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'My parents named me after a herbal drug so I'm changing my name'

'My parents named me after a herbal drug so I'm changing my name'

Daily Mirror13-05-2025

A woman has revealed that she is changing her name as her parents named her after a herbal drug so this caused her some issues when she was a child, as well as now as an adult
A woman is trying to think of a new name for herself because her parents named her after a herbal drug. Choosing a name for your baby is an important decision for parents as they have to decide on a moniker that will suit them as a child and an adult.
Some parents opt for popular, traditional names while others choose unique monikers but this can cause issues for the child. Most of the time, people keep the names given to them by their parents when they were born but there are some cases where a person changes their name as an adult, which can be even more difficult to decide. A 28-year-old woman on Reddit took to the platform to ask for help on choosing a new name for herself after disclosing that her parents named her Sativa 'as in Cannabis sativa.'

In her post she explained: 'Although I think my name is pretty, I have faced a few problems. As a child, friends' parents not wanting their kid to hang out with me because of my name, odd stares and jokes when i'm introduced (do you have any twin named indica is one I get a lot), having trouble applying to jobs, and just not being taken seriously. So I have decided to change it.'

Cannabis sativa plants are tall and thin with finger-like leaves and produce a 'mind high' or an energising, anxiety-reducing effect, whereas Cannabis indica plants are short and stocky with bushy greenery and chunky leaves. Indica is 'sought after for its intensely relaxing effects', according to Healthline.
Sativa added that she has especially decided to change her name because she wants to have children soon and imagining her child saying 'this is my mom, Sativa' makes her feel 'uncomfortable.'
She has also learned that naming yourself isn't easy as she initially thought. The Reddit user continued: 'I would like something classic but unique since having a different name is one of the things I do enjoy about my name.
'I need help choosing a name for myself. Help me, Reddit.' Her post has garnered 1,500 upvotes and nearly 800 comments from other people on the platform giving suggestions of names.
The most-liked comment is: 'Sylvia? Kinda similar to Sativa, but it's an established name that I don't hear very often.'

Someone else replied: 'Or Sylvie. Prettier in my opinion.' A third had their say: 'One of my partner's friends named his baby Sylvia, and I loved the name immediately.
'It's a good choice if OP doesn't want to change the sound of their name too much. A fourth suggested the name Saskia and another replied to their comment: 'I was going to suggest this.
'It has similar sounds, so will most likely be easier to get used to than something that sounds completely different.
'Really pretty and uncommon, but not so unusual that people would have a hard time with it. Truly a beautiful option.'

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