'Didn't fit her': Mum explains why she changed her daughter's name
Choosing a name for your baby is tough, and it doesn't get easier the more children you have.
In fact, some parents find it harder to come up with names for their children's younger siblings, either because they want the names to match or know their baby-making days are almost over.
While baby name regret is common, fewer parents go so far as to legally change their child's name after it is born.
But one woman in the US has done just that, and has gained media attention after a TikTok she made about her experience went viral.
Watch the video above.
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Isabel Wherry went to court to change her baby's name after she came to regret it. TikTok/@Isabel Wherry
Isabel Wherry, a mother-of-four from the US, runs a popular TikTok account where she shares videos about motherhood, easy recipes and "things I love" with her 117,000 followers.
She and husband Alex welcomed their fourth child at the start of 2024, and initially settled on the name Oakley Mae for their daughter.
But according to a TikTok video she uploaded late last month, she soon regretted her choice.
"POV: You decide to change your baby's name," the video, which showed the smiling couple holding their daughter and what appears to be a legal document, began.
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Wherry said she instantly regretted her first choice of name. TikTok/@Isabel.Wherry
"From the moment we brought her home, we felt like her name didn't fit her," the video continued, as it panned to a photo of the baby with a sign announcing her name, Oakley Mae.
"We went back and forth about changing her name for months but I couldn't let it go and I knew that was a sign.
"At seven months old, we followed our hearts and filed a petition to change her name.
"Fast forward to today, at 11-months-old, her name is officially Calihan (Cali) Mae, and we couldn't imagine it any other way."
Wherry uploaded the video with the comment, "Officially our Calihan (Cali) Mae, although we've been calling her that for months. It was a really easy process and I am so glad we did it!"
The video has so far been viewed 2.8 million times and received 67,000 likes and more than 500 comments.
It caught the eye of the US Today show, which interviewed her this week.
Wherry explained they were already parents to six-year-old twins Harlow and Myles, and three-year-old Aspen.
"At seven months old, we followed our hearts and filed a petition to change her name." TikTok/2Isabel.Wherry
They usually go to hospital with a few names picked for each child then make their final choice once the baby is born.
She said they decided in advance this time to call their child Calihan, whether it was a boy or girl, before deciding shortly before her birth to go with Oakley.
She said they regretted the choice almost as soon as they went home from hospital.
After a period of going back and forth, they contacted the local courthouse when she was seven months old to start the process.
After a petition, a small fee and a court visit, her name change became official on December 30, 2024.
Baby naming consultant Colleen Slagen told Today baby name regret was "more common than you think."
It is also compounded by the fact some US states have short time periods to register a birth. California State law requires all births to be registered within 10 days, while in Florida, you have just five days.
The couple went back and forth on whether they should change their daughter's name. TikTok/@Isabel.Wherry
In other states, such as Hawaii, the birth is registered by the hospital so must be done before you go home.
A number of celebrities have changed their baby's names.
Kylie Jenner named her son Wolf soon after his 2022 birth before announcing on Instagram a month later, "FYI our son's name isn't Wolf anymore. We just really didn't feel like it was him. Just wanted to share because I keep seeing Wolf everywhere."
She waited until he was 11 months to announce she had legally changed his name to Aire.
Her sister, Khloé Kardashian initially registered her son's name as 'Baby Kardashian' after his July 2022 birth, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Kylie Jenner changed her son's name from Wolf to Aire. Instagram/@kyliejenner
She had to go to court more than a year later to officially change his name to Tatum Thompson.
Another celebrity has taken a different approach.
Pro surfer Kelly Slater and his partner Kalani Miller welcomed a son in 2023.
He announced the birth in August on The Stoked Bloke Show podcast and revealed the baby boy was yet to be named.
"We just had a baby, so… it's awesome. It's great," he said.
"My friends think a little bit that we're playing a game with them, because we haven't said the name.
"We actually don't call him anything. We gave him a name for his birth certificate, but as of now, we don't have a name we call him.
"We're kinda just letting him figure out what his personality is."
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