When it comes to choosing a baby name, things can get messy. Especially if the parents-to-be decide to involve outside parties when picking the name. Usually, we recommend they keep the name to themselves (because people are nosy and picky and think they should get a say in the name). But there have been a few situations we’ve seen on Reddit where we’re glad people ran the names by other people (and the internet). Because no, you shouldn’t name your baby after your dead ex-girlfriend. And no, you can’t make this sh*t up.
Reddit has given us all the tea on these baby name dilemmas. https://t.co/3xoFGkaDGh
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) April 18, 2023
A man joined the “Am I The A-hole? (AITA)” subreddit to share his experience telling his family about his future daughter’s possible name, and this is another one where it’s probably best that he clued them in. He and his fiance are about 7 months pregnant and are trying to settle on their daughter’s name. They decided they wanted to establish a family tradition, which is fairly common when it comes to picking a baby’s name — maybe the firstborn son is named after his father, or the baby’s middle name is the mom’s maiden name, something along those lines. Well, the man who originally posted (the “OP”) had something else in mind.
Matching Initials
OP’s name is Cody, and his fiance’s name is Clair. “So we’d like to keep the C theme going,” he said.
The couple has already decided that if they have a son in the future, he’ll be named Charles after Clair’s grandpa. As for the daughter they have on the way? Well, that’s still undecided.
“My fiance and me really like the name Keelee, but we’re spelling it Ceelee or Cheelee with a hard C to keep the theme.”
Getting Pushback
Cody said the problem here is his sister Angie. “She’s child free, but she’s still very opinionated and judgmental about names. She strongly prefers traditional common names like Emma and Madeline, and she’s been very pissy about the name we picked.”
The Confrontation
Cody and Clair recently went to Angie and her boyfriend’s house. Angie took Clair aside “supposedly to ‘help cut vegetables.'”
“Actually, Angie just wanted to rip into my fiance with her name opinions,” Cody said. “She said we should forget about Cheelee. She said she’d already talked it over with our mom (Clair’s MIL), and ‘they’d decided that we should go with Catherine/ Catie instead.'”
“Clair of course said hell no to that, and called me,” Cody said.
The Fight Continues
Cody and Clair left and they called his mom on the car ride home. She reportedly wouldn’t admit she had agreed with Angie about nixing the name.
“I don’t think my family has veto power, it’s our choice as a couple and they should MYOB,” Cody said. “However: Angie has Asperger’s, and she’s the person in the family who says what everyone is thinking, but no one will say.”
“If multiple people in the family hate this name, I worry that the negative vibe will impact our daughter,” he said. “[Are Clair and I the a-holes] for not taking family feedback into consideration?”
Hilarious Comments
Redditors agree that the parents-to-be would definitely be a-holes if they name their daughter Cheelee. They are begging Cody not to make this “awful” move, and they have hilarious reasons why.
“I think of Chili. And then the restaurant. Somehow Cheelee’s baby back ribs seem a lot creepier than the restaurant’s though.”
Think About It
They also can’t help but point out the fact that no one will think “Cheelee” is pronounced with a hard C.
“As a former teacher, Y-W-B-T-A if you saddle your child with a name that pretends that phonics work however you want them to work.”
“Please don’t do that to your kid. It will be mispronounced by every single person who reads it until the day she dies (and probably after) just so that it could begin with a ‘C.'”
“You guys are entitled to [your choice] but I must admit the name spelling is tragedeigh,” someone joked.
“Oh come on! It’s a chragedeigh! 😁” another replied.
Go Another Direction
And then there are those who can’t help but list all the options. Because really? You have to subject a kid to “Cheelee” for the sake of the C?!
“So many nice girl names with a hard C – Cate, Cara, Caroline, Callista, Calliope, Cameron (also could be a boy’s name)…..the list goes on……LOL These people aren’t trying.”
“Callie Chloe Casey Camilla Carlie Cameron Clover Codie Carissa Cassandra Colleen Carlotta Carina Candice and more all have the sound you’re looking for without the old-fashioned flavor of Catherine/Catie but none of the issues that come with Ceelee/Cheelee. Take some time to check out a baby book and see what else feels like someone you’ll grow up saying the name of, explaining the name of, and who will eventually be explaining to others how to say their name through every year of school and beyond. No one is siding by with your sister, but we are siding with your baby on this one.”
Jokes aside, that really is what it comes down to. This isn’t about Angie. It’s about the baby. Angie is just doing for her niece what everyone on the internet is trying to do: Save that kid from a lifetime of bullying and having to correct everyone she meets — all in the name of a self-proclaimed “tradition”.
Leave a Comment