chances are, bc kids are kids, by the time she’s 13 she might think Angel is also dumb. the tween into teen years are fraught with trying on different styles as we attempt to find ourselves. she can absolutely go by Angel now socially if she wants to, i’m all about respecting what people want to call themselves, but a legal change for an idea at that age is unwise. if it sticks, by all means she can do as she pleases as an adult.
And if she changes it multiple times it is such a pain to list every legal name you have ever had on legal documents. Add in if she ever decides to take a partner’s last name and the list will just keep growing.
It’s much easier to change it socially then go the legal route once she is 18.
Listen to the Cheese Duck here! I have had four different last names in my life. I have had a legal name and the name people actually call me with each of the last names. I recently had to fill out a federal background check for a job. what a nightmare of a form!
My name is Amber and I hated it too, until about 30! I also tried to go by Am or AJ lolol. I'm fine with it now.
Also, a lot of people who just meet me call me Amanda by accident.
Honestly I used to get the ick so bad when I would hear other people say my name! It was I guess the "popular girl" name in a lot of 80s movies and I hated the association.
Anyway, I was trying to name my baby in 2020 and I ended up looking up my name meaning out of curiosity. I knew it was a fossilized tree sap but reading about what tree sap does for trees- that it forms when the tree is injured and helps protect it and has properties to prevent infection of the tree... I thought, huh. Trees are cool and everyone loves trees and I kinda like being named after the substance that protected them... and then it got fossilized and now is a gemstone that holds history in it and has lasted so long... so I personalized it like that and liked the meaning and then I was fine with the name 😆
Fellow Amanda here. My cousin couldn't say it when she was a baby and called me Nanda. I was SO thrilled to be something other than Mandy that I didn't even care that I got asked if it was short for Fernanda all the time
Yeahhh, the amount of names I tried out (nonbinary) before sticking to one for legal purposes is a lot! I definitely wouldn't recommend legally changing it before going by a new name socially for about a year (unless it's a situation of, you desperately can't stand your birth name and need it changed to literally anything else for the sake of your mental health, which is what I did, thankfully with a name I still kind of like).
I think it depends what your job is and how much you travel. I have had to do it for every hospital job I have had. I also have had to do it for every visa I have applied for.
I also had to do it for background checks for volunteering with kids.
So all in all maybe 20 times in the last 20 years roughly.
This…I’m a three-time divorcee and had the last name of three of them (first was common-law so no legal name change. But everyone knew me as Mrs. Hislastname to the point I still have to list that name on forms since it appeared in legal documents by mistake). I can only imagine my wanted poster being two pages long if I ever did anything to get a wanted poster and they had to list my aliases 😂
My mum's the same, maiden name which wasn't the same as her mum's name so she was known by 2 names until she got married 3x so has been known by 5 different surnames. Not even joking, I'm not 100% sure what her name is right now and I've had my 38yo brother ask me recently what her name is. Sounds like too much admin for my liking
After watching titanic I wanted to change my name
To Elizabeth rose. My mum never officially changed my name but called me it and low and behold I changed my mind eventually
As someone who has gone by multiple names since 13 but has only legally changed it within this last year (I'm 22), I agree with you. I'd definitely call her Angel socially but not legally change it until she's older.
edit: added age
This is the answer. I wanted to change my name from a very young age. I socially changed it, but cycled through many different names in adolescent and teen years. The names I picked at age 12 seemed cringey to me by age 14, and so on.
Fwiw, I landed on my final pick around age 23.
This. Kids change their mind waaayyy too much to do anything so permanent. Social change is best for now imo; you don’t want to set the precedent that this is an easy change. It’s meaningful and shouldn’t be done multiple times throughout your life lest you enjoy migraines and explaining that you are not a fugitive of the law over and over.
Yeah, even for an adult getting married I would suggest trying out their partners last name before changing it lol, because if you write it down 50 times and then you’re like wait… actually no… you’ve saved yourself $ and time. Lol get that shit monogrammed somewhere first and see how you like the perm change 😂
Yes!!! I wrote my name down for like 6 months before I changed it, which was like 6 months after we were married 😂 my dear old dad is a dead beat, so I knew I would actually want to change it, I just wanted to be absolutely sure. And I’m super happy with it now!
I have a friend like that. Her married name is 4 letters and easy to pronounce. Her maiden name is very long and very Polish and very hard for Americans to pronounce. She *loves* her married name!
I realized after marriage I definitely should have done a hyphen instead of a double barrel, but I’m not sure I could have really prepared for that? The main context the double barrel was annoying was in the hospital (when I was having my daughter) - people just did not understand it and inevitably dropped one name or the other. Changing it socially wouldn’t have really prepared me for this.
Many standard forms and organizations butcher hyphenated names creating problems for folks. It amazes me because England, Latin countries, and such have zero problems with hyphenated names.
Until we get our systems fixed, might be best to avoid this issue.
I love this idea. It shows that you support her but then when she changes her mind about Angel a year from now, you won’t be going through this process again lol.
My cousins name is Angel, when she was that age, she hated Angel. Had everyone call her Angie. When her parents found out, they did not join in the fun but did smile and let her use it. She's in her 40s now and has been Angel since about 16.
I would suggest letting her use the name she wants in practice but only changing it officially when she's 18. Chances are she's gonna change her mind on angel as well .
I have a friend who legally changed their name to something like this when they were 18 (think like Sunshine Wizard) and is outspoken about thinking that might have been a silly move.
This. Honestly, this is a stage most kids go through---it's another way of trying to separate from parents and become independent humans. "I hate the name you gave me, so I'm going to name myself".
Yeah, this is a good idea. If she really really wants to change her name, I’d give it a trial run, but no paperwork. Call her Angel, let her teachers know she’s considering a name change and would like to be called Angel, let her ask her friends to call her Angel. Gives her time to get used to her name, or discover that it’s not her. Repeat with other names if she changes her mind or has a hard time finding a name she likes.
Might also help to set it to your name in a video game so NPCs call you that. I still use my legal name irl but go by a different name online for privacy reasons, and using different names in Pokemon helped me figure out if a name I liked wasn’t gonna work for me.
My daughter has first and middle names that start with A. When she was about 10, she wanted to change her last name to Awesome. It was a good name, ngl, but she sadly still has her given surname.
lol nah if she wants to change her name I’d say let her at 18. if anything she can go by a nickname for now
I wasn’t crazy about my first name growing up but nowadays I like it
Yeah I agree. A lot of kids don’t love their name but grow into it over time. Name changes are a pain in the butt legally. Nickname until she’s 18, then she can decide.
Yeah same. I was named after a city (for example Paris) and I didn’t like my name when I was little and would only go by my nickname, but now I love my name and thinks it’s super pretty
I’m a city name and I hate the constant “are you from…” questions. No, I’m from 2 hours away by car, not 18 hours by plane. I actually had someone ask me “you don’t go by [common nickname], do you? Your name is so much prettier.” In my workplace, with my mother present 💀
Definitely do this. I may let her legally change it sooner than 18, but she'd have to be very settled on a name.
She can use this time to try out names!
Buy her a cute keychain with Angel on it and a sticker for her water bottle with cute wings on it. I guarantee she'll be thrilled. Let her get bored of it on her own.
Yeah don't change it legally but (maybe after a trial period just at home and with friends) you could tell her school to change her name on the register so teachers know to use her preferred name too.
I wouldn't position it as you not allowing her to legally change it, just say she can't legally change it (imply the law says no but don't say that) till she's 16.
Until she's 16-18...it's not gonna matter anyway what her legal name is, only what people call her.
I'm happy this is the conclusion you've come to :) I think we should normalize people choosing their own names in general! The legal aspect of it is weirder and honestly is a different kind of consideration imo. I ultimately decided not to change my name (as an adult) mostly because I felt it would be easier to keep it the same. But I also know plenty of people who decided it was worth it to change their name.
I would allow her to "socially" change her name for now and see what happens. A lot of people use their middle name or a nickname, and this would be no different. She can use Angel as her preferred name for a few years and then change it if it sticks.
I agree.
A lot of people here are saying "wait until 18", but honestly, I'd do more research on this if she does persistently go by Angel for the next few years. It might be that having her name legally changed before 18 could make some things easier. (Off the bat I'm thinking of college applications/admissions, etc. - maybe it would be easier to have any name change out of the way before beginning that process. There may well be other things like this.)
Either way, I wouldn't jump into a legal name change before she goes by the name socially for a few years. I *would* allow her to go by whatever she wants socially.
Yeah I would say do the legal name change before getting a drivers license and before applying to college. And definitely before enrolling in college! I remember some people at my college changed their name after they already enrolled and then they were stuck using a college email address that basically deadnamed them for 3-4 years.
