Though selecting one should be a happy occasion, choosing a baby name is one of those subjects that has a way of provoking arguments between loved ones.
Everyone may want the best for the future child, but they might disagree about which name would suit them best, agreed the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITA) subReddit.
Redditor Far-Competition2975 listened to her twin sister about her concerns with her husband, as they were unable to agree on a baby name for their future baby boy.
But when she heard the name her sister had chosen and brother-in-law did not want, the Original Poster (OP) immediately understood why.
She asked the sub:
“AITA for telling my sister that her husband is right and her baby name idea is stupid?”
The OP’s twin sister and husband could not agree on a name for their future son.
“I (24 Female) have a twin sister, Maisie (24 Female). Maisie is pregnant with her first and due in February, and the baby is going to be a boy.”
“Last week, she opened up to me and said that she and her husband (26 Male) have been fighting over baby names, and she said she’s sick of hearing about it and just wants to settle on a name that they both like.”
“Maisie and her husband are both a bit geeky (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and she told me she wants to name the baby ‘Luffy,’ as in the character from ‘One Piece.'”
“Her husband doesn’t want this name and says the kid will be bullied.”
Maisie wanted the OP’s opinion on the name she’d chosen.
“She asked for my honest opinion.”
“I told her that the name she chose was silly and her husband was right. I tried to say this gently, but really how gently can you tell someone their idea is stupid?”
“I suggested that she go back to the drawing board on that one and maybe look at names of lesser-known anime characters if that’s what she wants.”
But Maisie did not take this feedback well.
“Maisie got upset and said the name is cute and we’re both just being closed-minded.”
“I told her she asked for my honest opinion and she got it.”
“She kept trying to convince me that it was a good name and the conversation was becoming hysterical, and I told her it was a stupid name, end of discussion.”
“She started crying and left, and since then, she’s been giving me the cold shoulder.”
“I did raise my voice a bit at her towards the end of the conversation as I was being talked over and not listened to and I think my tone was quite harsh. I just felt done with the conversation and wanted to end it.”
“In hindsight, I could’ve just walked away or not responded, rather than raised my voice at her.”
“Our parents told me to just tell Maisie that I’m sorry because my words really upset her and I should’ve been nicer about it.”
“AITA? Was I too harsh?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some agreed that it was a bad name choice and the sister needed a reality check.
“NTA. That is a stupid name, and that kid will be bullied. Kids have to live with their names until they’re 18. Just because someone is super into anime or Dungeons and Dragons or whatever doesn’t mean that should carry over into naming their child.”
“A name that’s different? Fine. Unisex? Fine. A name practically guaranteed to get a kid bullied? That parent is an AH.” – spoiledrichwhitegirl
“Her child is not a billboard for her fandom. NTA. You were right to point that out.” – queefnadoshark
“There are more ‘normal’ anime names that can be used. I know a guy who named his son Jonathan Joseph as a ‘JoJo’ reference. Nobody batted an eye because those are common names. I thought he was a d**n genius.”
“OP is right and NTA. They are naming a human who is going to be saddled with that name for the rest of his life. Not a pet that won’t care about the name. I’m an anime fan, too, but Luffy is a terrible name for a child, no matter how much they like the character.” – haitechan
“NTA. People really need to learn not to ask questions they don’t want the answer to. I think it’s always tacky when people name their kids after pop culture characters when it’s a unique name and easy to associate with the show. You’re absolutely right that the kid would get bullied.” – idreaminwords
“NTA. I would’ve told my sister the exact same thing. If she’s asking for your honest opinion, she can’t be upset if it’s different than what she wanted to hear.” – PracticalShoe380
“NTA. This is your nephew and your mom’s grandson. Do you guys care about him? If yes, then don’t let this name happen.”
“Your sister isn’t listening and just wants to get her way. Try to get her to see sense before he comes.” – Poesy-WordHoard
“Fluffy Muffy Luffy would endure so much bullying until he could change his name.”
“NTA. She needed to hear it. Tell her to name a fluffy pet Luffy to get the name out of her system.” – HRPunsNStuff
“NTA. She asked for your honest opinion, and now she’s mad that she got it.”
“Naming a kid after a fandom is unbelievably risky, even if it’s a normal name. Picking a name that is immediately, identifiably from an anime? No.”
“She needs to remember that she’s not just naming a baby, she’s naming a person. The name being ‘cute’ is not the only consideration. He will be named Luffy as a cute baby, and as a 15-year-old teen boy, and as a 30-year-old man.”
“(Okay, probably not as a 30-year-old, because legal name changes are a thing.)” – sevenumbrellas
“NTA. She asked you a question and you gave her an honest answer. You tried to give your answer in a really nice way, and then she flew off the handle.”
