20-year-old calls out 27-year-old sister for naming her daughter after a fungal infection: 'She just really liked the way it sounded'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 15, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

It's hard to imagine this kid growing up with that name. Here's the deal: I don't want to be a traditionalist about anything; that being said, every so often, there comes a phenomenon that makes me realize that the alternative way of doing things may, in fact, be silly and self-destructive. This is not to say that we should all name our babies "Sarah," "Michael," or "Jonathan." 

Of course, I welcome the concept of creativity when it comes to name choosing, but only to a certain extent. Some words just shouldn't be names for humans, no matter how pleasant to your ear it may sound. For this guy's sister, there is almost no question that she is going to regret naming her daughter after a common fungal infection. Even if it does sound cool in theory, it is certainly not cool in practice. Keep scrolling below for the full story!

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    Cheezburger Image 10505291776
    via Rosario Fernandes

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • The funniest part of naming her daughter after a fungal infection is that it's not just any fungal infection; it's one that runs in the family. This means that inevitably, this daughter is going to develop strange spots on her neck one day, and when she looks up her symptoms, she very well may discover the true meaning of her own name.

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    "AITA for blowing up at my sister for naming her daughter after a fungal infection?"

    So my (20M) sister (27F) and her husband had been struggling a LOT with baby names. She was determined to find the single perfect name-- even by the time
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    of her baby shower (nearly five weeks before the due date), she didn't seem any closer to picking something out than she was at the start of her pregnancy.
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    Anyway, I knew she was struggling, so in addition to the $900 wooden crib on her list that I got for her, I gave her a list of (obviously) joke baby names. We have a really close relationship, and it was in line with both our senses of humor.
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    She's a nurse, and I'm a biology student, so all the names were medications, infections, unpleasant animals, etcetera, that all sound like lovely girls' names out of context. Some of
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    them were a little bit obscure, sure, but I included some obvious ones like "V gra" and "Hernia" for good measure.
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    Two weeks later, she told me she and her husband had finally settled on a name.
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    Malassezia. The baby's name is Malassezia. One of the names on my joke list. Outside of the immediate issues (nearly impossible to pronounce on the first try, the II II smack dab it the middle of it, the first syllable being mal-, literally meaning bad or evil), it's also the name of a very common fungal infection.
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    One that my sister and I are both genetically predisposed to. One that we've both had multiple times throughout our lives. Her daughter will almost certainly catch it at some time!
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    I pointed it out to her, and she said that yes, she knew what it meant, and she knew my list was intended to be a joke, but she just really liked the way it sounded. (I don't think the husband knows what it means- I
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    says think he'd reject it if he did.) She that it's so obscure that no one will ever think twice about it. (Except, you know, when little baby Malassezia turns 14, finds a weird spot on her neck, and goes on her phone to google what it is...)
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    I told her that the name was completely unacceptable, and I was shocked that she chose it. I even suggested some similar names, like Mallory, Azalea, or Anastasia, that would be more acceptable, but she wouldn't
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    hear it! She said that since I'm not one of the parents, I have no business telling her what she can and cannot name her child, and that I'm stepping way out of line. I
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    think it's pregnancy hormones, and she'll regret the decision very soon after her daughter is born.
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    via Chip Vincent

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    gopher-tuna NTA - I share your frustration and you're looking out for your niece.
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    While your sis is right that it's her parental right, you're not stepping out of line -- you're family and you're cautioning her.
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    Reminds me of a girl in my class back in elementary school who (whom?) had a unique name;
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    Spontaneous... that was her name. We were all fine with it until 6th grade, when that was one of the words we were taught. You can imagine what chaos ensued for the poor girl.
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    Also... Malassezia sounds like a Disney villain. Question: would the hospital allow that name? I know people choose "unique"
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    names for children, but could you really name your child Chl ia? That's not considered emotional ab_e?
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    Parking_Pomelo_3.... NTA. Just tell the husband what it means. He'll shut it down
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    TeddyStella ⚫ Is it possible your sister is trolling you back about the baby name? Most of my friends and family have had no idea what baby name they liked until the baby arrived and some still struggled.
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    There is no rule you HAVE to know what name you'll choose to name the baby prior to arrival. H_I my parents named my sister,
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    forgot what they named her when filling out paperwork and named her something different.
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funny names family drama aita baby baby names AITAH names family sister funny
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