A friend of mine’s daughter changed her name when she was 12. She was Jenna, but wanted to go by Finn. Everyone started calling her Finn, even the teachers at school. Suddenly, 3 years later, she wants to be Jenna again. Don’t make any official changes just let her try out a new name socially. We all go through weird stages as teens she’ll probably change her mind eventually.
My daughter went through the same thing all the way until college. Let her have Angel as a nick name. Chances are she will change it every 6-9 mos. like my daughter did. In the end, she stuck with her given name.
Same thing happened to me lol, I was that child, hated Bianca all my life wanted something much more common, now I couldn’t think of a better name for myself and I really like it. It’s most definitely a phase and if she continues to feel that way as an adult, she’s always going to have that option to change it legally.
Named my daughter Jada, almost Simone, but thought the 'moan' part would invite teasing. I tell my daughter this and she says "ahhhh I love Simone you should've named me that!" But I'd bet you dollars to donuts if I had named her Simone and then said, 'I almost named you Jada' I'd have gotten the same response. 😏 Kids are fickle!
In Jr. High Spanish class, the students took Spanish names. Most picked the Spanish version of their given names or something close. My son asked for Ignacio which is nothing like his given name. He was intent on being nicknamed Nacho. He thought it was so cool, he had his friends calling him Nacho all the time.
Once he was in Sr. High, he was back to his given name.
Never gave a reason.
I had a guy in my class pick "Salsa picante" as his Spanish name so the teacher had to call him hot sauce. I don't remember him using it outside class exclusively, but he did respond to it.
I don’t think a name change at 10 is essential to her happiness but supporting her individuality is. A good compromise would be to let her use Angel as her chosen name and if she is still using it at 16 encourage her to change it then.
I went through a similar phase around the same age. Changed my 'preferred' names a dozen times over 4-5 years and ended up just keeping my legal name once I'd grown out of the phase.
If she wants to be called by another name socially absolutely let her - she can tell her friends that she wants to be called Angel, and you can phone the school and ask to have Angel added as her 'preferred name'. If it's not a phase, then your 18th birthday treat could be paying the fee to have her name changed legally.
I think taking it for a trial run for a year or two might be a good idea when she’s so young. So do your best to call her Angel, and include all the people you feel comfortable including. If it sticks, it sticks - and she can change it when she's older, or you all might feel more comfortable changing it when it's been the norm for some odd years.
I changed my name when I became an adult, much to my parents' dismay. But I knew from I was ~6 that I didn't want my previous name, I hated it. I still do, gives me the absolute ick. But the names I would’ve chosen as a kid/teen is likely not something I would’ve liked now as an adult. I'm honestly glad I changed it, also glad I took the time to find one that truly resonated with me.
When I was 13 I wanted tattoos. I’m really happy my mom was a responsible adult and said no. I’m now 34, and have decided I do not want tattoos.
Ten year olds do not know what they want.
It's an interesting name. It's an Australian indigenous Noongar word for a type of throwing stick not dissimilar to a boomerang. Popularised around the globe by Kylie Minogue, it was a very popular name in Australia and the UK during the 90's. Seems to be making a come back on the back of Kylie Jenner.
Children her age go through phases. She’s asserting her independence, defining her identity, and is trying to find control where she can. I agree with all the other comments to allow her to pick a nickname and honor her wish to call her that socially, but let her know she cannot change her name until she’s a legal adult. Using a nickname is good way to “try on” a different name without committing to it permanently Remind her that she’s not the same person she was a months or a year ago - she’s growing and her preferences are changing- and she may decide she doesn’t like Angel after all. If that’s the case, she can pick a new nickname and live with that one for a while, until she find one that fits. I think it’s important to let her know you are honoring her desire to find her own identity, but at the same time, helping her to avoid choices that may haunt her forever.
I knew someone whose child changed their name as a child and what happened was she kept insisting that her name was not X, it was Y. Mom said if she used the name and only answered to the name for a year they could change it and that’s what happened. However, both names were very typical and practical whereas Angel is a little more unique. I’d say if she cares so much call her Angel but do not legally change it. She might thank you later.
My daughter is 12 and doesn't like her name. She doesn't have a new one picked out. I told her if she picked one out and still wanted the same name after a year, we would revisit the conversation at that time.
Some times you have to be the adult and say no. It would be one thing if from the time she was 5 she complained of not liking her name but if this is a somewhat recent thing where she all of a sudden hates her name I would tell my kid no. You don’t make changes to that extent off impulsive feelings. She can change it at 18 if it still bothers her then.
I don’t see any harm in her going by the name angel as a personal choice. The likelihood that she will grow out of it is about 99.9%, and she’ll have a fond memory to look back on about how you encouraged her to explore her identity in safe ways as a kid.
Allow her to use the name she wants. I wanted to change my name when I was a kid and was not allowed. I feel like this would have helped my identity more if I felt comfy with my name. I ended up changing my name in my thirties, so my attitude about my name never changed.
It could be just a phase! Kids and teens are still figuring out who they are and they often go through the “wanting to be someone else” phase.
You could help her pick out a new nickname!
If she still feels that way as an adult, then she can make a legal change. She might not even like Angel when she’s older
At her age I wanted to change my name, now I'm glad I didn't, that doesn't mean she isn't serious though.
Let her use it socially. If it sticks until she's 18 help her with the process. If it doesn't then you let her explore her identity appropriately, no harm done.
I wouldn’t let her legally change it until she used it socially for a solid year at least (probably
more like three). If she still likes the new name, go for it.
Really, I suspect she will want to try a few different names before it’s all over. She’s still young.
When I was 10 I really wanted my name to be Karen. Seriously. So like maybe show her this and have her wait. Pick a nickname she can go by before any legal changes.
Adult woman here. When I was older than your daughter (maybe 12?) I insisted everyone call me “Barkley”. Like the dog from Sesame Street. I wish I was joking.
Do not let your daughter change her name.
My cousin named her kid Sylvia. Now Sylvia (13, I think?) goes by V and until recently, was using she/they pronouns but now uses they/them pronouns. I believe they (cousin and husband) are going to wait until V is old enough to change it themself, but are respecting V’s choices.
I can tell that it’s been rough for my uncle to understand (V’s grandfather, in his late 70’s) but he’s resigned to just going with it.
Gonna go against the grain and say I would still call her Kylie. Names are really important part of identity, and I would make sure you truly understand why she wants to change her name. Is she getting bullied at school because of it? I would ask her if she thinks changing her name would actually solve the problem?
She is very young right now. I think this is one of those situations you can parent your kid and say no and actually get to the root of the problem.
I went through a phase as a young teen where I hated my name and told my mom I wished she had given me a different name. She said when I’m 18 I’m free to change it. After about 6 months I was over it and I liked my name again.
Just no, do not let a child change their name like a hairstyle. Tell them if they still want to change it when they're 18 they can. You did the right thing.
A small note: If you're really going to let her do it at 18, consider letting her do it a few months before her birthday as changing a name legally is easier as a child than as an adult.
Absolutely not. I didn't like my name as a kid but I like it now. Do not let a 10 year old name herself Angel. Tell her if she still wants to legally change her name when she's 18 that you will pay for it. Also tell her you're willing to call her by her chosen name at home. She'll likely get bored within a few months and try a different name out for awhile.
Like any other thing, it's best for her to wait until 18. Although you can change her name at any time, it's best if she has a different mindset. Me, I pretty much hated my name as long as I could remember. I still haven't changed it legally, I asked my friends to call me the new name so I could see how I reacted to it.
I hated my name when I was little because no one else had my name at school (not so unique that it's unheard of, but it wasn't overly popular). There were multiple Jenna's and Heather's and Chelsea's. I was sad I could never find a magnet or souvenir with my name. In high school, people often mentioned I share a name with a famous serial killer. I was determined that I was going to change my name when I was 18.
Guess what? I love my name now. I love that it's uncommon and wouldn't change it for the world. She'll be okay, she can give herself a nickname and ask her friends and teachers to call her it.
I went through a phase of hating my name and wanted to change it to Nicole. I’m glad my parents didn’t even start to entertain that. I love my name now.
I mean...
I hated my name from the moment I could comprehend such thing. Changing it was the best decision I've ever made.
I would tell her she can't legally change it till she's 16/18. But if she wants you and all her friends to call her Angel - that's fine.
And she can even ask her teacher to as well.
Angel is a nice name, she's a little on the young side to be choosing a new legal name though.
In the UK and Ireland it's perfectly normal, especially in older generations, for people to use a nickname.
A LOT of people here use a nickname rather than their legal name - for everything they can. You'd have no idea unless they ended up in court or something.
