Your baby’s name is a personal choice.
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to baby names, and there’s no right or wrong when it comes to naming your offspring. While seeking public opinion on your chosen baby name might seem like a way to ensure you’ve made a good choice, many parents prefer to keep the name under wraps until birth to avoid any negative remarks or judgments.
One mother is now realising she may have made a mistake by asking the internet for feedback on her chosen name for her second son. She’s received a barrage of opinions calling the name “unattractive” and “clunky.”
Some even suggested it’s “much worse” than her first child’s name, potentially setting up her youngest for envy towards his older sibling.
In her Reddit post, the mum shared her first son is named Theodore, a moniker they picked for its length and potential for “cute” nicknames like Theo and Teddy. It also holds “religious significance” for her partner, which is why they wanted a similar name for their second son, landing on Thaddeus.
She wrote: “For our second son we are thinking Thaddeus. We would call him Thad. I know Tad is an option, but there is already a family member called Thaddeus who goes by Tad, and they would technically be a second cousin to my child.
“We like this name, and some family members like it, but we have gotten a lot of pushback from friends and a few side glances from family members. One friend straight-up told me my kid would be bullied and teased.”
The mum explained her preference for an longer name with the possibility for nicknames, insisting that shorter names holding religious significance like Micah or Jude do not appeal to her. She listed several names that are off-limits due to personal reasons, which include Michael, William, Daniel, Benjamin, Sebastian, and Nathaniel.
Opinions among commenters were divided regarding the mother’s chosen name. While many agreed Thaddeus was quite pleasing alone, they deemed it “clunky” in combination with Theodore.
Someone even voiced that being named Thaddeus while their sibling was called Theodore would leave them feeling “mad”.
One commenter said: “Thaddeus is okay-ish, and Thad is downright bad. I also think it’s too matchy with Theodore but a lot less cute. It’s likely that they’re two forms of the same name, which would be a huge no for me.”
Another added: “Not awful, definitely socially acceptable to have, but a tad clunky.”
And a third shared: “In all honesty, Thaddeus and Thad both sound pretty clunky and unattractive to me. That’s a matter of taste, though; I don’t think this is a name that will get your kid bullied or hinder their job prospects.”
In an update to her original post, the mum said she intended to speak with her husband, “look over” alternative choices, and possibly settle on another baby name they both liked.