Entitled woman accuses sister-in-law of “stealing” her son’s name, despite it being used to commemorate her late father, sundering family ties: “It holds a deeper meaning for me"

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jan 20, 2025 1:00 PM EST

It's not the first time someone has tried to dictate what someone else wants to name their baby, and it won't be the last. It's a pretty Karen-ish thing to do, because at the end of the day it's not your baby, and it's not your life. There's no rules about naming children, and no one should feel entitled to name someone else's child. Names aren't claimed, and guess what? There are (probably) plenty of other people in the world with your child's name, so what does it matter anyway? 

In the story below, the protagonist is a woman who lost her father to a car crash when she was young. Due to her grieving and desire to commemorate her father, she has always wanted to name her child after him. Though her brother is named after him, as well as her first born nephew by him, she still wants to revive and honor his memory through names. This is met with hostility by her sister-in-law, who demands she omit her son and husband's name from her nephew. The fact of the matter is that the protagonist can name her son whatever she wants, and she's only using it for his middle name, not even his first! 

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  • 01

    aita for refusing to change my baby's name?

    Noch Isabelled Over Mary Livia "It's just the middle name anyway" Daniel Emma Henry
    via Africa images / Canva

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

  • 02
    I (24F) am 7 months pregnant, my husband and I are expecting our first child together and we have never been more excited. I'm the youngest of two siblings and my brother had the first grandkid, he had my nephew who's 8 years old when I was 16. He and my sil decided to name my nephew after my brother who is also
    via u/Emergency_Energy331
  • 03
    named after my father. When I was 18 my dad did in a car accident. I had never experienced a loss so much, I'm close to both my parents and losing my dad was terrible. He'd never see me graduate or walk me down the isle.
    via u/Emergency_Energy331
  • 04
    When I found out I was having a boy my husband and I began. discussing names and I told him I had wanted my dads name. somewhere in the name as an honor to my dad. We decided on giving my son my dads name as a middle name. When we told my family my sil was upset because | was taking away the name from
    via u/Emergency_Energy331
  • 05
    her son. My dads name was Richard as is my brother named Richard and my nephew. However to keep the confusion my sil and brother decided to call my nephew RJ kind of like a Richard Junior while not being the junior because we never grew up calling my brother junior or anything like that.
    via u/Emergency_Energy331
  • 06
    Anyways, I told my sil we don't call my nephew Richard and it's not like we'd call my son Richard either it'd just be a middle. She was still mad that I was taking a name from her and I explained I was using the name for my dad. She said she had named their son after my dad and I told her they
    via u/Emergency_Energy331
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10456832000
    via Philippe Degroote / Canva

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

  • 08
    had named him after my brother aka her sons dad. I told her I would be using the name regardless if she liked it or not because the name held a special deeper meaning to me. She's ignoring me and my family thinks I did nothing wrong and I don't think so either. She's convinced I am. AITA?
    via u/Emergency_Energy331

  • The sense of entitlement in this woman is off the charts. Can you say Karen?

  • 09
    ELRONDSXLADY • 10h ago NTA. This is such an overplayed scenario on these subs, but as always, no one owns a name and you equally share the connection. to the namesake as your brother does. Honestly you're being far more
    via u/ELRONDSXLADY
  • 10
    considerate of your SIL than most would be and, hello, it's a middle name. She's being heartless in a sense to attempt to convince you that you're in the wrong for wanting to honor your father, please don't bow to her silliness. Happy to hear your family is on your side.
    via u/ELRONDSXLADY
  • 11
    Congrats on your son, disregard the birds. Or bird, in this case. Your SIL is being a major dork & a half here.
    via u/ELRONDSXLADY
  • 12
    addyjay613 10h ago. NTA people don't have dibs. on names. Sometimes it's an ah le move to name people the same name as someone else's, but it was YOUR dad, not hers.
    via u/addyjay613
  • 13
    • ForwardPlenty 10h ago. Almost nobody goes by their middle name. It is perfectly appropriate to honor your father by giving your kid his mane as a middle name, but it doesn't impact anyone and nobody
    via u/ForwardPlenty

  • The most shocking part is that she's not even using the name for her baby's first name, it's just the middle name! No one ever even knows your middle name, it's so irrelevant. 

  • 14
    owns that name. I really can't imagine someone getting upset about a middle name.
    via u/ForwardPlenty
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10456832512
    via Anton Estrada / Canva

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

  • 16
    jackcolonelsanders • 10h ago NTA you can't own a name & it's a middle name, I can't recall the middles names of most of the middle names of people I know.
    via u/jackcolonelsanders
  • 17
    Embarrassed_Hat... • 10h ago In my mil's family all the girls are named Maria, all five daughters. The oldest goes by Maria and the other four go by their middle names. Its your fathers name, sil can get over herself.
    via u/Embarrassed_Hat
  • 18
    tidymaze 10h ago NTA There's similar name sharing between my brother and two of my cousins. There's James (can't remember his middle name, and it's not important), Steven Tyler, and Tyler James. When Tyler was born,
    via u/tidymaze
  • 19
    my aunt asked her sisters (the mothers of James and Steven) about what she wanted to name him. No one cared. Name your kid whatever you want; no one "owns" a name.
    via u/tidymaze
  • 20
    Suitable-While-5523 • 9h ago NTA My immediate family - has 15 people with the first or middle name Joseph. She is over sensitive and honestly, don't let her ruin this for you. Congratulations on your son. What an honor for him to share the name of your father
    via u/Suitable-While-5523
  • 21
    alv269 10h ago NTA. It's a freaking middle name! She has some serious issues.
    via u/alv269
  • 22
    Buzz729 • 8h ago What the his wrong with these people that think they own a name? They need gummies!
    via u/Buzz729
  • 23
    yocaramel 10h ago NTA. No one owns the name and you have as much right to honor your father as you wish. Besides, it's not like your giving your son the exact same name.
    via u/yocaramel

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