By Danielle Kate Wroe
A baby name expert has highlighted some potential pitfalls to avoid when choosing a moniker for your little one. However, some have disagreed, encouraging others to “use the name you love”. Colleen Slagen, who shares her insights on Instagram under the handle @namingbebe, noted that parents often feel the allure of “the grass is greener,” syndrome, longing for “the one name” they “can’t have”. But what’s stopping you from picking the name you desire? It can become tricky if the chosen names clash with those in your immediate circle. According to Colleen, you might decide to discard certain names if they’ve been adopted by other family members – she humorously added “your mother-in-law’s dog or your best friend already used it”. She then prompted her followers to share the names they “love but can’t use”. Following responses from her audience, Colleen offered alternative suggestions to popular names like Charlotte, Ava, August, Maxwell, and Riley. If you’re fond of Charlotte, described as “classic, elegant and nicknamable,” but feel it’s off-limits, she proposed Margot, dubbing it “the new Charlotte”. She also suggested considering Collette, Juliet, or even Lisette. Additionally, she recommended Cecilia, describing it as “it’s classic, but not overdone and still has a spunky nickname option in Cece”. Colleen added: “I would also put Eloise and Vivienne in the Charlotte bucket”. Moving on, if Ava isn’t an option for you, she suggested Vera, Veda, Isla and Mila as they “have a very similar vibe”. “For some vintage options, I love Ada and Etta, and if you wanna go less common, I love Neve, Tova, and Pia,” she advised. Colleen suggested that August is a “gentle heartthrob” name, likening it to choices such as Ellis, Callum, Sawyer, Milo, and Everett. She also mentioned: “I also like Jasper as an alternative.” Maxwell was another name Colleen highlighted, which she characterises as having a “classic but cool” feel. She sees Malcom as sharing a similar vibe, with the added bonus of being able to shorten it to Malc. “Beckham, call him Beck, Calvin, call him Cal,” she pondered, further suggesting Casey and Frederick as potential substitutes for Maxwell. Riley, particularly “for a girl”, made it onto her compilation of names that have surged in popularity of late. Her proposed alternatives include Reese, Zoe, Quinn, Finley, Ryan, Bailey, and Lane. If you’re set on a particular name, our stance is that you should embrace it! In the comments, individuals expressed the opinion that you should feel free to pick any name you adore. One commenter asserted: “USE. THE. NAME. YOU. LOVE!!!! Who cares if your friend or cousin named their baby that. There are trillions of people on the planet, there are bound to be multiples of the same name”. Another expectant mother shared: “I’m having a Charlotte Mae this summer. I decided I don’t care if Charlotte is popular. I’ve wanted a daughter named that since I was little. I’m 40 now, so… Her nickname is Lottie.” Another individual shared their thoughts: “This is so fascinating to hear about having names you ‘can’t use’. I love hearing different perspectives! My sister-in-law and I both have the same name in the number one spot for a boy, and our mother-in-law is pretty elated at thinking that she might have two grandsons with the same name someday.” They added: “It’s really not a big deal at all for either me or the sister-in-law, nor for anyone else in the family. Love these new recommendations in general as alternatives though!”.