Couple changed their baby’s name after two months

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A couple decided to change their daughter's name after two months - because they found it was "hard" to say their initial choice.

Ava Kennedy, 24, and her husband, John Kennedy, 25, called their daughter, Lila Charm, after struggling to make a decision throughout her pregnancy.

But the couple started to find it "hard" to call her Lila as they felt it didn't suit her but were "nervous" to admit it to each other.

After two months Ava finally blurted out that she wasn't sure about the name and felt they should change it to Marigold - the other name the couple had picked out.

John, a designer, immediately agreed and the pair went to change her name the very next day.

They feel Marigold Lila Kennedy suits their daughter, now four months old, because she is "smiley" and a "ray of light".

Ava, a stay-at-home-mom, from Salt Lake City, Utah, said: "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."

Ava and John hadn't struggled to settle on a name for their first daughter Coco Love Kennedy - now three.

She said: "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."

But when they found out they were expecting their second daughter in September 2023 they didn't have a name they were set on.

Ava said: "There was pressure on the second one.

"We had a tonne of girls names - it was a toss-up.

"We even used AI to try and help find a name.

"We came up with Lila Charm with AI.

"We liked Marigold too but we forgot about it.

"We were undecided."

They were still undecided when they welcomed their second daughter in May 2024 and enlisted the help of Ava's sister - Audrey Love Evans, 19 - to choose the name.

Ava said: "My sister had to decide for us.

"She said 'OK it's Lila'.

"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."

Ava finally admitted to John that she preferred the name Marigold when their daughter was two months old - in August 2024.

She said: "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 couple went the next day and re-registered their daughter's name as Marigold Lila Kennedy.

Ava said: "It felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders."

Ava said there was an adjustment period where friends and family kept calling her Lila still but have now settled into Marigold's new moniker.

She said: "They were so kind about it.

"I think it's a wonderful thing to feel the name you have is your name.

"Go with your gut."