'Really Awful': New Mom Slammed for Naming Kid After Sister's Late Husband

Members of a popular internet forum were left stunned after one expecting mother detailed the recent baby-naming controversy sparked by her also-pregnant sister.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/Oxandri (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said her husband, "Rodrigo," died three months ago and recounted the devastating moment she learned her sister had named her child after him.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for telling my sister she can't name her baby after my dead husband?" the post has received nearly 10,000 votes and 1,100 comments in the last day.

Writing that she is eight months pregnant with her first child, the original poster said that following her husband's death, she moved back in with her parents and assured they have been "very supportive."

The original poster also said that her 28-year-old sister, who also lives with her parents, just gave birth five days ago and shocked the entire family when she revealed her new baby's name.

"We were going to name [our] baby Alex, and I am still going with that, plus Rodrigo as a middle name," OP wrote. "My sister never discussed baby names with me or the family, she just said she loves Hispanic names (we are white Americans, my husband was Mexican)."

"Yesterday she came back home with the baby and introduced us all to 'baby boy Rodrigo,'" OP continued. "I started crying and told her that's really awful of her. My mother comforted me and told my sister she is way out of line with the name."

"My sister says I don't own the name...and I am going with Rodrigo [as] a middle name anyway, not a first, so it won't be a problem," OP concluded. "I told my sister to change the name to literally anything else."

While deciding on a baby name can be a contentious process even for the child's parents, naming issues become much more sensitive when late loved ones are involved.

In an article plainly titled "Why someone might steal your baby name," BabyCenter expert Evonne Lack Bradford said that sometimes, two babies with the same name is a coincidence and that sometimes, it's an "accidental robbery."

Other times, however, psychologist and relationship expert Dale Atkins asserts that two babies with the same name is the result of intentional theft, often driven by one or more ulterior motives.

"Sometimes people do it because they're jockeying for position within the family," Atkins told BabyCenter. "Like when expectant moms compete to honor a loved one's memory."

Atkins also told BabyCenter that, in cases of stolen baby names, the best resolutions come from difficult but necessary conversations.

"Sit down with the other person and explain that her choice was hurtful to you because you had your heart set on the name and trusted her with that information," he said.

But where Atkins additionally recommends that both parties work towards forgiveness, the original poster made it clear that her sister's brazen behavior is unforgivable and that her baby's name needs to be changed.

Many Reddit users agree.

Throughout the comment section of the viral post, Redditors swiftly sided with the original poster and called out her sister for naming her child after OP's late husband without any semblance of permission.

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/Primary-Criticism wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 16,000 votes. "Her kid doesn't have an identity yet. But she sounds so selfish, she will never do it."

"Do yourself a favor and find your own place before giving birth and move out," they added.

Redditor u/Capable-Beginnings633, whose comment has received nearly 3,500 votes, questioned the original poster's sister for choosing such a personal name for her child without first consulting her grieving sister.

"While you can't own a name it still feels wrong to name your kid the same name as your sister's dead husband without talking about it first," they wrote. "Especially if he died so recently."

"It could have been a kindness if OP and her sister [were] close and this was approached very differently," Redditor u/Illustrious_Age8289 proposed. "But I can't help but think she was being purposely hurtful by not seeking permission first."

In a separate comment, which has received more than 2,000 votes, Redditor u/triptastica offered a simple, yet scathing response.

"Your sister is a sick and twisted person," they wrote. "At that point, she shouldn't be considered family."

"[Not the a**hole] but your sister is," they added.