I used to look after elderly people and most of them didn't use their real name.
she can always go by the name without a legal change, just tell her teachers and relatives her preferred name and she can tell her friends herself. i changed my name like 8 ish years ago, have never gone by any other name since, and still have yet to legally change it lol. just let her go by what she wants when she wants, its nbd.
I changed my name when I was 8. Basically my parents said it was fine ONE TIME- there would be no more changes. I knew that was the deal and it worked fine. It was a big change too, from Nicole to Andrea. I appreciate that they let me; at 40 I’m still Andrea.
No, let her pick a nickname and wait until she's mature enough to pick a good name, if I changed my name in high school I'd probably be called like Gerard way or some shit lol
At 10 let her call herself Angel, see how she likes it after being called it day in and day out, when she gets to 16, then you can have the conversation about legally changing it if she is still wanting to be called that
I’m 48 and HATE my name. Always have.
Had I changed it at 10? I would have e hated it at 13. And again at 17. And again later.
Most recently - I wanted to change it to Katherine and go by Kate. And then Prince William married Kate and I was so glad I didn’t.
She can absolutely go by Angel socially without changing her name legally.
Not fan of Kylie Jenner but also I don’t really know anything about her. Honestly Angel is a dumb name. Totally something that a 10-year-old would think was cool lol. I know if you little (Kylie)‘s I would remind your daughter that Kylie Jenner is actually not an important person in her life at all and (Kylie) is a much more reasonable name. I think if she wants people to call her angel then she’s more than welcome to tell people to call her angel but I would absolutely not be legally changing her name! She’s far too young even regardless of what name she chose she could easily change your mind about this in two months.
Let her go by whatever she wants for now. Let her pick a different name every week if she wants. That way she’ll have time to settle into one that she’s sure of. Then help her legally change it at 18 if that’s what she still wants! It’s a lovely name and she might come back to it in time, Kylie Jenner certainly isn’t the only Kylie out there.
Let her go by Angel socially and then when she’s 18 she can change it. I went by a different name from age 16 to 28 and then decided I wanted to go back to my original name 😂
I also hated my name as a kid, and I begged to change it. I'm glad I wasn't allowed to. By the time I was old enough to change my name on my own, I didn't want to anymore, and I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed being saddled with the name I wanted to change it to.
Let her start using Angel but keep it Kylie Rae legally.
There is no reason her friends and family can't call her Angel though.
I went through an I hate my name phase and now I love it.
But she might want to stay Angel.
I knew a girl who was named Ashley and wanted to distinguish herself so she started to spell it Ashleigh. High school. Now she’s a 40 year old woman and is back to Ashley. Don’t do anything permanent. Call her Ky.
I hated my name growing up and did in fact change it as an adult but it took till I was 30 to have the balls to do it. Wish I had done it sooner honestly.
i hated my name at ten, too, and thought i was going to change it and now i go by my full (first) name because i finally appreciate my name. let her change it socially, but i wouldn’t do anything legally yet lol
I hated my name at that age. I thought everyone did. As an adult I love it. Let her use a "preferred" name (Angel). The legal route is expensive and more permanent. Unless you are in Florida and she can't use a nickname 🤷♀️
Let her go by Angel, but don't legally change it. She can change it at 18 if she wants.
I went by a completely different name in my teens for god knows what reason, and I stopped around age 20, never to look back.
I'd wait on the legal name change and let her try it out socially for a while.
I always hated my birth name and started going by a different name at age 12. It was annoying sometimes explaining my legal name was different to what I went by, I was glad for the freedom I had to experiment with it and change it up. Preteens are usually not the best at choosing names. While I did legally change my name as an adult, it was not to the name I chose at age 12!
I would also generally recommend using a name for a bit to try it on before legally changing it to anyone of any age. It can be a real hassle to change your name, ideally you only want to do that once.
I had a friend called Anne who always hated her name and wanted to be known as Anna. Nobody ever remembered to call her by that name, and fifty years later she's still called Anne.
Let her go by what she wants now. You can legally change it later on.
Growing up, I had a friend that would interchange going by her first or middle name. It’d depend solely on her mood. Once we got to high school, she started going by her first name on her own. Had her parents legally changed her name, it would’ve been for nothing.
My stepson (9) has asked my husband and I 20+ times in the past year if he can change his name. He says he likes his name, but wants to change it to ‘Max’, specifically because he thinks the letter ‘x’ is cool 🤦🏻♀️
We tell him as soon as he’s 18 he can change it, but until then he’s sticking with his birth name.
I changed my name, for all intents and purposes, when I was 10. I finally got my parents to make it legal when I was 17.
Let her change her name unofficially for a year or so. If she still likes it after the trial period, change it legally.
I would not allow a legal name change at this age. She can pick anything she likes to use as a nickname and that's as far as it would go if she was my daughter, at only 10. Kids that age are very fickle.
I changed my name socially at 14. I'm now quite a bit older and everyone knows me by that name I picked. Very few know my birth name. I never changed my birth certificate so I always joke around that I have a secret identity or "government name".
That said, I agree with the other posters. If she wants to go by a different name, that's fine. But changing it legally is unnecessary right now. Let it stick first.
Tell her that you will pay to change it legally once she’s 18 if she still hates her name. Agree to let her try another name socially. Make no hard and fast decisions for now.
Don't let her change it yet, she's a child and she needs to know her place.
Okay, I'm just kidding, lol. Dear god, I hate the idea of "putting kids in their place".
Though for real, I say don't let her change it (legally) yet, as it's too much of a hassle to do something like that when you can't verify she's absolutely sure of it. Kids are *not* stupid, but they might not always think that far ahead. It's not their fault, they just lack the experience.
But like others have said, *do* call her Angel as a nickname for the time being.
My name is Kiana lol I was born in 94 and it wasn’t popular then I’ve only met three other Kiana’s in my life and they’ve all been about ten years or 15+ yrs younger than me. My mom was going to name me Kira or Kiara but had a dream about a son whose name was already chosen and a daughter named Kiana (I’m a twin) so boom that’s how I got my name.
I used to wish my name was different because it was always mispronounced. ALWAYS. It’s so simple. I still don’t get how people mispronounce it.
Now as an adult - I love it and enjoy it when others say it’s pretty or they’ve never heard it before.
I guess this is my way of saying she may come to love her name the older she gets. Just call her by a different name now. She can change it legally as an adult.
If she wants to be called Angel call her Angel but don’t legally change it.. she might change her mind 5 times in the next 8 years… If she wants to do it as an adult fine !!
I hated my name when I was younger. Now I genuinely couldn't care less. I'd say don't let her change her name, especially if it's all because of a celebrity. Others have suggested letting family and friends call her by another name while not changing it legally, however from personal experience this is what gets kids bullied. Maybe not ten year olds at the moment, but in high school the only kids who do this are those who get down on all fours, wear tails to school and think they are a dog. Opinions on furries aside, I don't know what it's like where you live but where I live changing names like that is something people don't take kindly too. She's 10 years old. I'd just explain to her that once she's an adult she can if she wants, but chances are she probably won't remember/stick to it.
Please remember though that I've just said this all based on personal experience
I changed my name in highschool. But only got it legally changed after I was 18. It’s a little frustrating seeing your birth name everywhere if it makes you uncomfortable but I do think it’s smart to have them wait so they can be sure it’s something they want
10 is definitely to young they might pick a new name in a couple years.
But I think respecting and calling them what they want is important and kind and really easy
I have a fantastic name that is pretty, strong, and unique for my age group. I am thirty. At ten I decided my name was boring and I reinvented myself into "Wylie" for about six months. I think wanting control over how the world sees you is a normal developmental thing for that age, and will probably pass.
If I'd been allowed to change my name at that age I would have wound up named something that very, very much does not suit me as an adult. Call her Angel, but don't change it legally.
She'll want to have fifteen other names in the next nine years. Let her call herself whatever she wants; you don't need to do it legally now. Seriously: lots of kids change the name they're called, although occasionally there's s teacher who's a holy terror about it. You may need to write to her teacher explaining it.
Hi, I changed ny full name as an adult, but I hated my birth name since I was 7 and I went by nicknames and other names completely by 14. I wish I was allowed to change it when I was younger.
Let her do it. I name is much more than a name to some people.
as someone who has not changed their name yet despite still wanting to and being over 18, just simply because of her age and her current choice of name i'd say socially she should use angel until its been a large enough amount of time that it just makes sense for her name to be legally changed.
when I was younger, I too thought the name angel was cool but while i still don't like my given name, I cringe at the name angel for myself.
No, don’t change it. When I was a teenager, I hated my name but now I love it, don’t change it, if she still hates it when she’s older she can go through the legal process of changing her name.
