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A mother decided to change her son’s name after six months because she felt uncomfortable telling others about her original choice. Jen Hamilton, 32, claims people didn’t always react well when she told them her second son was called Aspen. So she confided in her sister Julia Koontz, 27, who suggested she just change the name if she wasn’t happy with it. Jen made sure her husband Brian, 35, an operating room nurse, was on board before the couple began trying out new names for their then six-month-old. They eventually settled on Luke, as it means “light” and was a perfect fit for their son as they say he is always happy and smiling. The couple had to wait a year to officially change Luke’s name, but Jen says she’s glad she decided to change the name. Jen, a labor and delivery nurse from Charlotte, North Carolina, said: “I started to feel very uncomfortable saying Aspen out loud as it doesn’t fit him. “With our first child we were really excited about a name, but with our second we struggled to find the right one and just settled on Aspen after seeing it on a Pinterest list of outdoor names. “I thought it would fit when he was born, but after a few months I found it difficult. “People suggested he might get bullied if he was shortened to ‘Ass’ when he was older and I started pretending I didn’t hear people asking his name. “It was an exciting name trial for him. “It’s hard to name a baby you’ve never met, so it was easier now that we’ve met him. “Now we love Luke and we think it’s perfect for him. “We’re very happy to change that.” Jen and Brian had struggled to find the right name for their new son before he was born in 2016, but settled on the name Aspen as the one they liked best. He said: “We weren’t in love with the name but we thought it would become his name. “But after a few months I didn’t feel right and people’s reaction to his name would always be, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ They would never say, “That’s a great name” or anything like that. I started to feel very uncomfortable telling people what his name was.” After six months, mother-of-two Jen spoke to her sister about what she should do. “He just very nonchalantly said why don’t you change it,” Jen said. “He gave me permission to do it. “He was still young and not attached to the name. I spoke to Brian and he was happy to change it. “So we entered a period of trying on new names – like trying on clothes.” The couple had a list of generic names they tried out and began to delve into what each one meant. “We both really liked the name Luke and discovered it meant ‘light,’” Jen said. “Our son was always so happy and smiling that he felt it suited him.” Jen then began the process of legally changing his name, but due to the loss of documents it took a year to complete the name change. “I feel like it should be illegal to pick a name when you’re pregnant,” Jen said. “We are very happy to have changed the name as it is exactly what it was meant to be. “I want to let people know that changing your name is an option if you don’t like it after they’re born. “Luke knows he’s been called Aspen for six months. It’s a fun part of his story.”
