Wife Wants to Name Baby Girl “Peterson” – Husband Horrified
The Original Post
Hey everyone, this isnāt my main account but Iāve posted about my own relationship on here in the past so I figured I would keep that trend going lol
So I married my wife within the last 2 years, got pregnant fast, and are now expecting, we are due in 4 months!
Weāve been having a healthy back and forth over baby name discussions for months now, each with veto power over names we truly hate and we have a few that we both really love.
Recently though, she decided, without me, that she knows exactly what she wants to name her. She wants our daughter to be named her own maiden name.
To me, thatās not exactly an issue, but the name isnāt really something you would give someone as a first name, let alone for a baby girl. (Think very common last name that doesnāt get used as a first name, like Wright, Sullivan, Reynolds)
I love my wife, I love her given name, I didnāt even care if she decided to take my last name and I made that very clear to her, but she chose to do so, which I love!
I donāt want to insult my beloved, especially when sheās in such a vulnerable place, but I really really donāt like that pick as a first name. I tried telling her that as kindly as I could, but she seemed deeply offended and gets really upset when I bring it up because to her, she wants to give the child a piece of her.
I try to offer compromise, like we could use it as a middle name, or we could even give the baby her middle name as a way to pass part of her name down. We could even hyphenate her last name to have both of ours. But she is dead set on this, and of course I really donāt want to be a dick here, and sheās putting her body through so much to bring our first and maybe only child into the world.
I love and respect my wife so much, but this name choice is something that feels so so wrong to me and I feel like I am powerless here.
Is there anything I can do? If she has her way, our baby will have two obvious last names and in my opinion it will sound very silly and not like a name you are giving someone to set them up for future success, but I am terrified of hurting my wife. Any advice greatly appreciated.
ETA: fuck it, the name is Peterson. My wife wants to name our daughter Peterson.
What Reddit Said
Reddit overwhelmingly supported the husband’s concerns about naming a baby girl Peterson. Most commenters agreed that while honoring family heritage is important, using a surname as a first name can burden a child. However, they also emphasized the need for gentle communication during pregnancy.
Many Redditors suggested the husband’s compromise ideas were reasonable and fair. They pointed out that the wife’s refusal to consider middle name options or hyphenated surnames showed inflexibility. In fact, several users noted that good parenting requires thinking about the child’s future rather than just personal sentiment.
The Verdict
The consensus was clear: the husband is not wrong to object when his wife wants baby named Peterson as a first name. This represents a classic case of family drama where both parents must compromise for their child’s wellbeing. Reddit advised continued gentle discussion while emphasizing that parenting decisions should prioritize the child’s future over personal preferences.
Original post from r/relationship_advice (1,418 upvotes, 1,189 comments)