Pregnant mom wants to name her baby 'Leanna' to honor late stepmother, sister pushes back because she wants to name her kids 'Lee' and 'Anna': 'That's a whole new level of entitlement'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 26, 2024 11:00 AM EST

Having similar names in the same family can be a little confusing. Sometimes there are so many Johns that one of them needs to become "Johnny," one of them needs to be "Big John" or "Little John," depending on their age and size, and one of them just needs to go by their middle name, Stew. But we compromise for each other because we're family, and ultimately everyone has the right to name their baby whatever they'd like to. Odds are, you're not going to have a totally unique baby name unless you're making stuff up. So your child will share a name with someone. It's part of life. Maybe they can all make a group chat together and bond over being named Greg. 

But in this situation, a woman wanted to block her sister from using a name she wasn't even using, just one that sounded similar. But is it similar enough? Read on for the story and see what you think.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10433544704
    via Alexander Dummer

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story

  • 02
    AITA for refusing to change my daughters name? My sister and I were raised my our stepmother and father. Our stepmother was very close to us and more of a mother than our actual mother has ever been. She passed away about five years ago after losing her battle to cancer. Her name was Leigh-Ann and it was very important for me to honor her by naming my child after her. We selected the name Leanna in order to honor Leigh-Ann while being somewhat different and more modern.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 03
    My sister had the same idea with wanting to honor Leigh-Ann and named her 2yo Lee. We told her that we chose the name Leanna for the child we are expecting. Sister is very upset because she said that it clashes with her baby name choices. My sister is not currently pregnant but wanted to name her future daughter Ann or Anna as another way to honor Leigh-Ann. She thinks it would be stupid for her kids to be named Lee and Anna with a cousin named Leanna.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 04
    I agree that that would be confusing as we have a pretty close family and the kids would be seeing each other a lot. However, we had no clue that she wanted to do another honor name for a future kid. Going into this we knew that Lee and Leanna are pretty similar names but I thought they were different enough that it wouldn't be too weird or confusing.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 05
    I do feel bad because she already had a baby name picked out for her future daughter and we would somewhat be making it "not able to be used". However, we were both close to Leigh- Ann and I don't think she should be the only one that gets to use an honor name. At the end of the day, she can still name any future kids whatever she wants. And I have the same right.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 06
    After thinking long and hard about it, we told her that we were still gonna use the name. We want to honor Leigh- Ann and no other names considered "feel right" for this baby. Sister has been making passive-aggressive comments since then.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 07
    For example, we were out shopping with her and Lee and Lee picks out some kind of stuffed animal. Lee dropped it the walmart parking lot on the way back to the car. My sister quickly picks it up and hands it to him saying "careful buddy, she might want to steal that too". I'm pretty sure she was trying to imply that we stole a version of his name or something but the whole interaction was pretty weird in my opinion.
    via u/Confident-Source6173
  • 08
    Edym... . . 4h ago Edited 3h ago • NTA, they are three different names. Its bad enough when somebody tries to pull that "You can't use that name, because I might possibly maybe use it at some vague point in the future!" cr p.
    via u/Edymnion
  • 09
    Never seen someone try to claim "You can't use any names that sound even remotely related to the one I want!" though, thats a whole new level of entitlement. "careful buddy, she might want to steal that too" You're not stealing anything. You can name your kid anything you want, and they can name their kid anything they want.
    via u/Edymnion
  • 10
    "She might steal it!" "First come, first serve. You wanted it, you should have grabbed it sooner!"
    via u/Edymnion
  • 11
    Accomplished_Pea25... 4h ago • NTA. Your sister needs to calm down. 1. She doesn't get to be the only one to honor your stepmum. 2. She doesn't get to nix your name choice on some potential future baby. What if she has another boy? 3. What a messed up thing to say to a kid. Seriously wrong with her? is
    via u/Accomplished_Pea2556
  • 12
    rockology_adam • 4h ago • NTA but expect it to be something that comes up every now and then for a while. The key here is that the issues your sister is having is not that you want to honour your stepmother as well, but that you are choosing something that interferes with her plans. Oh well.
    via u/rockology_adam
  • 13
    Name your kid what you want to name here. You actually have a baby on the way who needs a name, not an imaginary baby who may or may never exist.
    via u/rockology_adam
  • 14
    Fresh_Caramel8148 4h ago • NTA. • First, why does your sister get to honor your step-mother TWICE and you don't get to at all??? Second, the 2nd name is for a hypothetical child. IF she has another baby and IF she has a girl. No- it's ridiculous to hold out for that.
    via u/Fresh_Caramel8148
  • 15
    Third, cousins having similar names is FINE. Heck, cousins having the SAME name is fine. It happens - peopel survive!! My husband has multiple cousins with the name David (the same as his brother) AND the same last name.
    via u/Fresh_Caramel8148
  • 16
    Miserable_Dentist_70 • 5h ago • NTA for naming your baby whatever you want. However. Lee and Leanna are already pretty close. People are going to call Leanna "Lee" for short, I promise you. It's nice to honor your stepmom. Did she have a middle name? I mean, this just reminds me of a Dr. Seuss story called "Too Many Daves". There must be some other way of honoring a person besides naming every person in a generation after her.
    via u/Miserable_Dentist_70
  • 17
    throwawayanon387 • 4h ago NTA. She can name her future kid whatever she wants but she can't boss you around about what you can and can't name the kid you're currently pregnant with. It's very entitled of her to think she's the only one that can name her kids a name that honor your step mom. Her little snide comments would me off honestly.
    via u/throwawayanon387
  • 18
    bitch_Pleiades3 • 4h ago • Nta. You're naming an real, actualized incoming child. She's complaining about potential, as of now fictional, future child.
    via u/bitch_Pleiades3
  • 19
    My great grandfather was named John Robert. He had a son and named him Robert John. Robert John had two sons and named them... You see where I'm going with this. Name the baby in front of you and just know that you can't use Lee or Anna as nicknames. She may be p claim any and all honorifics. ed but she doesn't get to
    via u/bitch_Pleiades3
  • 20
    Krazzy4u • 3h ago • Rule number one, don't share baby names with people, announce it after the fact. Rule number two, see rule number one.
    via u/Krazzy4u
  • 21
    . CapoExplains • 4h ago NTA sounds more efficient if anything, you call out "Lee, Anna!" and all three of them come running.
    via u/CapoExplains
  • 22
    ImpressiveHabit99 • 4h ago DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT IN YOUR HEART. ✔ I hope you call your child Leanna. What an amazing woman she must have been to have 3 children named after her!! NTA. In any universe!
    via u/ImpressiveHabit99
  • 23
    ImpressiveHabit99 • 4h ago Just because your sister had children first, doesn't mean she should be the only one who gets to do what she wants!
    via u/ImpressiveHabit99

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