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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Grace Hoffman

'My husband's family has used same baby name for centuries - I'm pregnant and hate it'

It can be a difficult decision to think of a fitting name for your newborn baby. Many expecting parents will find that it comes naturally to think of a fitting moniker, while others may be toying between different options until birth.

While a particular name has run in the family for centuries, one pregnant woman admittedly hates the moniker that has become a tradition for her husband's family.

Taking to popular forum site Reddit, the woman sought advice after refusing to use the meaningful name.

She explained: "We are in the process of deciding on a name for our son. I'm Irish and my husband is Irish too but 'Anglo-Irish' as he'd say."

It's been a tradition in her husband's family to call boy's Thomas (stock photo) (Getty Images/Blend Images)

The woman went on: "We are going for an Irish first name. Want a 'Gaelic' middle name too. My husband's middle name is Thomas. His father's middle name is Thomas. His grandfather's middle name was Thomas. His great-grandfather's middle name was Thomas. His great great grandfather's first name was Thomas.

"My husband and my mother-in-law really want our child to have the middle name Thomas. I don't like it too much. I suggested Tomás as it's an Irish form, but they are insisting on Thomas.

"My mother-in-law says it is important to keep the name as it's a 'family' thing. The great-great-grandfather was a successful businessman in Dublin... who moved to Ireland from England.

"He was born in 1850 something I'm told, and is where my husband's parent's modest amount of 'family money' comes from, which they have since spent the last of on Caribbean cruises."

Since sharing her thread online, the woman's post has raked in over 200 comments to date - where people were torn over the pregnant woman's opinion.

One person wrote: "It's not up to your mother-in-law but if it's something your husband wants then it seems incredibly petty to say no or only if you spell it this way."

A second added: "It seems a bit petty to refuse tbh. We did my husband's family as a middle name for one child and other child had my family's middle name."

On the other hand, someone else said: "Yes you can absolutely give him a few middle names if it means that much to them. Nobody uses middle names anyway."

Do you have a story? We want to hear it! Get in touch at grace.hoffman@reachplc.com

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