Woman Didn't Realize Her Husband's Culture Dictates Baby Names. When She Tried to Buck Tradition, It Didn't Go Well

Mar. 15, 2025

Displeased expecting couple having problems in stock photo.Photo:Getty

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In a post shared toReddit, the woman writes that her husband is Middle Eastern and, in his culture, tradition dictates that “the first born son names their first born son after their father. In this case the name is Ansemoss.”

“I had no idea this was a tradition until after I married my husband,” she continues in the post. “Actually I had no idea this was a tradition until last March when my mother in law put me on the spot in front of her daughters and said that my husband and I decided to name our first born son after her husband.”

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“She apologized immediately after and said she didn’t care about our kids’ names only that we have healthy children,” the woman writes of her mother-in-law.

But the conversation led to “a huge argument between my husband and I because I felt he was naming our unborn children without me in the room.”

“And sure enough he brought up his father’s name and said it would be right if we named our first son after him because that’s what tradition expects,” she writes.

She continues: “I don’t love the name. I feel like I was robbed of naming my son and I’d be the villain if I don’t go along with it. This is supposed to be a happy time in my life and this name thing is such an issue. Am I overthinking it? Is it the pregnancy hormones making me dramatic or is this a beautiful tradition I should embrace?”

Reddit commenters are showing the woman support, with many arguing that her husband needs to be more open-minded.

“It would definitely be a no from me,” writes one commenter. “As someone who has always thought about my future kids’ names, I would hate to lose out on being able to choose a name I love for my child. I feel like your husband should respect that though, and realize you don’t have to do something just because generations before have done so.”

source: people.com