Family traditions can be a beautiful way for families to connect. Whether it's yearly holidays together or heirlooms and recipes passed down from generation to generation, customs matter to some families. But where does one draw the line if they don't feel like participating in a family tradition?
This man broke the family tradition of naming kids after months of the year. In doing so, he brought the family's wrath upon him, and so, he decided to ask the opinion of people on the Internet: was he a jerk for not keeping up the family naming tradition?
A new dad decided to break the family tradition and name his son "Tobias"
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
His family expected him to name his baby after a month of the year and got mad when he didn't
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
Image source: User593768
Parents have the last say when it comes to a baby's name, not the grandparents, aunts, or uncles
It's not unusual for parents to name their babies after family members. Whether they decide on it themselves or cave into family pressure, 20% of parents say they named their children after a family member or an ancestor. While it may be uncomfortable and cause family drama, parents should be the ones to decide what to name their child.
If parents suspect that the family might react negatively to the baby's name, experts recommend not sharing it. Although the advice from a considerable number of commenters under the OP's post was the opposite, parenting experts suggest keeping it to yourself if you know family members will have a difficult time accepting it. Licensed therapist and parenting coach Tammy Gold says: "Don't share if the feedback could be upsetting."
If the parents do, however, share the baby's name with grandparents and extended family members ahead of the birth, they can let everybody know that they've made their decision and won't be changing their minds.
For more clarity, parents can also explain their decision. If the grandparents or other family members are upset, let them know that not choosing a family name doesn't mean you don't respect them or the family traditions.
In the end, a name shouldn't be the most important thing about a new family member. As mental health counselor Peta-Gaye Sandiford, LMHC, explains, parents should "redirect the focus on the positive role they will be having in the baby's life" instead.
The most popular month names are August and June, with October and September having way less fans
Image credits: Tuva Mathilde Løland (not the actual photo)
The most popular names in 2024 were Olivia and Noah, according to Baby Central. But naming your baby after a month of the year isn't that unusual either. The most popular weather-related names, however, are seasonal names.
According to Been Verified, there have been more than 35k girls named Autumn in the last 10 years, and 64 boys. Summer is the second most popular seasonal name, with over 17k Summers being born in the past decade. Winter and Spring are less popular, with 8,000 and 218 girls sporting these names, respectively.
When it comes to months, August is the most popular name for both boys and girls. June comes in second, with 14k baby girls and 326 boys getting these names in the last decade. Surprisingly, April and May are in third and fourth places, with 7,000 and just over 1,000 baby girls having these names, respectively.
October and September aren't as popular as these aforementioned names. There were only 534 girl Octobers and 75 boy Octobers in the last 10 years. And only 285 girls were named September.
Researchers from UCL have found that weather and geography affect what names parents give their babies. April, for example, is the most popular month name for girls in the South, where spring comes earliest.
In the northern states like Massachusetts and New York, June is the most popular girl name. These states still get frost until mid-May, so, the researchers concluded that parents tend to choose names of the months they associate with spring and new life.
People sided with the new dad: "I don't see why you should be bullied into something you don't want"
But some pointed out that he could've handled the situation better: "You should have told them upfront"
