New Mom Feels ‘Conflicted’ After Aunt Says She ‘Cursed’ Her Baby By Choosing An ‘Unconventional’ Name
Her aunt claimed that she was setting her daughter up for "a life of frustration."
NDAB Creativity | Shutterstock One of the first, major responsibilities of a parent is to name their child. Unless they choose to change it, their name will stick with them for the rest of their lives and be the main thing that identifies them.
One set of parents tried to mix things up and give their daughter a unique name, but some family members think they ventured too far outside of the box.
The new mom feels conflicted after hearing her family's opinions about her 'unconventional' baby name.
“So, I recently gave birth to my first child, a beautiful baby girl,” the 29-year-old mom wrote in a Reddit post. “My husband and I spent months deliberating over the perfect name for her. We’re both into mythology and literature, and we wanted a name that felt unique but also meaningful.”
They certainly came up with one.
Elizaveta Galitckaia | Shutterstock
“After a lot of back-and-forth, we settled on Nyxiryn (pronounced ‘NIX-er-in’),” she said. “It’s a combination of ‘Nyx,’ the Greek goddess of the night, and ‘Irinia,’ which means ‘peace’ in Greek. We thought it sounded poetic, strong, and unique.”
While the couple was delighted by their chosen name, the mom's family had a different reaction entirely.
“I shared the name with my family a few weeks before she was born, and the reactions were mixed,” she admitted. “Some of them thought it was cool and different, but others were clearly taken aback. My mom said it was a ‘mouthful,’ and my sister-in-law was silent for a while before saying, ‘Well, it’s… interesting.’”
Her aunt's reaction was the worst of all.
“The real drama started at a family dinner after the baby was born,” the mom explained. “My aunt who is never shy about her opinions, asked me what we ended up naming our daughter.”
She was unimpressed by the name Nyxiryn.
“When I told her, she immediately burst into laughter, like a full-on cackle,” the mom recalled. “I was taken aback and asked what was so funny, and she said, ‘You seriously named your kid that? Poor child. You’ve practically cursed her with that name.’”
“She went on a rant about how Nyxiryn is a ‘made-up, weird name’ that would just make my daughter’s life harder,” she continued. “She said that she would be bullied in school, that no one would ever spell it right, and that we were ‘trying too hard’ to be unique.”
Her aunt truly didn't hold back, calling the parents "selfish" and claiming they were setting the child up for "a life of frustration."
“The whole dinner turned awkward, and my husband and I ended up leaving early. Now, I’m starting to second-guess myself,” she admitted, adding that her husband is perfectly content keeping the name, regardless of her family's opinions.
While she could have shared her opinion more delicately, this woman’s aunt may have a point.
Leading with kindness is always the best strategy. Nevertheless, the aunt may have given her niece a much-needed wake-up call in this situation.
According to Psychology Today, “It has long been known that grade-school children with highly unusual names or names with negative associations tend to be less popular than kids with more desirable names, and later in life, unattractive or unpopular names lead to more rejection by potential romantic partners in online dating sites.”
Many parents experience name regret — 11% according to Baby Center — and this woman's aunt may have just saved these parents from that fate.
Perhaps the mom will reconsider Nyx or Irina, instead of a combination of the two. Or maybe, they'll keep the name Nyxiryn, regardless of her concerns. Ultimately, it is their prerogative as parents.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.