A Man Sparks Debate Online Over Calling His Sister A “Sh*tty Parent” For Her Baby Name Pick

There is no question that naming a child is one of the most important decisions a parent makes. A name can shape and define who a person is for their entire life. That is typically why many parents opt for traditional names that will help their bundle of joy ease into the world.

However, there are some parents who opt for more out-of-the-box names. And as one man highlighted in a recent “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit thread, such unorthodox name choices can result in resentful kids and years of teasing.

The man posed this question to the AITA forum: Was he wrong for giving his sister an earful after learning what she planned to name her daughter?

First, the original poster (OP) notes that the entire concept of naming a child is a “touchy” subject for him because his “hippy parents” named him a more feminine name in an attempt to “stick it to the man.”

However, for the OP, the name only led to years of torment and bullying from his classmates. He also notes that the name affected his professional life as well.

“My sister is pregnant with her first child. A girl. She and her husband are ecstatic, it just sucks that she inherited my parent's stupid propensity to see their children as fashion statements,” he wrote. “Last night, she revealed to the family the name of her daughter.”

He then goes on to reveal the less-than-conventional name his sister has decided to name her daughter, and the choice is definitely bold.

“It’s Krxstxl. She wants to name her daughter Krxstxl,” he continued. “Confused, the name is pronounced Crystal. I already don’t like that name but it’s at least appropriate. I was not surprised to learn that my mom helped come up with the name.”

He then writes how after learning the baby girl’s soon-to-be name, he voiced his strong opinion, begging his sister to change the spelling of the name at the very least.

“She tried to explain to me why the x’s are there and I just told her it does not matter. She’s naming a human, not a dog. I don’t care what kind of fashion statement she’s trying to make, this is a person who will have to live with that name until they die or has it changed,” he wrote.

He went far enough to tell his sister that she and her husband were being “sh*tty parents” by naming their daughter Krxtxl. “I told my sister she was being either selfish, stupid, or an incredibly strong combination of the two if she thinks her daughter will want a stupid name like Krxstxl,” he wrote.

“My sister is not taking it well at all and my mom is furious with me. I’m starting to wonder if I was too harsh. I will not change my opinion on that incredibly stupid name. But I’m wondering if branding her as a sh*tty parent was too far.”

Several Reddit users sided with the frustrated brother, saying that the name choice was out of line.

One wrote, “As someone who changed their name the moment they turned 18, you’re right. She is stupid. You’re not the a**hole. It’s a horrendous name that will do nothing but get the child bullied.”

“It’s not ‘unique’ or cute. Her child is not an accessory. I personally think stupid crap like this should fall under child abuse.”

Another agreed with the OP that the spelling of the name was over the top. “NTA- Let’s get one thing straight here. ‘Krxstxl’ is not, will not be, and shouldn’t be assumed to be pronounced ‘Chrystal.’ Real life is not algebra class, The letter X is not a placeholder for whatever sound they think should be there. Newsflash, that’s what letters are for,” they wrote.

One Reddit user brought up the point that a name like Krxstxl will only complicate the child’s life. “NTA - I try to imagine how many people will this child try to explain to how it’s spelled... After she finally learns it herself...It’s an unnecessary stress that the parents want to add to the child - just because they think they’re cool, unique and they wrongly ‘assume’ that people will be jealous of their bright idea,” they wrote.

Others weren’t so keen on the OP’s delivery of his thoughts on the name to his sibling. “Yes, YTA. Saying you don’t like the name is fine. Being an AH about it and projecting your issues onto someone else is something completely different,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another user echoed the sentiment — noting that maybe the OP was a little sensitive to the name because of his distaste for his own name.

They wrote, “YTA even though I don’t think you’re wrong. You’re very passionate about not liking your name, as you said, it’s a touchy subject for you and in my experience, when something is touchy, sometimes that means that we don’t handle it as well as we could because it’s difficult to separate emotions and experiences from expression genuine concern.”

“I would never say that your sister is being a ‘sh*tty parent,’ yes, the name is unfortunate but that in no way makes her and her husband bad parents. Calling someone a bad parent is also very touchy and immediately causes them to shut down to the point you’re trying to make.”

There’s little debate over whether or not this name choice is going to bring some complications to this little girl’s life However, this choice is up to the parents — despite the strong feelings it may invoke from others.