Mum faces family backlash over daughter's unique name inspired by Roman emperor

Daily Record

07-05-2025

Her family said it was "too hard to pronounce" and "didn't match" their other children's names.
Choosing a name for your child is a deeply personal decision, with parents drawing inspiration from various sources such as baby name books, websites, family traditions, and even pop culture.
Yet, one mum who opted for a historical figure as her daughter's namesake has faced severe backlash from her relatives. The baby's grandmother has been "deliberately stubborn", even pretending she "can't remember the name" to avoid using it.
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In a candid Reddit post, the mum revealed that she named her newborn Aurelia - inspired by the ancient Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius.
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She shared: "My family is very critical of my newborn daughter's name - Aurelia. My mom says it sounds too modern and 'made up', and it's way too hard to pronounce. My husband and I explained that it's an ancient Roman name, and we were inspired to name her after Marcus Aurelius when we read his Meditations while I was pregnant."
Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations in Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. The work continues to sell and be read by people all around the world to this day.
Marcus Aurelius' works garnered him the reputation of the 'philosopher king'.
The mother further explained that she and her husband say their daughter's name as "Aw-ree-lee-uh", which might be the root of the confusion. Other commenters noted that the more common pronunciation is "Aw-ray-lee-uh", reports the Mirror.
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She added: "We pronounce her name Aw-ree-lee-uh, because that's the pronunciation that makes the most sense to us due to her namesake.
"I feel like she is being deliberately stubborn by saying she can't remember the name, even though she has had two weeks of hearing us say it."
At the end of her post, she queried if Aurelia was "too out-there" as a name, and noted some family members have also criticised it for not "matching" her other children's names - Evangeline, Eliza, and Clara.
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Commenters on the post largely reassured the mum that she should use the name if she loves it. They recognised there's nothing wrong with the name itself, though quite a few did mention potential issues with its pronunciation.
One individual remarked: "This sounds like a mum issue rather than a name issue. 'Modern and made up' about a name that has literally 1000s of years of history. Aurelia is a lovely name. Wait it out, I am sure your mum will come around eventually."
Another pitched in: "Definitely an established name, but I have never heard that pronunciation before. Is it a legitimate pronunciation of the name? I've always heard it as being 'uh-RELL-ee-uh' or 'uh-RAY-lee-uh'."
A third contributed: "I think it goes great with her sisters' names! It's a very pretty name. If you and your husband love it, that's what matters most. Others will figure out how to say it."