A mum-to-be is torn over the baby name she and her husband have chosen, as it reminds too many people of a famous celebrity.
Settling on a child’s name can be quite the challenge, with the two parents’ personal preferences often clashing. It’s a significant decision to pick a name as it’s important to ensure the chosen one suits a child from infancy into adulthood.
One pregnant mum is in a bind because she and her partner can’t seem to agree on any names, and the only one her husband is fond of has left her feeling uncertain. Their second child – a son – is expected in the summer, and they’ve already dedicated “countless hours” to trying to agree on a first and middle name for their boy.
The name they’ve settled on, Royce Hendrix, has been met with raised eyebrows from friends and family, who immediately associate it with rock icon Jimi Hendrix. This wasn’t the mum’s intention, though; she was eager to honour her stepfather, Henry.
Taking to Reddit, she explained: “So we are due in August with our second. The ONLY two boy names my husband likes after countless hours searching are: Royce Hendrix.
“I don’t like Royce. But I could get with Hendrix, it would pay homage to my step dad who came into my life when I was two, becoming a huge influence. His name is Luther Henry.”
She added: “However, I feel people instantly go to Jimi Hendrix. Which I’m totally okay with, he’s an icon. But we’ve told a few people and they’ve made faces like ‘Hendrix makes me think of a pothead’, etc which rubbed me the wrong way.
“Other people absolutely love it and say they would name their kid that if we don’t. Now I’m just sitting here, probably all up in my pregnancy hormones, overthinking it. Is it a horrible name?”
Fellow Redditors were happy to offer their opinions. One user emphasized fairness in the decision-making process: “Your husband doesn’t get to veto all names except two. That isn’t fair at all. He needs to go through some lists and come up with more ideas. He needs to compromise, not give you a list of only 2 names that you’re allowed to choose from.”
Another showed support for the debated name, saying: “I guess it depends a bit on where you live? I’m in a big city and I do not think anyone would even bat an eye at Hendrix. I quite like it!”
A third person offered a neutral response: “It’s fine. It won’t be weird or anything. Not my style though but it doesn’t make me recoil.”
However, another commenter was less enthusiastic: “Both are diabolical.” This prompted the expecting mother to respond: “I know but they are the only ones my husband likes. Boy names are hard. I’m trying to compromise here.”