“She seems like she only wanted you to be a yes man and not answer honestly. If she wanted that, she shouldn’t have asked.” – jinshim_
“NTA, it’s ultimately up to her what to name the child, but she ASKED for your honest opinion and you gave it. Luffy is not a good name choice. As a child, they will be bullied and as an adult, they will not be taken seriously.”
“Also, naming your child after a fandom is a straight-up awful choice. The child might have no interest in anime. ‘One Piece’ could have a new season or reboot that changes the meaning of the name.”
“That child is going to have a whole lifetime of ‘Luffy, L-U-F-F-Y, no it’s from a TV show, yes my mom really liked it.’ As a middle name, fine. As a first name? Kinda cruel.” – AdventurousWindow682
Others also agreed and suggested using ‘Luffy’ as a nickname instead.
“But… it IS a stupid name for a child outside of the anime world. She can give the baby a normal name but call him Luffy as a nickname or something.”
“NTA.” – J_Nic217
“NTA. I think she’s losing sight that she’s naming a future adult, not a forever baby.”
“She could use it as a nickname, but as a legal name? It’s awful.”
“Kids are brutal, they’ll find any reason to bully if they’re inclined to bully, but parents don’t need to hand them material.” – Rough_Start_5396
“I have a friend named ‘Leif.’ His parents were both born and raised in Scandinavia, and they immigrated to Canada (where all their kids were born).”
“So, all their kids got ‘traditional Scandinavian’ names to honor the parents’ heritage, but the names of all the children are recognizable to English speakers as being actual names (think things like Henrik, Elsa, etc.).”
“If the mom wants to have the kid’s nickname be ‘Luffy,’ I could see a plausible way there if they name the kid Leif. But please don’t make the kid’s actual, legal given name as ‘Luffy.'” – Brock_Hard_Canuck
“One of my kids picked up the nickname Fuffy. Her name is Lissa. Nicknames are allowed to be anything, there are no rules.”
“Luffy is a fine nickname. His real name doesn’t even have to sound anything like it or start with L!” – biglipsmango
“Baby names need both parents’ consent. One no means a veto.”
“Look, she can call him Luffy as a nickname but he needs a different name. I think these discussions need to be between your sister and her husband. You may have been a bit harsh but she kept pushing it.”
“NTA.” – ivylass
“Even as a nickname for a human, Luffy is fine, if the kid is okay with it. But giving them a more known and standard name means they’re not applying for jobs in 25 years with ‘Luffy’ on the top, and they can choose not to introduce themselves as Luffy at school if they don’t like it.”
“We all called one of my nieces a nickname that she just doesn’t use at school, and it turns out it’s not an issue at all.” – haleorshine
“This is a future baby who will be an adult that will be old someday. A person that will try to get work. It would suck if their name kept them from finding a job in their chosen field. It would suck if it made dating more difficult for them.”
“Life is hard as it is, why make it harder? It can be embarrassing when your partner finds out the nickname your family has for you, let it not go further than that.”
“Someone who is nicknamed Luffy by their family is cute. But meeting someone named Luffy makes me think their parents sucked. H**l, I’ve met people with normal names that are just spelled weird that say their parents hated them.” – jesterinancientcourt
“NTA. Luffy would be a great nickname but as an actual name, nope. Even if you’re trying to raise the next king of the pirates, it just isn’t kind to the child.”
“My fiancé is a HUGE ‘One Piece’ fan (he has an eight-inch by ten-inch tattoo of Luffy’s wanted poster wrapped around his thigh), and even he agrees it isn’t a good name for a real human child.” – Robineggblue84
“NTA. She shouldn’t ask questions that she doesn’t truly want an answer to.”
“On another note, you could suggest Luffy as a nickname. She could use a name like Lucas or Lucian, which will work for him as an adult and make it less likely for him to be bullied or turned away from a job.” – a_flower_named_honey
“I’m not into anime at all so do not know this reference. I would have pronounced it ‘luf-fee.'”
“So not only is she willing to saddle her kid with a ridiculous name, she is setting him up for a lifetime of correcting the pronunciation of that name as well as telling people how to spell it (for those who do not know the character).”
“I agree with the majority – pick another name and use Luffy as a nickname. If it sticks it sticks. Some people have their childhood nicknames long into adulthood even if those nicknames are on the childish side.” – spb097
The subReddit totally understood the OP getting frustrated in the heat of the moment and supported her decision to be honest with her twin sister about the quality of the baby name she had chosen. They also agreed with the OP that the name choice was terrible and the sister needed to reconsider.
It seemed the only person who thought this was a good idea was the mother-to-be, who fortunately still had time to change her mind.