A woman is considering changing her baby boy’s “vampire” name, despite still loving it, due to her family’s reaction.
Choosing a name for a new baby can be stressful – after all, the chosen name has to suit them from infancy to adulthood, so it’s crucial to select something that will grow with them.
For one couple, when they discovered they were expecting another boy, the pair wanted a name “that was different” name and chose Ludovico, which is “pronounced Lu-do-vi-co”, and can also be known as Ludwig.
But their family are seriously unimpressed with their choice. The mum took to Reddit to share her predicament, writing: “His brother also has a very classic Spanish name and we wanted it to match that ‘vibe’ of old-world but did we go too back!? I didn’t think it was that unique but more old and forgotten?”
She added: “Truthfully, a lot of our family did resist the name, other people have laughed in our faces about it and the rest just can’t seem to pronounce it right. I myself also have a name that is hard to pronounce so I can foresee how frustrating it might be for him in the future, in a predominantly English speaking environment – though I love my own name.”
Despite the backlash, she still “loves the name” Ludovico and appreciates the “many different nicknames” it offers, such as “Lu, Lulu, Vic, Vico, Ludo”.
She vented her frustrations online, describing her family as “unconventional”, “quirky and kinda gothy” and expressed hope her children “grow to love their classic old world type vampire names, too”.
The mum is open to the possibility of changing her child’s name, stating: “I guess I’d be open to changing it if the consensus was that I truly am blinded/stubborn! I don’t want a name to become a barrier – but as of now I don’t want to be needlessly looking for something to regret either? I want to demonstrate certainty and pride so that he can feel that as well.”
Comments flooded in with many weighing in on the debate. One person criticised: “Your family is right. You wanted to show that you’re unique and gave a weird name to your kid. Congrats.”
In contrast, another countered: “This comment strikes me as really ignorant. Ludovico truly isn’t that weird. Uncommon in most places, sure, but it’s a very traditional European name with centuries of history. Apparently it’s #56 in Italy. To me, it doesn’t seem any weirder than any other long, traditional Spanish/Italian name.”
Others chimed in with opinions ranging from “it’s not that weird lol just Italian” and “‘weird name’ and it’s just non-English. Lol” to “nothing weird about it. Call him Ludo, also quite common in the Netherlands.”
One individual shared a personal connection: “I’m Italian and I went to school with a Ludovico (Ludo) and a Lodovica (Lodo). I thought they were cool names. Ludovica is a bit more common, but Ludo for a boy is a cool guy nickname for sure.”