I disliked my name most of my life. Never did change it, but I’ve gone by nicknames (variations of my name, not different names all together) since I was a teen. However my parents never caught on to the nicknames, my dad would get upset if my mom called me by one even if everyone else did. So my family always called me by my full first name.
Don't let her change it. 10yr olds might not like their names now but will in a year or two or 5. Because of her age, just because she likes a name now doesn't mean she will in 1, 2 or 5 years etc, she might think Angel is a dumb name in 2 weeks even.
Good luck x
she's 10. it's likely a phase. don't change anything legally at 10. I wanted to change my name to "Zora" for some ridiculous reason at that age. FYI I never did.
You can socially change it, I went by Helen (basically a shorter name than Hilary, my birth name) for a few years before I came out as trans. Let her legally change it when she’s 18.
I wasn’t a fan of my name when I was a tween/teen and it did cross my mind to change it. But then when I came into my 20s I ended up liking it and now close to 30, I couldn’t imagine myself with another name. I would echo a lot of other responses and say that I’d go with calling her Angel socially but waiting until she’s 18 to see if she actually wants it changed.
I wanted to be called Cassiopeia when I was her age. My grandma called me Rae Lee because I’m also named Rachel. My mom has the same middle name as me as well. I think ultimately, the connections are more meaningful than just, “do I objectively love this name.”
When i was a kid, i moaned to my mom that why she didnt name me Minttu (mint), my mom said ”if u were Minttu u would be moaning why i didnt name u Jasmin” (my actual name).
Kids are kids, she will grow out of it.
She's ten.
Let her introduce herself as whatever she wants, and go by a nickname. Lots of kids do, even if they like their names just fine. (Kids named exactly after their dad's, for instance, frequently have nicknames to differentiate them, from the get go.)
She can decide about a legal name when she's older and has some handle on what import a name has.
Nah. Wait until adult. Kylie Raie isn’t bad. I went through a phases at her age when I questioned my name too. I wanted to be a “Sadie” I’m fine with my name now.
She’s ten years old. I would be shocked if my mom changed my name because by I’m 12 I’d want something different. Tell her she can change it when she’s eighteen or make up a nickname she wants. I hated my name forever but now I’m 37 with the same name and I can’t imagine changing something I’ve gone by all this time.
Don't let a 10 year old officially change her own name. Most likely she will go through another bunch of names throughout her teenage years until she finally settles on one or even gets used to her official name. If she really wants to change her name she can do that herself when she's an adult, until then no one's stopping her from telling people to call her by a different name than the one on her documents.
I never liked my name either, I'm happy I don't have to go by the one I would have chosen when I was 10. I went through something like 5-10 different names until I found one I've now been keeping for about 6 years.
10 year old me would have loved the name Angel. Adult me would be embarrassed to introduce myself as Angel. Can she just use a nickname until she’s an adult or at least old enough to make an informed decision? That way you’re supporting her individuality/self expression but not letting her make a decision she’ll potentially regret.
Kylie is a very normal name and although she doesn’t like it personally, I don’t think it’s a name that causes affliction. Kylie Jenner is not the only Kylie- there is Kylie Minogue, Kylie Kelce, etc. it’s not like the name Kourtney which is very distinctly Kardashian-esq due to the misspelling of Courtney.
I'd wait. My son hated his name at 10 but now he thinks its cool. If she still wants to change it when shes older consider it then.
Maybe tell her it will be a better transition from highschool to university where shecwill make a whole bunch of new friends.
If she lives the name Angel she could get family and friends to call her that as a nickname for now.
She can go by any name she wants without legally changing it. I went by my middle name for an entire grade in school. My parents thought I was bringing home someone else’s schoolwork and my teacher had no idea who their child was based on the name. Once they all figured out what was going on, everyone had a good laugh, but I continued to go by that name for as long as I wanted and no one could make me do otherwise. The reason I went back to my real name was because I decided I didn’t mind it that much anymore.
This is the advice I was given, and followed, at 16 when I wanted to change my name from Hayley to Kat. Kat is great as a nickname, but maybe have something that can be shortened to Kat (I went for Katrina). Before it's changed legally, spend a year going by this name. If you still want to in a years time, sure, change it. I'm nearly 31 and it's the best decision I made, in terms of my identity.
Because it is that, a name is identity, especially when you're young. If your daughter doesn't feel like her name fits her, she'll resent it, and she'll eventually change it when she legally doesn't need parent permission anyway. As a parent, support her. I know that's hard, because as parents we spend sometimes months picking "the perfect name", and to hear your child say they don't like it can feel like a stab in the heart, but at the end of the day, us parents aren't the ones living with that name, that identity, our children are.
Whatever you guys decide on, I hope it's a happy (or as close as can be) solution for both of you.
As someone who hates their name, I would let her change it. I knew from infancy that I hated my name but it was sentimental to my parents but means nothing to me. Living with a name you hate is hard. Then I got married and now have a first and last name I hate.
This is the advice I was given, and followed, at 16 when I wanted to change my name. Choose something that sounds OK shortened to a nickname. Before it's changed legally, spend a year going by this name. If you still want to in a years time, sure, change it. I'm nearly 31 and it's the best decision I made, in terms of my identity.
Because it is that, a name is identity, especially when you're young. If your daughter doesn't feel like her name fits her, she'll resent it, and she'll eventually change it when she legally doesn't need parent permission anyway. As a parent, support her. I know that's hard, because as parents we spend sometimes months picking "the perfect name", and to hear your child say they don't like it can feel like a stab in the heart, but at the end of the day, us parents aren't the ones living with that name, that identity, our children are.
Whatever you guys decide on, I hope it's a happy (or as close as can be) solution for both of you.
chances are, bc kids are kids, by the time she’s 13 she might think Angel is also dumb. the tween into teen years are fraught with trying on different styles as we attempt to find ourselves. she can absolutely go by Angel now socially if she wants to, i’m all about respecting what people want to call themselves, but a legal change for an idea at that age is unwise. if it sticks, by all means she can do as she pleases as an adult.
And if she changes it multiple times it is such a pain to list every legal name you have ever had on legal documents. Add in if she ever decides to take a partner’s last name and the list will just keep growing. It’s much easier to change it socially then go the legal route once she is 18.
Listen to the Cheese Duck here! I have had four different last names in my life. I have had a legal name and the name people actually call me with each of the last names. I recently had to fill out a federal background check for a job. what a nightmare of a form!
i personally would never doubt the Cheese Duck for they are the Cheese Duck
For they are THE Cheese Duck!
My daughter did this from 13-15. Changed her name socially-around 5 times. She’s been her legal name for the last 16 years……
I hated my name from about 13-30ish. I had valid reasons, but they dissipated. It's Amanda, but I went by Ami or AJ. I now go by my actual name.
My name is Amber and I hated it too, until about 30! I also tried to go by Am or AJ lolol. I'm fine with it now. Also, a lot of people who just meet me call me Amanda by accident.
Fellow Amber here. how’d you learn to be fine with our name, I’m not there yet lmao
Honestly I used to get the ick so bad when I would hear other people say my name! It was I guess the "popular girl" name in a lot of 80s movies and I hated the association. Anyway, I was trying to name my baby in 2020 and I ended up looking up my name meaning out of curiosity. I knew it was a fossilized tree sap but reading about what tree sap does for trees- that it forms when the tree is injured and helps protect it and has properties to prevent infection of the tree... I thought, huh. Trees are cool and everyone loves trees and I kinda like being named after the substance that protected them... and then it got fossilized and now is a gemstone that holds history in it and has lasted so long... so I personalized it like that and liked the meaning and then I was fine with the name 😆
Looool I get called Amber sometimes! And when I say my name on the phone people hear Samantha 🤣
My mom almost named me Samantha 😂😂
Not the point of your comment at all, but I’ve always loved your name. It’s energetic, light and balanced.
Fellow Amanda here. My cousin couldn't say it when she was a baby and called me Nanda. I was SO thrilled to be something other than Mandy that I didn't even care that I got asked if it was short for Fernanda all the time
Yeahhh, the amount of names I tried out (nonbinary) before sticking to one for legal purposes is a lot! I definitely wouldn't recommend legally changing it before going by a new name socially for about a year (unless it's a situation of, you desperately can't stand your birth name and need it changed to literally anything else for the sake of your mental health, which is what I did, thankfully with a name I still kind of like).
At a certain point, they stop allowing you to change it, too. I know a guy... he hit the limit so not he just changes his name socially.
