Reddit seems to have a never-ending treasure trove of baby name drama. And just when we thought we had reached the worst of the worst, we found a post on the “Am I The A—hole? (AITA)” subreddit with the title “AITA for my reaction to my wife giving our twin sons true crime-related names?”
And let me tell you, that record scratched so hard that we’re still wincing. True crime-related baby names? Excuse me, what?! While this probably isn’t a first for the internet, this was certainly a first for us. And, believe it or not, it was a complete shock to the new dad who originally posted (the “OP” in Reddit lingo).
What Happened?
The OP explained that his wife has a “slightly irritating true crime hobby.” It’s something they keep separate from their relationship, and he’s only reminded of her interest when she’s with another “aficionado.”
Anyway, he and his wife welcomed twin sons earlier this year, and she chose the boys’ baby names. “There were some negotiations about the names. I know at the end of the day, she’s the one doing the hard work and has the final say, but she was inclined to eccentric, potentially life-ruining names that I had to talk her out of,” he said, making us wonder what these “life-ruining” options were. “Cheelee,” perhaps? (IYKYK.)
When she eventually suggested “two surprisingly ordinary names,” he agreed. “Named separately, no one would bat an eye at either one. In fact, no one batted an eye until recently.”
The OP and his wife were visiting family with their infants when his sister-in-law pulled him aside and said, “Are you serious? You named your twins after them?”
“I had no idea, I hadn’t made the connection until that moment,” OP said.
What Are the Names?
What were these “surprisingly normal,” fine-on-their-own names?
Dylan and Eric.
Which immediately made OP’s SIL and much of the internet think of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris — the two high school students responsible for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The pair killed 12 students and one teacher and wounded 24 others before dying by suicide. It’s one of the deadliest and most well-known high school shootings in American history.
“I think that almost any American who was around and aware at that time in history would definitely make the association,” one Reddit user commented. “As soon as I saw those names I literally felt a pit in my stomach and my mind flashed to the footage of them inside the school. That was one of the school shootings that rocked the foundations of our society. It’s super messed up that she would even want to do this.”
The Argument
When OP and his wife got home, he “confronted” her and “demanded” they change their sons’ names.
“She said it was just [a] coincidence and that maybe subconsciously, she paired the names, but the names are common, and changing them would be a hassle and draw even more attention,” OP wrote. ” … I said we can simply explain we hadn’t made the connection and decided to change it as soon as we realized. After all, my sister-in-law already said something!”
OP’s wife “won’t budge,” and now he wants to know if he’s the a—hole for finding this “concerning” and wanting to change their names.
What Does Reddit Think?
Redditors are collectively horrified and most are not buying that it was a coincidence. “I think there’s no way she didn’t know when it’s her hobby,” one person said. “I’m not into true crime and I’m not even American and I recognized the names.”
And as OP added in the comments, if it was just a coincidence, she should agree to change them. After all, one might think she would be creeped out and not want her sons associated with the infamous murderers. Even if, as one person rightly pointed out, the names won’t “turn these kids into serial killers,” they’re an uncomfortable jump scare for a lot of people. Plus, it’s “cruel” to the kids.
“I work in education and I would be uneasy about a parent conference for parents who selected these names, not gonna lie,” one person said. Another responded, “There’s no way my kids would ever be allowed to go to little Dylan and Eric’s house, not because of the kids, but because I know there’s something fundamentally wrong with at least one of the parents.”
Even the people who are willing to give the true crime fan the benefit of the doubt are insisting that the names should be changed. Because at the very least, the names have been permanently tainted for some of the family. “OP and, at least, his sister-in-law won’t be able to talk to or think about the boys without Columbine springing to mind, and that the wife is not understanding that is the problem is weird and a bit disturbing.”
Before you go, check out some of Reddit’s wildest baby name dilemmas.
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