My sister Sofia, who’s 34, is expecting her first child, and I’m genuinely happy for her. She’s had a tough few years, so seeing her so excited about becoming a mom has been heartwarming. That said, her excitement has taken a bit of an odd turn—she’s decided on a baby name that, in my opinion, is borderline cruel.
The name? M’leigha Seraphynne. Yes, spelled exactly like that. Sofia insists it’s pronounced “Mah-lay-uh Seraphine,” but she’s adamant about keeping the “unique” spelling because, in her words, “normal names are boring, and my daughter deserves to stand out.”
When she told me, I was so caught off guard that I blurted out, “Are you serious?” Sofia looked hurt and asked why I didn’t like it, so I (probably too bluntly) said, “Because it sounds like a Wi-Fi password.” That didn’t go over well. She immediately got defensive, saying I was being judgmental and unsupportive, and that “no one else” had a problem with the name. (Side note: I later found out our dad laughed out loud when he first heard it but tried to play it off.)
I tried to recover and tread carefully, explaining that I thought the spelling was going to make her daughter’s life unnecessarily difficult. Teachers, doctors, employers—everyone would mispronounce it or spell it wrong. Sofia fired back that it’s her child, and I don’t get a say. She said I needed to “get with the times” because kids today have unique names and “no one cares anymore.”
Things came to a head at a family dinner when Sofia brought up the name again. I made the mistake of saying, “You know, you’re naming a person, not a fairy in a fantasy novel.” That was the last straw for her. She stormed out of the room, and now she’s refusing to speak to me unless I apologize for “mocking her creativity.”
Our dad is wisely staying out of it, but my stepmom thinks I crossed a line and should just let Sofia name her child whatever she wants. I get that it’s her decision, and I do want to support her, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s prioritizing her desire for a “unique” name over her daughter’s future.
So, am I the jerk for being honest about the name, or should I have kept my opinion to myself and let her figure this out on her own?