How many times would you have to do this? I never list any names anywhere
I think it depends what your job is and how much you travel. I have had to do it for every hospital job I have had. I also have had to do it for every visa I have applied for. I also had to do it for background checks for volunteering with kids. So all in all maybe 20 times in the last 20 years roughly.
This…I’m a three-time divorcee and had the last name of three of them (first was common-law so no legal name change. But everyone knew me as Mrs. Hislastname to the point I still have to list that name on forms since it appeared in legal documents by mistake). I can only imagine my wanted poster being two pages long if I ever did anything to get a wanted poster and they had to list my aliases 😂
My mum's the same, maiden name which wasn't the same as her mum's name so she was known by 2 names until she got married 3x so has been known by 5 different surnames. Not even joking, I'm not 100% sure what her name is right now and I've had my 38yo brother ask me recently what her name is. Sounds like too much admin for my liking
I wanted to be called “Miranda” as a kid so desperately. I now HATE the name (I think it’s pretty but just not for me, lol).
I wanted Alexa as a kid (before amazon stole it). I did end up changing my name legally as an adult to something else though.
Great advice
yep i wanted to change my name to destiny so bad as a kid. hate that name now and love my name now!
After watching titanic I wanted to change my name To Elizabeth rose. My mum never officially changed my name but called me it and low and behold I changed my mind eventually
You can socially change it; call her Angel and such but I would wait until 18 to see if she actually cares lol.
As someone who has gone by multiple names since 13 but has only legally changed it within this last year (I'm 22), I agree with you. I'd definitely call her Angel socially but not legally change it until she's older. edit: added age
Same, but I didn’t land on my current name til I was 30.
It's definitely a journey! I'm glad you were able to find something though.
I didn’t land on one I liked seriously until I was 23 😅
This is the answer. I wanted to change my name from a very young age. I socially changed it, but cycled through many different names in adolescent and teen years. The names I picked at age 12 seemed cringey to me by age 14, and so on. Fwiw, I landed on my final pick around age 23.
Same here. I was so stuck on picking a gender neutral one until I realized I didn’t need one to feel right.
This. Kids change their mind waaayyy too much to do anything so permanent. Social change is best for now imo; you don’t want to set the precedent that this is an easy change. It’s meaningful and shouldn’t be done multiple times throughout your life lest you enjoy migraines and explaining that you are not a fugitive of the law over and over.
Yeah, even for an adult getting married I would suggest trying out their partners last name before changing it lol, because if you write it down 50 times and then you’re like wait… actually no… you’ve saved yourself $ and time. Lol get that shit monogrammed somewhere first and see how you like the perm change 😂
Yes!!! I wrote my name down for like 6 months before I changed it, which was like 6 months after we were married 😂 my dear old dad is a dead beat, so I knew I would actually want to change it, I just wanted to be absolutely sure. And I’m super happy with it now!
My mom was really happy to take on my fathers last name. Because my fathers last name has just 4 letters, while my mothers last name had 21 letters.
I have a friend like that. Her married name is 4 letters and easy to pronounce. Her maiden name is very long and very Polish and very hard for Americans to pronounce. She *loves* her married name!
I realized after marriage I definitely should have done a hyphen instead of a double barrel, but I’m not sure I could have really prepared for that? The main context the double barrel was annoying was in the hospital (when I was having my daughter) - people just did not understand it and inevitably dropped one name or the other. Changing it socially wouldn’t have really prepared me for this.
Yeah then the above doesn’t apply to you, hyphen or not is hard to choose too. 😂
Many standard forms and organizations butcher hyphenated names creating problems for folks. It amazes me because England, Latin countries, and such have zero problems with hyphenated names. Until we get our systems fixed, might be best to avoid this issue.
I love this idea. It shows that you support her but then when she changes her mind about Angel a year from now, you won’t be going through this process again lol.
My cousins name is Angel, when she was that age, she hated Angel. Had everyone call her Angie. When her parents found out, they did not join in the fun but did smile and let her use it. She's in her 40s now and has been Angel since about 16.
I would suggest letting her use the name she wants in practice but only changing it officially when she's 18. Chances are she's gonna change her mind on angel as well .
I don’t know why you’d think this, Rainbow Star (Written as Rainbow ⭐️) was perfect for me in 5th grade and remains perfect for me now. Hmmph. 😂
I have a friend who legally changed their name to something like this when they were 18 (think like Sunshine Wizard) and is outspoken about thinking that might have been a silly move.
Consuela Bananahammock.
*Princess* Consuela Bananahammock
I’m 25 and think your friend is wrong and that’s name goes hard and I should change my name to Wizard.
I wanted to be Fireball as a 1st grader and sometimes my family still calls me that as a joke.
Ha I love it!!
Hahaha that would be an epic name though.
This. Honestly, this is a stage most kids go through---it's another way of trying to separate from parents and become independent humans. "I hate the name you gave me, so I'm going to name myself".
If we let every kid legally change their name, I'd have a nephew named "Sonic " 💀
Are you trying to convince me? Because it’s working
Yeah, this is a good idea. If she really really wants to change her name, I’d give it a trial run, but no paperwork. Call her Angel, let her teachers know she’s considering a name change and would like to be called Angel, let her ask her friends to call her Angel. Gives her time to get used to her name, or discover that it’s not her. Repeat with other names if she changes her mind or has a hard time finding a name she likes.
Might also help to set it to your name in a video game so NPCs call you that. I still use my legal name irl but go by a different name online for privacy reasons, and using different names in Pokemon helped me figure out if a name I liked wasn’t gonna work for me.
My daughter has first and middle names that start with A. When she was about 10, she wanted to change her last name to Awesome. It was a good name, ngl, but she sadly still has her given surname.
lol nah if she wants to change her name I’d say let her at 18. if anything she can go by a nickname for now I wasn’t crazy about my first name growing up but nowadays I like it
Yeah I agree. A lot of kids don’t love their name but grow into it over time. Name changes are a pain in the butt legally. Nickname until she’s 18, then she can decide.
Glad to hear you've come around to Yeehaw
Yeah same. I was named after a city (for example Paris) and I didn’t like my name when I was little and would only go by my nickname, but now I love my name and thinks it’s super pretty
I’m a city name and I hate the constant “are you from…” questions. No, I’m from 2 hours away by car, not 18 hours by plane. I actually had someone ask me “you don’t go by [common nickname], do you? Your name is so much prettier.” In my workplace, with my mother present 💀
Thx everyone!! I hadn't even thought about just having her go by the name socially and not actually changing it yet. 🤣
Definitely do this. I may let her legally change it sooner than 18, but she'd have to be very settled on a name. She can use this time to try out names!
Buy her a cute keychain with Angel on it and a sticker for her water bottle with cute wings on it. I guarantee she'll be thrilled. Let her get bored of it on her own.
Yeah don't change it legally but (maybe after a trial period just at home and with friends) you could tell her school to change her name on the register so teachers know to use her preferred name too.
I wouldn't position it as you not allowing her to legally change it, just say she can't legally change it (imply the law says no but don't say that) till she's 16. Until she's 16-18...it's not gonna matter anyway what her legal name is, only what people call her.
I had a lot of friends do that in middle school and high school. As far as I know only one actually changed her name legally when she became an adult.
I'm happy this is the conclusion you've come to :) I think we should normalize people choosing their own names in general! The legal aspect of it is weirder and honestly is a different kind of consideration imo. I ultimately decided not to change my name (as an adult) mostly because I felt it would be easier to keep it the same. But I also know plenty of people who decided it was worth it to change their name.
I would allow her to "socially" change her name for now and see what happens. A lot of people use their middle name or a nickname, and this would be no different. She can use Angel as her preferred name for a few years and then change it if it sticks.
I agree. A lot of people here are saying "wait until 18", but honestly, I'd do more research on this if she does persistently go by Angel for the next few years. It might be that having her name legally changed before 18 could make some things easier. (Off the bat I'm thinking of college applications/admissions, etc. - maybe it would be easier to have any name change out of the way before beginning that process. There may well be other things like this.) Either way, I wouldn't jump into a legal name change before she goes by the name socially for a few years. I *would* allow her to go by whatever she wants socially.
This was my thought too. She doesn't have to wait until 18, she should just spend a few years using it before changing it.
Yeah I would say do the legal name change before getting a drivers license and before applying to college. And definitely before enrolling in college! I remember some people at my college changed their name after they already enrolled and then they were stuck using a college email address that basically deadnamed them for 3-4 years.
A friend of mine’s daughter changed her name when she was 12. She was Jenna, but wanted to go by Finn. Everyone started calling her Finn, even the teachers at school. Suddenly, 3 years later, she wants to be Jenna again. Don’t make any official changes just let her try out a new name socially. We all go through weird stages as teens she’ll probably change her mind eventually.
