Bounty.Com Parents Poll Reveals Baby Name Regrets

LONDON, May 11, 2010 - According to a study by www.bounty.com, one in five
parents REGRET the names they have chosen for their children and 19 per cent
of folk are fed up with the sheer number of other children sharing the same
moniker.

In hindsight mums and dads claim they wouldn't have chosen
names such as William, Oliver and Jack. And looking back, parents of girls
popularly named Chloe, Ruby and Olivia would have chosen alternative names.

Other boys' names they end up wishing they had avoided include
Alfie, Thomas and Joshua. And girls called Emily, Grace and Jessica would
also have different names if their parents could re-write history.

Cause for Amusement

The poll of 3,000 parents, conducted by www.bounty.com
15 per cent of parents say that much to their dismay, their child's forename
has been the cause of amusement amongst friends and family.

A fifth of mums and dads wish they had chosen a name which was
easier to spell, and eight per cent get fed up with people being unable to
pronounce the name properly. While one in 10 thought their chosen name was
cool and clever at the time, the novelty has worn off over time.

Keeping the Peace

Faye Mingo of www.bounty.com said: "Choosing a name
that you and your child will love for the rest of their life is one of the
first most important things that you'll ever do for your child.

"It can be one of the first issues that expectant parents
argue about and sharing baby name ideas with family and friends who want to
give a helping hand in the naming process, can also cause tensions."

The study shows that 19 per cent of parents resigned
themselves to using a family name to keep the peace.

Thirteen per cent decided to choose a name which seemed quirky
and unusual at the time and just under one in 10 people named their child
after a favourite celebrity, while three per cent used the place of
conception as inspiration for a name.

Judgement

47 per cent were shocked to find that other people would judge
their children by the names they had been given and incredibly, one in five
proud mums and dads has experienced a stranger turning up their nose when
they revealed their baby's name.

And 13 per cent said the registrar raised an eyebrow when they
registered the birth.

Even those parents who don't regret the name on their child's
birth certificate, admit there are names they prefer now and wish they had
thought of when their child was born.

Faye Mingo of www.bounty.com added: "Today's baby name
trends move very quickly, so names that seem relatively unusual and quirky
can quickly become mainstream and common in the classroom.

"For example, ten years ago the name Ruby was relatively
unheard of as a baby girl's name, yet our annual baby name poll shows Ruby
ranked in the number two spot for most popular girls names in the UK.
Likewise for boys, a decade ago the name Alfie would have been considered
outdated, yet today it ranks as the fifth most popular boys' name.

"In the bid to stay ahead of trends and to ensure their
child's name has classroom standout without being regarded as wacky, some new
parents are opting for traditional names with a contemporary spin, take for
example Denise Van Outen and husband Lee Mead who chose the name Betsy for
their baby girl born last weekend.

"Modern parents are doing away with baby name books in favour
of our own, more up to date baby names section (
www.bounty.com/baby-names) because it updates monthly with very latest
nationwide and regional chart listings for baby names. This can help make
sure parents and their children have are no regrets about their name and
provides opportunities for undecided parents to test their ideas out on
strangers in online communities."

    Boys Names Parents Most Regret:

    1.  William
    2.  Oliver
    3.  Jack
    4.  Alfie
    5.  Thomas
    6.  Joshua
    7.  Daniel
    8.  Charlie
    9.  Harry
    10. James

    Girls Names Parents Most Regret:

    1.  Chloe
    2.  Ruby
    3.  Olivia
    4.  Emily
    5.  Grace
    6.  Jessica
    7.  Charlotte
    8.  Evie
    9.  Sophie
    10. Daisy

    For further information please contact Lisa Penney on +44(0)1707-294000
    or email lpenney@bounty.com

    Editors notes:

    - Bounty (www.bounty.com) is the UK's favourite parenting club,
      providing information, support and products for young families
      throughout the four key-life stages: pre-birth, birth, toddlers and
      pre-school.

For further information please contact Lisa Penney on +44(0)1707-294000 or email lpenney at bounty.com