Having a baby can be a really exciting time in parents' lives. Bringing a new life into the world and calling it your own, raising them, and making a life for them is exciting and special. But, some things can cause issues from the very beginning — like selecting your baby's name. While couples sometimes disagree on what they want to name their baby, when families get involved it's even more complicated.
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Woman Refuses To Call Newborn Niece By Her Given Name Since It's Also The Name Of A Medication
When it comes to picking a baby name, some couples choose a name that is traditional for their family, or opt for a classic name that's been around forever.
Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema
Traditional baby names like Emma, Olivia, Liam, and Noah are still the most popular choices for babies born in 2020.
But, some parents decide to go with unique and different names for their children.
Unsplash | Ashley Walker
When they decide to think "out of the box," it can miss the mark with friends and family. Friends and family can completely hate the name and think it's silly, or even refuse to call the baby by their given name.
Case in point: A Reddit user recently opened up about the name that her brother and his girlfriend decided for her niece.
Unsplash | Hu Chen
The aunt wrote into the very popular r/AmItheAsshole thread asking if she was wrong for "refusing" to call her niece by her actual name because, according to her, "it's terrible." Yikes.
The Reddit user said that her brother and his girlfriend recently had a baby.
Unsplash | Jakayla Toney
"My brother and his girlfriend had a baby girl two months ago. I didn’t visit her in the hospital due to the restrictions," the Reddit user said.
In the midst of a global pandemic, it can be hard to see family, especially in the hospital.
However, upon finding out the baby's name, she was stunned.
Unsplash | Christina Victoria Craft
"I quickly found out that they named her Celexa. One Google search will tell you that is the name of an antidepressant medication," the aunt wrote.
She said she just couldn't understand the decision to name a child after a medication..
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"I don’t understand the thought process behind choosing that name but I really cannot stand it and I laugh whenever someone in my family refers to her," she added.
Apparently, she rocked the boat too much with her brother's girlfriend, too.
Unsplash | Wes Hicks
"I decided to just call her Lexa and when my brother’s girlfriend asked me why I never call her Celexa, I told her the truth — that it’s the name of a medication and now apparently I’ve got her upset because she’s worried that people are gonna bully their daughter," she wrote.
Many people on Reddit said that the aunt was out of line and she was totally an "asshole."
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"I mean, basically you're the first bully in this kid's life so congrats on that. People sometimes have unusual names, being so immature and petty that you refuse to refer to a human being by their name is stupid and mean. Grow up," one person commented on the post.
Some people said that it's disrespectful to be this way about a child's name.
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"You need to respect the name they chose. Names are a very personal and meaningful choice. Laughing when someone refers to the baby by her name is particularly awful. If the girl [wants] to be called by a nickname when she gets older, do that then," one person wrote.
Some users pointed out that most people probably won't make the connection to the medication.
Unsplash | Olga DeLawrence
"It’s not a horrible name if you don’t know the medication like I assume most don’t. It’s maybe not best name ever if you don’t know but you can say it just fine and it sounds similar enough to some names," one person said.
Others agreed with that perspective, saying that kids and peers definitely won't know about the medication.
Unsplash | Aaron Burden
"I doubt little kids are going to going to know the brand names of citalopram and by the time they're old enough, your niece will be old enough to decide what she's going to be called," one user said.
One user even shared their experience of having a friend whose name was also the name of a medication.
Unsplash | Brett Jordan
"I have a friend named Keppra, which is also an anti-seizure medication. My entire family is made up of physicians and nurses so it always gets a chuckle out of them when I bring her up.
"But I can’t tell you how many parties I’ve been to where people meet her and gush that it’s a beautiful name. She loves her name, and while she rolls her eyes at the medical jokes, she has never once felt ashamed of it, and [in my opinion], the name suits who she is as a person," the user said.
But, some users were torn on the situation.
Unsplash | Joshua Reddekopp
Some users believed that Lexa was a good nickname and alternative to Celexa, but said that the real issue was this aunt's attitude toward the name — especially how she laughed at it.
However, some people said that they couldn't figure out whether or not the aunt was wrong.
Unsplash | Ana Tablas
"I can't. I literally can't. I can't give a verdict on this one. Celexa is an objectively horrible name for a child. But.... It's her name?? So you... Should probably respect that? This situation is too f**ked for a judgment and I'm sorry," one person said.
Yikes! What do you think about this situation?
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