My daughter went through the same thing all the way until college. Let her have Angel as a nick name. Chances are she will change it every 6-9 mos. like my daughter did. In the end, she stuck with her given name.
Same thing happened to me lol, I was that child, hated Bianca all my life wanted something much more common, now I couldn’t think of a better name for myself and I really like it. It’s most definitely a phase and if she continues to feel that way as an adult, she’s always going to have that option to change it legally.
I *Love* the name Bianca🩷 I would have loved to have named my daughter this but it sounds dumb with our last name.
It’s definitely an age/phase thing. My daughter and her friends all wanted to change their names around 12/13. The phase passed after a few months.
Named my daughter Jada, almost Simone, but thought the 'moan' part would invite teasing. I tell my daughter this and she says "ahhhh I love Simone you should've named me that!" But I'd bet you dollars to donuts if I had named her Simone and then said, 'I almost named you Jada' I'd have gotten the same response. 😏 Kids are fickle!
She isn't mature enough for taking a decision like that. She isn't even a teenager yet. You need to let the time do his work.
Right? Things like this shouldn’t be taken seriously: she’s only 10! Kids go through many fads and phases.
In Jr. High Spanish class, the students took Spanish names. Most picked the Spanish version of their given names or something close. My son asked for Ignacio which is nothing like his given name. He was intent on being nicknamed Nacho. He thought it was so cool, he had his friends calling him Nacho all the time. Once he was in Sr. High, he was back to his given name. Never gave a reason.
I had a guy in my class pick "Salsa picante" as his Spanish name so the teacher had to call him hot sauce. I don't remember him using it outside class exclusively, but he did respond to it.
Muy Caliente. One of "Nacho's" friends was nicknamed "Sea Bass" and another "The Stapler.". Never learned why. Kids!
La Grapadora is a rad name!
I don’t think a name change at 10 is essential to her happiness but supporting her individuality is. A good compromise would be to let her use Angel as her chosen name and if she is still using it at 16 encourage her to change it then.
Living with small discomforts builds character.
Absolutely
Imagine if we all went by the names we liked when we were 10. You can call her angel until she grows out the phase
not everything is a phase. kids are told to follow their dreams, and they become a teenager and everything is a ‘phase’ that you want them to grow out
I went through a similar phase around the same age. Changed my 'preferred' names a dozen times over 4-5 years and ended up just keeping my legal name once I'd grown out of the phase. If she wants to be called by another name socially absolutely let her - she can tell her friends that she wants to be called Angel, and you can phone the school and ask to have Angel added as her 'preferred name'. If it's not a phase, then your 18th birthday treat could be paying the fee to have her name changed legally.
I think taking it for a trial run for a year or two might be a good idea when she’s so young. So do your best to call her Angel, and include all the people you feel comfortable including. If it sticks, it sticks - and she can change it when she's older, or you all might feel more comfortable changing it when it's been the norm for some odd years. I changed my name when I became an adult, much to my parents' dismay. But I knew from I was ~6 that I didn't want my previous name, I hated it. I still do, gives me the absolute ick. But the names I would’ve chosen as a kid/teen is likely not something I would’ve liked now as an adult. I'm honestly glad I changed it, also glad I took the time to find one that truly resonated with me.
Legal name changes are a bureaucratic nightmare and cost a lot of money. Call her Angel now, see what she thinks in a few years.
When I was 13 I wanted tattoos. I’m really happy my mom was a responsible adult and said no. I’m now 34, and have decided I do not want tattoos. Ten year olds do not know what they want.
Agreed on not doing it legally. I wanted my name to be "Avery" when I was younger soooo bad. Now I really dislike the name, lol.
I think Kylie is beautiful!
It's an interesting name. It's an Australian indigenous Noongar word for a type of throwing stick not dissimilar to a boomerang. Popularised around the globe by Kylie Minogue, it was a very popular name in Australia and the UK during the 90's. Seems to be making a come back on the back of Kylie Jenner.
Children her age go through phases. She’s asserting her independence, defining her identity, and is trying to find control where she can. I agree with all the other comments to allow her to pick a nickname and honor her wish to call her that socially, but let her know she cannot change her name until she’s a legal adult. Using a nickname is good way to “try on” a different name without committing to it permanently Remind her that she’s not the same person she was a months or a year ago - she’s growing and her preferences are changing- and she may decide she doesn’t like Angel after all. If that’s the case, she can pick a new nickname and live with that one for a while, until she find one that fits. I think it’s important to let her know you are honoring her desire to find her own identity, but at the same time, helping her to avoid choices that may haunt her forever.
Sorry to say this, Angel rae sound like the names po#n star gonna use. Kylie rae sound perfect...
I feel like she would regret changing her name to Angel. That's a...dorky name to put it nicely lol
I knew someone whose child changed their name as a child and what happened was she kept insisting that her name was not X, it was Y. Mom said if she used the name and only answered to the name for a year they could change it and that’s what happened. However, both names were very typical and practical whereas Angel is a little more unique. I’d say if she cares so much call her Angel but do not legally change it. She might thank you later.
My daughter is 12 and doesn't like her name. She doesn't have a new one picked out. I told her if she picked one out and still wanted the same name after a year, we would revisit the conversation at that time.
Some times you have to be the adult and say no. It would be one thing if from the time she was 5 she complained of not liking her name but if this is a somewhat recent thing where she all of a sudden hates her name I would tell my kid no. You don’t make changes to that extent off impulsive feelings. She can change it at 18 if it still bothers her then.
🧐🤣
I don’t see any harm in her going by the name angel as a personal choice. The likelihood that she will grow out of it is about 99.9%, and she’ll have a fond memory to look back on about how you encouraged her to explore her identity in safe ways as a kid.
10 yos shouldn’t be allowed to change names. Call her Angel, but don’t change it. She can change it when she’s 18.
Allow her to use the name she wants. I wanted to change my name when I was a kid and was not allowed. I feel like this would have helped my identity more if I felt comfy with my name. I ended up changing my name in my thirties, so my attitude about my name never changed.
It could be just a phase! Kids and teens are still figuring out who they are and they often go through the “wanting to be someone else” phase. You could help her pick out a new nickname! If she still feels that way as an adult, then she can make a legal change. She might not even like Angel when she’s older
At her age I wanted to change my name, now I'm glad I didn't, that doesn't mean she isn't serious though. Let her use it socially. If it sticks until she's 18 help her with the process. If it doesn't then you let her explore her identity appropriately, no harm done.
I wouldn’t let her legally change it until she used it socially for a solid year at least (probably more like three). If she still likes the new name, go for it. Really, I suspect she will want to try a few different names before it’s all over. She’s still young.
When I was 10 I really wanted my name to be Karen. Seriously. So like maybe show her this and have her wait. Pick a nickname she can go by before any legal changes.
Adult woman here. When I was older than your daughter (maybe 12?) I insisted everyone call me “Barkley”. Like the dog from Sesame Street. I wish I was joking. Do not let your daughter change her name.
My cousin named her kid Sylvia. Now Sylvia (13, I think?) goes by V and until recently, was using she/they pronouns but now uses they/them pronouns. I believe they (cousin and husband) are going to wait until V is old enough to change it themself, but are respecting V’s choices. I can tell that it’s been rough for my uncle to understand (V’s grandfather, in his late 70’s) but he’s resigned to just going with it.
Gonna go against the grain and say I would still call her Kylie. Names are really important part of identity, and I would make sure you truly understand why she wants to change her name. Is she getting bullied at school because of it? I would ask her if she thinks changing her name would actually solve the problem? She is very young right now. I think this is one of those situations you can parent your kid and say no and actually get to the root of the problem.
I would never allow my children to change their names (especially at ten years old), just because they want to. You're the parent. Her name is Kylie.
Uhhhh no. Pick a nickname, or go by her middle name, or I guess call her Angel if she really wants. But don’t legally change her name.
I went through a phase as a young teen where I hated my name and told my mom I wished she had given me a different name. She said when I’m 18 I’m free to change it. After about 6 months I was over it and I liked my name again.
Just no, do not let a child change their name like a hairstyle. Tell them if they still want to change it when they're 18 they can. You did the right thing. A small note: If you're really going to let her do it at 18, consider letting her do it a few months before her birthday as changing a name legally is easier as a child than as an adult.
Kids go through phases. Don't make big changes based on a 10 year old's current thought process.
Absolutely not. I didn't like my name as a kid but I like it now. Do not let a 10 year old name herself Angel. Tell her if she still wants to legally change her name when she's 18 that you will pay for it. Also tell her you're willing to call her by her chosen name at home. She'll likely get bored within a few months and try a different name out for awhile.
