Mum left feeling ‘paranoid’ after relatives urge her to change her daughter’s name
One mum was left feeling stressed about her choice of name for her daughter, after some fairly lukewarm reactions from relatives, who urged her to change it ahead of giving birth
The mum says she feels torn over what to do (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Choosing your child’s name is a pretty big responsibility – after all, they’ll be stuck with it for life.
And the last thing any parent wants to do is condemn their child to a life of teasing over their choice of name.
But it is increasingly popular to choose more individual monikers, over something traditional.
One mum was left feeling paranoid after the couple’s choice of baby name didn’t go down well with her relatives – prompting her to ask if it was a reasonable choice.
Writing on Mumsnet, she explained that their lukewarm reactions had sparked concern that she should choose a different name.
“I’m starting to get paranoid. Me and my husband are due a baby girl early next year and have decided on the name Theodora. It’s a name we both love and feel suits our family.
“We like that it’s the name of a character in The Haunting of Hill House. We also have a Lydia after the character in Beetlejuice.
“However, when I’ve been asked about names all but two people have pulled faces and one family member said it was a ridiculous name.
“I don’t really understand what’s ridiculous about it so thought I’d ask here. Is it really that bad?”
And while the choice of name wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, people agreed that it was a perfectly reasonable choice.
One wrote: “It’s not ridiculous – it’s not my taste but I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow over anyone calling their child it.”
“It’s not my style but there’s nothing wrong with it. It goes beautifully with Lydia. If you both love it, go for it,” added another.
A third added: “I like it. I wouldn’t tell people names before the baby is born. Everyone has an opinion on random names because they’re not attached to anything.
“They’ll feel totally different when they meet little Theodora, and she becomes the connection they have to the name.”
Another agreed: “It’s BEAUTIFUL! I thought this post was going to be asking about like a ‘Layceee-maiii’ or something. Theodora is perfect. I love it. I can’t think of a bad word to say about it.
