming my daughter Sophia too. Actually Sophia Bella.

Don't let yourself feel badly about this, it's YOUR baby! But at the same time, if you think there is a chance of flip-flopping on this, I suggest not syndicating the new name. You don't have to get into long explanations. Just sit on it and try it on for size. When she arrives, you can do whatever you please and everyone will understand, you are queen of the world when you are recovering in your hospital bed.

Have fun!

Yup, this is why we never tell people the name. In any case, its your baby and everyone else will get used to the name. You should know that in 2008 Sophia was the 7th most common baby name in the US and its probably higher now. Its a beautiful name, but do you really want her to have to be in class with other people with the same name all the time. Elaine ranked 742 so still common, but she is unlikely to be in the same class with another Elaine. We always throw out any names in the top 50 as a first name (my daughter's middle name is Grace which was very common) even if we love them. http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames/ Just my two cents.

Yep CA's answer sounds good to me. My children all "named themselves" because I had my heart and mind set on a certain name for each one of my children and all of a sudden another name popped out of no where and I said- that is it. That is his/her name. And at the time never thought to look up what the name meant but now 11,6 and 4 years later... yep I just investigated my childrens names this past year.... they are the meaning of their names! God knew what He was doing giving my children their names. Glad I listened to Him instead of me! I don't believe your M. will be upset. You are still naming your daughter after her grandmother just her middle name instead of her first name. My daughter is named after my grandmother (middle name) but is spelled different at my grandmothers request. Mary with an "i" instead of y!
Hope this helps :)

This is why I recommend people do not tell the name prior to the baby coming into this world. That and the..."Oh, so-and-so used to have an ex/enemy/bff/whatever named that." It is your baby and you should give her the name you feel belongs to her. Just announce the name on the day she comes into this world and avoid the stress. Your pregnant... like you need any more stress! :-P

I don't know how far along you are, but maybe you should just wait until the birth.
I know many people who thought they had a name picked out but when they saw the baby....they changed it.
Your M. will be so happy to have the new baby that it might be less of an issue at that time. Besides, you're still naming her Elaine...just not the first name.

Sophia Elaine is a beautiful name and I think your M. will be just fine with it. Don't worry.

Many blessings!
Let us know when she arrives!

Sophia Elaine is a beautiful name. She is being named after your beloved Great Grandmother. Your M. will be fine. Just make sure that you tell people not to monogram anything till you are positive of the name..

I remember my husband and I could not decide on the middle name for our daughter. We did not tell one person any of the names we were considering. We promised when we saw her, we would name her what she looked like.. The middle name was a last minute decision totally based on on her.

You name your baby what you want. You will know the moment they hand her to you.

This is your baby, not your moms. I think you are sweet to care, but a name is pretty important and your opinion outranks whatever your M. wants. I think that Sophia Elaine is beautiful. I hope the remainder of your pregnancy goes well and that you have a speedy delivery! Congrats!

Sophia Elaine is a beautiful name (my daughter is Sophia Grace)! Just tell your M. you have decided to use Elaine for the middle name and leave it at that. Really she should understand where you are coming from, she has been though naming children before her self.

Just tell her. If that is the name you would like than don't keep a name just to appease everyone else. I was convinced I was going to name my daughter Isabella Sophia and told everyone....but then we changed our minds and wound up with a completely different name. Now I wasn't naming her after anyone...but my M. was in love with that name and I thought she'd be dissappointed....but she wasn't.

I would also tell her ASAP incase she starts buying monogrammed stuff. Just be honest...and you're still using the name as a middle name which is still an honor.

This is just my opinion, but I've noticed that many times when a baby is named after another family member that name is used as a middle name instead of a first name, unless a junior, etc! I think that since you are still using your great-grandmother's name, that is all that should really matter! Both of my 2 children are named after their grandparents, but we used their names as middle names for my children, and our parents were still deeply touched. It is your daughter & you have to give her a name that you truly want. Just go with your gut! I'm sure since you are still using her name, there will likely not be any hurt feelings!
Good luck & congrats on the baby!!
J.

My husband is from a Spanish family. His family has nicknames for everyone and use the middle name all the time instead of the first.And they call everyone the same thing so it is rather confusing but no one cares. You can call your daughter whatever you want. Anyone who is being silly about that ought to grow up. It is your little Sophia Elaine. So there. Tell your mother it is still Elaine. I agree with you and i do not even know your family. What a beautiful name. Sophia Elaine. Beautiful.

Tell your M. you are using elaine as a middle name. That you saw the ultrasound and she didn't look like an elaine she looked like a sophia. good luck. i had this issue when my daughter was born. I had heather brianna picked out and my daughter was born and my M. said your going to name her rachael right? so rachael it is. its ok cause she looks like a rachael but iw as not happy with it for a long time

It's your baby and Sophia Elaine is a beautiful name. You are allowed to change your mind. Just tell her how you feel!