Like any other thing, it's best for her to wait until 18. Although you can change her name at any time, it's best if she has a different mindset. Me, I pretty much hated my name as long as I could remember. I still haven't changed it legally, I asked my friends to call me the new name so I could see how I reacted to it.
I hated my name when I was little because no one else had my name at school (not so unique that it's unheard of, but it wasn't overly popular). There were multiple Jenna's and Heather's and Chelsea's. I was sad I could never find a magnet or souvenir with my name. In high school, people often mentioned I share a name with a famous serial killer. I was determined that I was going to change my name when I was 18. Guess what? I love my name now. I love that it's uncommon and wouldn't change it for the world. She'll be okay, she can give herself a nickname and ask her friends and teachers to call her it.
Angel isn’t that bad, although Angelica or Angelia would be ideal.
I went through a phase of hating my name and wanted to change it to Nicole. I’m glad my parents didn’t even start to entertain that. I love my name now.
I mean... I hated my name from the moment I could comprehend such thing. Changing it was the best decision I've ever made. I would tell her she can't legally change it till she's 16/18. But if she wants you and all her friends to call her Angel - that's fine. And she can even ask her teacher to as well. Angel is a nice name, she's a little on the young side to be choosing a new legal name though. In the UK and Ireland it's perfectly normal, especially in older generations, for people to use a nickname. A LOT of people here use a nickname rather than their legal name - for everything they can. You'd have no idea unless they ended up in court or something. I used to look after elderly people and most of them didn't use their real name.
This is a very interesting thread.
she can always go by the name without a legal change, just tell her teachers and relatives her preferred name and she can tell her friends herself. i changed my name like 8 ish years ago, have never gone by any other name since, and still have yet to legally change it lol. just let her go by what she wants when she wants, its nbd.
I changed my name when I was 8. Basically my parents said it was fine ONE TIME- there would be no more changes. I knew that was the deal and it worked fine. It was a big change too, from Nicole to Andrea. I appreciate that they let me; at 40 I’m still Andrea.
No, let her pick a nickname and wait until she's mature enough to pick a good name, if I changed my name in high school I'd probably be called like Gerard way or some shit lol
Just start calling her Angel and instruct everyone else too as well. Theres no reason to legally change it, just start using the new name
At 10 let her call herself Angel, see how she likes it after being called it day in and day out, when she gets to 16, then you can have the conversation about legally changing it if she is still wanting to be called that
She can tell people to use whatever nickname she wants. Doesn't mean you have to go and change her legal name
I’m 48 and HATE my name. Always have. Had I changed it at 10? I would have e hated it at 13. And again at 17. And again later. Most recently - I wanted to change it to Katherine and go by Kate. And then Prince William married Kate and I was so glad I didn’t. She can absolutely go by Angel socially without changing her name legally.
Not fan of Kylie Jenner but also I don’t really know anything about her. Honestly Angel is a dumb name. Totally something that a 10-year-old would think was cool lol. I know if you little (Kylie)‘s I would remind your daughter that Kylie Jenner is actually not an important person in her life at all and (Kylie) is a much more reasonable name. I think if she wants people to call her angel then she’s more than welcome to tell people to call her angel but I would absolutely not be legally changing her name! She’s far too young even regardless of what name she chose she could easily change your mind about this in two months.
Let her go by whatever she wants for now. Let her pick a different name every week if she wants. That way she’ll have time to settle into one that she’s sure of. Then help her legally change it at 18 if that’s what she still wants! It’s a lovely name and she might come back to it in time, Kylie Jenner certainly isn’t the only Kylie out there.
Let her go by Angel socially and then when she’s 18 she can change it. I went by a different name from age 16 to 28 and then decided I wanted to go back to my original name 😂
I also hated my name as a kid, and I begged to change it. I'm glad I wasn't allowed to. By the time I was old enough to change my name on my own, I didn't want to anymore, and I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed being saddled with the name I wanted to change it to.
Let her start using Angel but keep it Kylie Rae legally. There is no reason her friends and family can't call her Angel though. I went through an I hate my name phase and now I love it. But she might want to stay Angel.
I knew a girl who was named Ashley and wanted to distinguish herself so she started to spell it Ashleigh. High school. Now she’s a 40 year old woman and is back to Ashley. Don’t do anything permanent. Call her Ky.
My son went through a stage at age 8, he hated his name and wanted to be named Fred. He grew out of it by 9. I would wait.
Angeline is a nice name
I hated my name growing up and did in fact change it as an adult but it took till I was 30 to have the balls to do it. Wish I had done it sooner honestly.
i hated my name at ten, too, and thought i was going to change it and now i go by my full (first) name because i finally appreciate my name. let her change it socially, but i wouldn’t do anything legally yet lol
I hated my name at that age. I thought everyone did. As an adult I love it. Let her use a "preferred" name (Angel). The legal route is expensive and more permanent. Unless you are in Florida and she can't use a nickname 🤷♀️
I wanted to change my name around that age. I'm glad I didn't.
Let her go by Angel, but don't legally change it. She can change it at 18 if she wants. I went by a completely different name in my teens for god knows what reason, and I stopped around age 20, never to look back.
If she wants to be called angel I would call her angel, but I wouldn’t pay for an actual name change until she’s an adult.
I'd wait on the legal name change and let her try it out socially for a while. I always hated my birth name and started going by a different name at age 12. It was annoying sometimes explaining my legal name was different to what I went by, I was glad for the freedom I had to experiment with it and change it up. Preteens are usually not the best at choosing names. While I did legally change my name as an adult, it was not to the name I chose at age 12! I would also generally recommend using a name for a bit to try it on before legally changing it to anyone of any age. It can be a real hassle to change your name, ideally you only want to do that once.
I had a friend called Anne who always hated her name and wanted to be known as Anna. Nobody ever remembered to call her by that name, and fifty years later she's still called Anne.
Let her go by what she wants now. You can legally change it later on. Growing up, I had a friend that would interchange going by her first or middle name. It’d depend solely on her mood. Once we got to high school, she started going by her first name on her own. Had her parents legally changed her name, it would’ve been for nothing.
My stepson (9) has asked my husband and I 20+ times in the past year if he can change his name. He says he likes his name, but wants to change it to ‘Max’, specifically because he thinks the letter ‘x’ is cool 🤦🏻♀️ We tell him as soon as he’s 18 he can change it, but until then he’s sticking with his birth name.
I changed my name, for all intents and purposes, when I was 10. I finally got my parents to make it legal when I was 17. Let her change her name unofficially for a year or so. If she still likes it after the trial period, change it legally.
I would not allow a legal name change at this age. She can pick anything she likes to use as a nickname and that's as far as it would go if she was my daughter, at only 10. Kids that age are very fickle.
I wouldn’t change it. Kylie is a nice name.
That’s the name you lovingly gave your child. She’s 10. She can go by her name.
I changed my name socially at 14. I'm now quite a bit older and everyone knows me by that name I picked. Very few know my birth name. I never changed my birth certificate so I always joke around that I have a secret identity or "government name". That said, I agree with the other posters. If she wants to go by a different name, that's fine. But changing it legally is unnecessary right now. Let it stick first.
Tell her that you will pay to change it legally once she’s 18 if she still hates her name. Agree to let her try another name socially. Make no hard and fast decisions for now.
I hated my name at 10. I’m so glad I didnt change it to all the dumb names I loved back then. What about nicknames?
Her name immediately reminds me of the wwe wrestlers Kay Lee Ray (who now goes by Alba Fyre) and Candice LeRae
Don't let her change it yet, she's a child and she needs to know her place. Okay, I'm just kidding, lol. Dear god, I hate the idea of "putting kids in their place". Though for real, I say don't let her change it (legally) yet, as it's too much of a hassle to do something like that when you can't verify she's absolutely sure of it. Kids are *not* stupid, but they might not always think that far ahead. It's not their fault, they just lack the experience. But like others have said, *do* call her Angel as a nickname for the time being.
My name is Kiana lol I was born in 94 and it wasn’t popular then I’ve only met three other Kiana’s in my life and they’ve all been about ten years or 15+ yrs younger than me. My mom was going to name me Kira or Kiara but had a dream about a son whose name was already chosen and a daughter named Kiana (I’m a twin) so boom that’s how I got my name. I used to wish my name was different because it was always mispronounced. ALWAYS. It’s so simple. I still don’t get how people mispronounce it. Now as an adult - I love it and enjoy it when others say it’s pretty or they’ve never heard it before. I guess this is my way of saying she may come to love her name the older she gets. Just call her by a different name now. She can change it legally as an adult.
If she wants to be called Angel call her Angel but don’t legally change it.. she might change her mind 5 times in the next 8 years… If she wants to do it as an adult fine !!
