A mum has decided to put a homage to herself in her son’s name so that he could ‘always remember who his first love is’ – and people have told her she’s making a huge mistake
Honouring a loved one in your child’s name is not uncommon, but this mum may have taken things too far. For some parents, giving their child the same first or middle name as a family member can be a touching way to remember them if they’ve passed away, especially when it comes to grandparents or siblings.
But one mum has been urged to reconsider the name she wants to give her son, as she’ll be naming him after herself. The mum-to-be isn’t thinking of just giving her son her first name. Instead, she wants his moniker to reflect how he will “always love” his mum.
In a post on Reddit, a friend of the pregnant woman said she was floored after finding out what her mate plans on calling her child – and insisted she’d be setting the boy up for a “lifetime of issues”.
While the woman didn’t give away the mum’s planned first name for her son, she said she wants to give him the middle name “Mamasboy” – also written as “mama’s boy”.
The woman wrote: “Ever since she found out she was having a boy, she’s been ecstatic, and I’m happy for her. However, with knowing the gender comes the baby name discussion.
“She always wanted a son, and the chosen first name is kinda normal, but she wants the baby’s LEGAL middle name to be ‘Mamasboy’ or ‘Mommysboy’ ([she says this is the] ‘fancier spelling’). So, for example, he would be named Liam Mamasboy Cook.”
The mum insisted she wants her son to “always remember who his first and biggest love is”, which was her motivation for the unusual middle name. But when her friend told her that it might not be a good idea because her son might get bullied at school, she “freaked out” at her.
The poster continued: “When I asked her why she would name her child that, she said that her son should ‘always remember who his first and biggest love is’ and that the name would help with that. I told her that kids of every age can be ruthless bullies, and if his name was read aloud to the class or something, he might get bullied.”
Commenters on the post were on the woman’s side. Many said the poor boy would be “miserable” and would end up changing his middle name as soon as he’s old enough to do so.
One person said: “That baby is going to be miserable and is gonna end up legally changing his name. Can’t she like settle on maybe having the middle name be MB or something? Anything to soften the blow.”
Another added: “She’s going to give him lifelong issues with that kind of inappropriate level of obsession. Her kid isn’t even born, and she’s already projecting emotions on him that are going to cause problems later in life. The comment about being his first love makes me wanna puke.”
A third also wrote: “There are so many other ways to express the undying love between mother and child. Because a mother’s love is supposed to be selfless. If you do your job right, they want to be in your lives after 18. A name does not matter and can be legally changed.”
In the UK, you can change your middle name by deed poll. According to the UK Deed Poll Office, middle name changes are “among the most common” name changes submitted each year, and there are “no formal restrictions” on adding or changing your middle name.
All you need to do is apply for a deed poll with a middle name of your choice. Once you receive the document, you can update official documents like passports and driving licences.