**Parents Change Baby’s Name After Two Months Because it ‘Doesn’t Suit Her’**
A couple made the decision to change their daughter’s name after two months as they found it challenging to say their initial choice. Ava Kennedy, 24, and her husband, John Kennedy, 25, initially named their daughter Lila Charm after a difficult decision-making process during Ava’s pregnancy. However, they started to feel that calling her Lila didn’t match her personality, but were hesitant to admit it to each other. After two months, Ava finally expressed her doubts about the name and suggested changing it to Marigold – the other name they had in mind. John, a designer, quickly agreed, and the couple took steps to officially change her name the next day.
Now four months old, the couple feels that Marigold Lila Kennedy better suits their daughter as she is described as “smiley” and a “ray of light”. Ava, a stay-at-home mum from Salt Lake City, Utah, US, explained, “Lila is a beautiful name. There is nothing wrong with it. But Marigold – she’s so smiley and happy. She had this ray of light around her. Calling her Goldie feels so much like her.” Naming their first daughter Coco Love Kennedy, now three, was a much easier process for the couple. Ava shared, “We loved the name Coco. She came out and she was a Coco. It was really easy. It felt old but new. It was so special and unique. It felt her before even meeting her.”
When they found out they were expecting their second daughter in September 2023, they struggled to settle on a name. Ava commented, “There was pressure on the second one. We had a tonne of girls names – it was a toss-up.” Despite also liking ‘Marigold’, they couldn’t decide. They had not finalized a name when their daughter was born in May 2024, leading them to seek input from Ava’s sister Audrey Love Evans, aged 19. Ava recalled, “My sister had to decide for us. She said ‘OK it’s Lila’.” However, calling their child Lila didn’t feel right; Ava revealed, “But having her around it was hard to call her Lila. Both my husband and I had Marigold in the back of our heads. We were nervous to tell each other. It took us a while to admit it. It makes me feel like I made a mistake.”
In August 2024, Ava finally shared with John that she preferred the name Marigold. She explained, “I was looking at her thinking she’s a Marigold. I want to call her that now. I didn’t want to feel I regretted something. I blurted out ‘I think her name is Marigold’. He agreed and said ‘let’s change it’. We thought people are going to think we’re crazy. Let’s just let go of the idea that we might get judged for it.” The next day, they officially changed their daughter’s name to Marigold Lila Kennedy. Ava expressed relief, saying, “It felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders.” While there was an adjustment period for friends and family who were used to calling her Lila, they have since embraced Marigold’s new name. Ava appreciated their understanding, stating, “They were so kind about it.”
In a heartwarming decision, Ava and John embraced the idea that the name they chose should truly reflect their daughter’s personality, leading to the change from Lila Charm to Marigold. This story highlights the importance of choosing a name that not only sounds good but also feels right for the child, capturing their essence and spirit right from the start.