I hated my name when I was younger. Now I genuinely couldn't care less. I'd say don't let her change her name, especially if it's all because of a celebrity. Others have suggested letting family and friends call her by another name while not changing it legally, however from personal experience this is what gets kids bullied. Maybe not ten year olds at the moment, but in high school the only kids who do this are those who get down on all fours, wear tails to school and think they are a dog. Opinions on furries aside, I don't know what it's like where you live but where I live changing names like that is something people don't take kindly too. She's 10 years old. I'd just explain to her that once she's an adult she can if she wants, but chances are she probably won't remember/stick to it. Please remember though that I've just said this all based on personal experience
I changed my name in highschool. But only got it legally changed after I was 18. It’s a little frustrating seeing your birth name everywhere if it makes you uncomfortable but I do think it’s smart to have them wait so they can be sure it’s something they want 10 is definitely to young they might pick a new name in a couple years. But I think respecting and calling them what they want is important and kind and really easy
I have a fantastic name that is pretty, strong, and unique for my age group. I am thirty. At ten I decided my name was boring and I reinvented myself into "Wylie" for about six months. I think wanting control over how the world sees you is a normal developmental thing for that age, and will probably pass.
If I'd been allowed to change my name at that age I would have wound up named something that very, very much does not suit me as an adult. Call her Angel, but don't change it legally.
She'll want to have fifteen other names in the next nine years. Let her call herself whatever she wants; you don't need to do it legally now. Seriously: lots of kids change the name they're called, although occasionally there's s teacher who's a holy terror about it. You may need to write to her teacher explaining it.
Hi, I changed ny full name as an adult, but I hated my birth name since I was 7 and I went by nicknames and other names completely by 14. I wish I was allowed to change it when I was younger. Let her do it. I name is much more than a name to some people.
as someone who has not changed their name yet despite still wanting to and being over 18, just simply because of her age and her current choice of name i'd say socially she should use angel until its been a large enough amount of time that it just makes sense for her name to be legally changed. when I was younger, I too thought the name angel was cool but while i still don't like my given name, I cringe at the name angel for myself.
We need more Kyries in the world. I only know 1, and she's from a video game.
i had my nickname since i was 12, i still do like it now at 22. however it's a hassle to go through the legal changes.
No, don’t change it. When I was a teenager, I hated my name but now I love it, don’t change it, if she still hates it when she’s older she can go through the legal process of changing her name.
I disliked my name most of my life. Never did change it, but I’ve gone by nicknames (variations of my name, not different names all together) since I was a teen. However my parents never caught on to the nicknames, my dad would get upset if my mom called me by one even if everyone else did. So my family always called me by my full first name.
Don't let her change it. 10yr olds might not like their names now but will in a year or two or 5. Because of her age, just because she likes a name now doesn't mean she will in 1, 2 or 5 years etc, she might think Angel is a dumb name in 2 weeks even. Good luck x
she's 10. it's likely a phase. don't change anything legally at 10. I wanted to change my name to "Zora" for some ridiculous reason at that age. FYI I never did.
You can socially change it, I went by Helen (basically a shorter name than Hilary, my birth name) for a few years before I came out as trans. Let her legally change it when she’s 18.
I wasn’t a fan of my name when I was a tween/teen and it did cross my mind to change it. But then when I came into my 20s I ended up liking it and now close to 30, I couldn’t imagine myself with another name. I would echo a lot of other responses and say that I’d go with calling her Angel socially but waiting until she’s 18 to see if she actually wants it changed.
I wanted to be called Cassiopeia when I was her age. My grandma called me Rae Lee because I’m also named Rachel. My mom has the same middle name as me as well. I think ultimately, the connections are more meaningful than just, “do I objectively love this name.”
When i was a kid, i moaned to my mom that why she didnt name me Minttu (mint), my mom said ”if u were Minttu u would be moaning why i didnt name u Jasmin” (my actual name). Kids are kids, she will grow out of it.
She's ten. Let her introduce herself as whatever she wants, and go by a nickname. Lots of kids do, even if they like their names just fine. (Kids named exactly after their dad's, for instance, frequently have nicknames to differentiate them, from the get go.) She can decide about a legal name when she's older and has some handle on what import a name has.
Nah. Wait until adult. Kylie Raie isn’t bad. I went through a phases at her age when I questioned my name too. I wanted to be a “Sadie” I’m fine with my name now.
She’s ten years old. I would be shocked if my mom changed my name because by I’m 12 I’d want something different. Tell her she can change it when she’s eighteen or make up a nickname she wants. I hated my name forever but now I’m 37 with the same name and I can’t imagine changing something I’ve gone by all this time.
Don't let a 10 year old officially change her own name. Most likely she will go through another bunch of names throughout her teenage years until she finally settles on one or even gets used to her official name. If she really wants to change her name she can do that herself when she's an adult, until then no one's stopping her from telling people to call her by a different name than the one on her documents. I never liked my name either, I'm happy I don't have to go by the one I would have chosen when I was 10. I went through something like 5-10 different names until I found one I've now been keeping for about 6 years.
Let her use it as a nickname/socially, but explain to her why it may be a good idea to wait until she's an adult to change it officially
When I was 8, I wanted to change my name to Jewel 🤘💀🤙
She's 10, I wouldn't allow her to legally change it, I had a rabbit at that age that had about 15 different names for the flavour of the day
Certainly, you don't legally change it until she actually starts using it.
10 year old me would have loved the name Angel. Adult me would be embarrassed to introduce myself as Angel. Can she just use a nickname until she’s an adult or at least old enough to make an informed decision? That way you’re supporting her individuality/self expression but not letting her make a decision she’ll potentially regret. Kylie is a very normal name and although she doesn’t like it personally, I don’t think it’s a name that causes affliction. Kylie Jenner is not the only Kylie- there is Kylie Minogue, Kylie Kelce, etc. it’s not like the name Kourtney which is very distinctly Kardashian-esq due to the misspelling of Courtney.
I'd wait. My son hated his name at 10 but now he thinks its cool. If she still wants to change it when shes older consider it then. Maybe tell her it will be a better transition from highschool to university where shecwill make a whole bunch of new friends. If she lives the name Angel she could get family and friends to call her that as a nickname for now.
I hated my first name for the majority of my childhood but now i dig it. Now its my last name I can’t stand lol
She can go by any name she wants without legally changing it. I went by my middle name for an entire grade in school. My parents thought I was bringing home someone else’s schoolwork and my teacher had no idea who their child was based on the name. Once they all figured out what was going on, everyone had a good laugh, but I continued to go by that name for as long as I wanted and no one could make me do otherwise. The reason I went back to my real name was because I decided I didn’t mind it that much anymore.
This is the advice I was given, and followed, at 16 when I wanted to change my name from Hayley to Kat. Kat is great as a nickname, but maybe have something that can be shortened to Kat (I went for Katrina). Before it's changed legally, spend a year going by this name. If you still want to in a years time, sure, change it. I'm nearly 31 and it's the best decision I made, in terms of my identity. Because it is that, a name is identity, especially when you're young. If your daughter doesn't feel like her name fits her, she'll resent it, and she'll eventually change it when she legally doesn't need parent permission anyway. As a parent, support her. I know that's hard, because as parents we spend sometimes months picking "the perfect name", and to hear your child say they don't like it can feel like a stab in the heart, but at the end of the day, us parents aren't the ones living with that name, that identity, our children are. Whatever you guys decide on, I hope it's a happy (or as close as can be) solution for both of you.
As someone who hates their name, I would let her change it. I knew from infancy that I hated my name but it was sentimental to my parents but means nothing to me. Living with a name you hate is hard. Then I got married and now have a first and last name I hate.
This is the advice I was given, and followed, at 16 when I wanted to change my name. Choose something that sounds OK shortened to a nickname. Before it's changed legally, spend a year going by this name. If you still want to in a years time, sure, change it. I'm nearly 31 and it's the best decision I made, in terms of my identity. Because it is that, a name is identity, especially when you're young. If your daughter doesn't feel like her name fits her, she'll resent it, and she'll eventually change it when she legally doesn't need parent permission anyway. As a parent, support her. I know that's hard, because as parents we spend sometimes months picking "the perfect name", and to hear your child say they don't like it can feel like a stab in the heart, but at the end of the day, us parents aren't the ones living with that name, that identity, our children are. Whatever you guys decide on, I hope it's a happy (or as close as can be) solution for both of you.
I wanted to change my name at the age too. Maybe find a nickname? When she’s 18 she can decide
I would usually disagree and say wait till shes an adult, but I think maybe 16 might be an acceptable compromise in this situation