Man’s girlfriend wants to call their baby after her EX – but there’s a twist
Wow
Choosing a baby’s name is never an easy decision, but naming a child after an ex is generally considering a big no-no.
This is the reason why one dad-to-be took to Reddit to vent his frustration after his partner said she wanted to name their baby after her ex-boyfriend.
“My girlfriend and I are expecting our first-born son. The other night when discussing names, she said she would like his middle name to be that of her ex, who died,” he wrote.
His partner went on to explain that it would “mean a lot to his family”, who she is still very close with.
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“I said that makes me really uncomfortable and [I] don't want to do it," he continued. “I don't want to tell people, especially my son, that he is partly named after another man who his mom loved before me.”
But his girlfriend’s solution to that was to say that they wouldn't have to tell their son he was named after her old boyfriend.
Many people sided with the man, saying that his partner was out of line for even suggesting it.
“I understand that she may want to honor the name of her dead ex, but that's her past and not yours. This is your son and you shouldn't always think about her dead ex whenever you see the middle name of your son,” said one.
“Names are important and both sides should agree on them. If they weren’t together when he passed then it shouldn’t be so sentimental,” wrote another.
Other thought it wasn’t such a big deal.
“I don't think she's unreasonable to suggest using her late friend's name. Whether or not they were still together, he was someone who mattered to her. It's no different than naming a child after a deceased relative - it's a way to honour someone you loved,” said one.
The man added that his partner’s ex had died from a drug overdose, which made some posters even more convinced that the child should not be named after him.
“I was thinking he saved like a family of 7 in a burning building or something and died while doing it,” wrote one.
“The ex made a bad decision that caused him to pass and I feel no remorse for that. If the ex was in the military, or was in a no fault car accident or mugging gone wrong etc then I think it would be appropriate naming the child after the ex,” said another.
What do you think?
Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.
