First-Time Mom Said She'll Never Tell Anyone Her Future Children's Names Until After They Are Born
Her baby, her name choice.
Jonathon Borba / Pexels People seem to have strong opinions on every part of parenting, from how newborns get fed to what brand of diaper is best to how much screen time toddlers should have.
Even the simple act of naming a baby is often questioned, as one frustrated mom-to-be found out.
The first-time mom said she won’t share her future children’s names until after they’re born.
She wrote to the aptly-named subreddit r/tragedeigh, a group that defines its own name as “A given name that has been deliberately misspelled or completely made up to appear more unique than it actually is.”
The expectant mom is 13 weeks pregnant with her first baby. She and her husband shared the joyful news with their families, including the name they plan on giving their daughter.
Yet their family’s responses to their chosen name haven’t been the most supportive.
Her husband’s grandma told her mother-in-law, “They picked some weird name that starts with an M.”
The woman’s grandma told her, “Well, it’s going to be misspelled and mispronounced often,” and her aunt declared, “Oh! Wow! How did y’all come up with that name?”
Anna Shvets / Pexels
The name they chose was Margot, a traditional French name meaning “pearl.”
The mom-to-be acknowledged that some spellings of the name are harder than others, saying, “If it were Margeaux, sure, I could understand.”
Her family’s reaction to their baby's name made her not want to reveal the names of any future children she may have.
“I totally get why parents-to-be do not share their baby’s names until after they are born,” she said. “Next time around, we will go that route!”
Many people in the comments offered the support her family didn’t, letting the mom know how much they loved the name she chose.
One person declared the name Margot to be “Unique in a good way.”
“Just a classic French name,” noted someone else.
“I've met several Margots here in the U.S.,” one person said. “They were all wonderful women with unique styles who were impeccably kind and talented folks.”
“Just because your family is weird doesn't mean the name is,” another person said. “They're the tragedeigh here, not you.”
The mom edited her original post to express gratitude for the kind comments people left while acknowledging how exhausting the “not-so-nice” responses were.
“Life is too short for so much vitriol, and I’m not about to get all worked up while pregnant,” she said.
She also thanked all “the Margot/Margo/Margaux/Margeaux’s out there (and their parents) who shared their experiences with the name. I have loved hearing about each and every one!”
Carlos Santiago / Pexels
Keeping baby names a secret until the baby is born is common in certain cultures.
Traditionally, Jewish people don’t reveal names until their baby is earthside, which is rooted in the idea that hiding the name could prevent the Angel of Death from identifying the baby and taking their life.
Jews also believe in naming babies after deceased family members, in part due to the belief that the passed loved one’s soul lives on in the child who now has their name.
Names are powerful and personal. They hold meaning for the parents giving them and they may hold separate meaning for the children receiving them.
As Andrea Gibson, the Colorado Poet Laureate, once said, “May our children know their names are gifts they can return if they don’t fit.”
Ultimately, our names are only a small part of what makes us who we are.
It’s the way we present ourselves to others and the care we offer our communities that matters most, no matter how your name is spelled.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.