A woman who criticised her pregnant sister for choosing a ‘ridiculous’ name for her baby daughter has opened up on how they fell out.
Likening the name to a ‘Wi-Fi password’, the woman fears her new niece will become the target of jokes and face difficulties in securing a well-paid job due to the unconventional name. But she’s also sparked familial conflict by telling her sister how she feels.
On Reddit, the 29 year old expressed her concerns: “My sister, “Claire”, 34, is pregnant with her first child, and I’m genuinely happy for her. She’s had a rough couple of years, so it’s nice to see her so excited about something.
“That said, she’s taken the excitement to a weird level: she’s decided to name her baby something… unique, and I think it’s borderline cruel.” She revealed that her sister has chosen the name M’leigha Seraphynne, pronounced Mah-lay-uh Seraphine, with the intention of making her daughter stand out.
She continued: “When she told me, I was caught off guard and just blurted out, ‘Are you serious?’ She looked hurt and asked why I didn’t like it, so I, probably too bluntly, said, ‘Because it sounds like a Wi-Fi password’.
“Claire immediately got defensive, saying I was being judgmental and unsupportive, and that ‘no one else’ had a problem with it.” Despite trying to explain the potential lifelong implications of such a name choice, her sister remained firm.
She added: “Teachers, doctors, employers everyone will constantly be mispronouncing it or spelling it wrong. Claire shot back that it’s her child, and I don’t get a say, and I need to ‘get with the times’ because kids today have unique names and ‘no one cares anymore’.
“Here’s where things got worse. At a family dinner, Claire brought up the name again, and I made the mistake of saying, ‘You know, you’re naming a person, not a fairy in a fantasy novel.’ She stormed out, and now she’s refusing to speak to me unless I apologise for ‘mocking her creativity’.
“My dad is staying out of it, but my stepmum thinks I was wrong to criticise the name and should just let Claire do what she wants. I love my sister, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s prioritising her ego over her baby’s future.
“Am I the asshole for being honest, or should I have kept my opinion to myself?” On hearing her story, one user commented: “You’re trying to save your niece a life of having a store brand Harry Potter spell for a name.”
Another added: “Her child is going to grow up and be an adult in the real world. That name is a no go for me.
“I wouldn’t continue harping on it, but you’re not wrong for being honest.” A third advised: “Tell her to be this name at Starbucks for a day or something similar.”