A woman’s family has been torn apart after everyone argued about the name she wants to call her son. She said the moniker has been in the family since the 1800s but her husband hates it
A pregnant woman has been slammed by her husband after she told him she wanted to give their son a unique name. She said the moniker is in line with family tradition but he said it’s “abuse”. The couple learned they were expecting a boy, who would be both their first kid and the mother’s side of the family’s first grandchild. It’s safe to say that everyone was initially excited upon hearing the pregnancy news.
Sadly this has been tainted as the mum said what should have been a happy and exciting time instead sparked a huge fight which is “tearing the family apart”. This is all because the woman asked her husband if they could use a name which has been given to the firstborn son on her side of the family since the 1800s.
Posting to Reddit, she said her husband initially agreed to the name but now that they are months away from the arrival of their little boy, he’s gone back on his word. His wife is “crushed because this is so important to my entire family”. She wrote: “I’m well aware it’s a stigmatized name today, so that’s why I have agreed to using a short form.
“The name is Gaylord. I get it, trust me, I know most people hate it. That is why I’ve been able to discuss with my parents and grandparents that he will go by Gail in daily life so that he doesn’t have to deal with bullies. They really didn’t like the idea, but I wore them down and they have agreed and don’t seem too offended by this.
“They see the backlash over the name today as a fad that will eventually disappear, and I agree seeing how accepting each generation tends to become. When society stops being so immature about it, he can start using the full name.” She explained that she told her husband that their son would be named Gaylord on the birth certificate but go by Gail. He has since claimed that he thought she was joking and never seriously agreed to the use of the name. She questioned why he thought she was joking when he’d met her father and grandfather. This has strained their relationship because he won’t even consider discussing it as a possibility.
Her husband informed his family of the decision, and now they are “hounding” her, accusing her of choosing an “abusive” name. This has even resulted in a screaming match between the grandparents. “My in-laws are telling me that even Gail isn’t an acceptable boy’s name, and that I need to ‘get with the times’ and choose something more appropriate,” she continued.
“They gave me a list of approved names like I’m a child, which is incredibly offensive to me. They have no right to name my own baby for me. I don’t think my husband would have such an issue if it wasn’t for his family sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong, since he didn’t have a problem with it a year ago. What happened to respecting our elders and traditions? His family doesn’t have any naming traditions, so it should fall to my family that does. How could I be expected to break a centuries-old family tradition? I can’t get past this, and neither can my in-laws.”
Reddit users were quick to tell her that it was she who was in the wrong, not her husband. The majority of commenters said her son would get bullied and she needs to pick a new name. “I work with elementary-age children and this is a terrible idea. I’m sorry, but no. Definitely do not name your child Gaylord in any form or fashion,” one person commented.
“Some traditions reach the point where they are no longer suitable for modern times. This is 100% that time. Pick another name,” wrote another. A third added: “It’s his baby just as much as yours. Compromise and have it as a middle name. This name will always have a strange association with it. I understand the importance of tradition, but no child will be okay growing up with that name. People are becoming more accepting, but kids are still cruel.”
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