Man 'Weirded Out' By Wife's Choice For Baby Name: 'Isn't Human'

Newsweek

3 days ago

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A man has turned to Reddit for advice over his wife's "really strange" choice of baby name.
The 31-year-old man and original poster (OP), user throwaway_4444444567, shared his story on Reddit, explaining that he and his 26-year-old wife have been married for two years and are expecting their first child, a girl.
According to his post, he and his wife have a stable relationship, but there's just one problem: His wife wants to name their daughter after her childhood dog.
Stock image of a woman looking at a list of girl's names.
Stock image of a woman looking at a list of girl's names."I honestly think this is really strange," the OP admitted. "We are having a girl, and the name isn't a 'human' name (in my opinion). I don't want to say exactly what it is, but it's pretty similar to Lucky.
"I feel uncomfortable about naming our daughter a dog name. I don't think that dogs' lives are less valuable than human lives; however, our daughter is going to have a life beyond us.
"I would be weirded out if I were named after a dog. I don't know how to approach this subject with my wife because she has wanted to name her future child after her childhood dog since she was a teenager."
"I don't want a blow-up fight over this, but I feel like this will affect our future child in the long term," he added.
'Not as uncommon as one would think'
Discussing the OP's dilemma, Sherri Suzanne, a baby name consultant with MyNameforLife.com, told Newsweek, "I feel quite certain these parents-to-be will have many conversations about the child's name as time goes on.
"Lots of us have teenage dreams of the 'perfect' baby name only to find that the 'dream name' doesn't work once part of a couple."
When thinking of baby names, Suzanne explained that many parents "stick with human eponyms", but she noted that "honoring a pet in a baby name is not quite as uncommon as one would think—but in my practice, it is rarely deliberate".
She continued, "In this case, the inspiration for the name is far less important than the name choice.
"There is a broad palette of names, and good names come in all packages—traditional, unusual—but what all good names have in common is that they bring dignity to the bearer and can be introduced with confidence."
Reddit Reacts
Many Reddit users supported his decision to veto the name, with one writing, "Naming a child requires a yes from both parents.
"If you aren't on board with naming your child something, that's the end of it. You both need to work together and come up with something together."
Another added, "Problem isn't that this is a dog name - it's that she thinks she can unilaterally name the kid.
"OP is NTA, but will probably get better mileage if he takes the tack of 'I don't like that name and we should agree on a name' and not 'Ew, I don't want my kid named after a dog'."
In an update, the OP revealed the potential name of their daughter: Lassie.
After taking on board Redditors' advice, he wrote, "I am going to suggest alternatives to my wife tonight, such as Lacy or Lacie."
Other Baby Naming Disputes
This isn't the first time a dispute over baby names has attracted online attention.
According to a 2024 BabyCenter survey of more than 450 parents, nearly 1 in 10 mothers wish they had chosen a different name for their child.
Many have shifted their preference over time, with 20% saying they now favor their child's nickname—whether it's a shortened form of the legal name or something entirely different—while 15% report preferring their child's middle name instead.
Newsweek previously reported on a husband who refused his wife's chosen name for their child: "Princess" after her grandmother's middle name.
When the husband expressed his dislike, his wife allegedly called him a "disgrace to her family" and "an awful father".
Another Newsweek story described an expecting mother whose choice of baby name—Vaselina—was ridiculed by family members.
Newsweek has contacted throwaway_4444444567 for comment via Reddit.
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Update: 8/14/25, 8:17 a.m. EST: This story has been updated to include expert comments.