A pregnant woman who lost her mother two years ago says she wants to honour her by giving her baby daughter her middle name, but her in-laws unfortunately aren't too happy about it. The name is said to 'quite unique' but not anything 'weird or obscene'. In an unusual coincidence, the name also happens to have belonged to her late mother-in-law.
Neither she nor her husband has any living parents left, so their children will grow up knowing their grandparents only through handed-down stories and photographs. It would therefore mean a lot to them to remember their mothers in this meaningful way.
This namesake is particularly special as the expectant mother discussed it during her last ever conversation with her late mum, back when was pregnant with what turned out to be a little boy. Her mum approved of the choice and was 'excited' by it, even though she knew she wouldn't be around to watch her grandchildren grow up.
The only other person who has this name on either side of their family is her husband's nephew, who is now 28 years old. She believes this significant age difference means there won't be any confusion.
Unfortunately, her in-laws - namely her sister-in-law - don't see things this way at all and have 'demanded' that she find another name. They have even exhibited 'various passive-aggressive behaviours to pile on the pressure.
Taking to Reddit, where she goes by the username u/Someday_wonderful, the despairing mum wrote: "It's obvious through words and actions my daughter is already going to be seen as less than and our nuclear unit and will never be accepted or looked at the same.
"So for her sake, I'm wondering do I listen to my husband and friends and go forward with the name or not?"
Reaching out to fellow Reddit users for advice, she continued: "After all the negativity and toxicity and anger and sadness, I just feel as if I would only be naming her for our mothers out of spite instead of love anymore. I feel so saddened and angered and hurt."
One person sympathised: "As far as I'm concerned, the issue is settled. You and your partner have agreed on the name, it doesn’t matter what anyone who isn’t a parent of the child feels about your choice, especially one that is so meaningful to you."
Another commented: "She's your baby, you can name her whatever you'd like. There's a really cool tech feature on phones these days. It's called, blocking. Enjoy your incoming new arrival!"
Do you have a baby name story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
