FatCamera via Getty Images There are a variety of reasons why people can’t use a baby name that they love. Long before becoming a parent is even in the cards, many people form attachments to certain baby names. For some, there might be a special family name that feels meaningful.
For others, it’s the name of a character from a formative book or movie. These cherished names don’t always make the final cut by the time a baby is actually on the way. But letting go of them can be an emotional process.
In fact, the experience is so common that baby name consultant Taylor Humphrey has even coined a term for it: baby name mourning. Advertisement What is baby name mourning? “Baby name mourning is the process of grieving ‘the name that got away,’” Humphrey told HuffPost. “There are many parents who feel really sad that they couldn’t use their favorite name for their child.
” There are a variety of reasons why people can’t use a particular name that they love. For some, it’s because their partner vetoes the name, or a close friend or family member uses it first. Others wait to use the name but then are unable to have a child or choose not to do so.
Advertisement “Maybe you chose the name you love for a baby whose time on earth was cut short, and it feels inappropriate to use the same name for a rainbow baby,” Humphrey said, using the term for a child born to parents after a pregnancy loss. “Or your name style has evolved and you’ve outgrown a name you onc.
