A Dad-To-Be Was ‘Fixated’ on Giving His Daughter the ‘Worst Name Ever’ & His Wife’s Update to the Viral Post Has the Internet Abuzz

OK, not to get all Sound of Music on you, but the best place to start this wild ride is at the very beginning. Two months ago, an expectant mom posted on the “Am I The A—hole? (AITA?)” subreddit to rant about her husband wanting to give their baby the “worst name ever.” The woman who originally posted (the “OP”) said that she and her husband Stuart knew that they would name their child Stuart if they had a boy for the sake of family tradition and yada, yada, yada, but when they found out they were having a girl, “things got murky.”

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OP’s husband suggested the name “Stuarta.”

“No, you’re not having a stroke,” she wrote . “Apparently, his logic is that since Stuart ends in ‘t,’ we can just add an ‘a’ to make it feminine.” *Sigh*

“I tried explaining why that doesn’t quite work, how it sounds more like a furniture brand than a human name, how she’d be endlessly correcting people and explaining its origin. He’s adamant though, says it ‘honors’ him while giving our daughter a unique name.”

Other Options

No matter how many alternative names OP offered, her husband was “fixated” on Stuarta.

“I love my husband dearly, and I understand wanting to honor family. But I can’t imagine subjecting our daughter to a lifetime of awkward stares and endless questions … potential bullying and the impact it could have on her self-esteem.”

And so she turned to Reddit to find out if she was being the a—hole for not budging or if there was a compromise she hadn’t considered. The post quickly went viral — with more than 12 thousand Redditors upvoting it and more than 6.4 thousand leaving comments (that also got thousands of interactions).

There were, of course, the conversations about how both parents need to be on board with a baby’s name (Or “If he gets to pick the last name, YOU get to pick the first name. Fair is fair.”) and how misogynistic the tradition was to begin with. And then there were conversations about how maybe they could just use an “S” name instead of the “weird mishmash of sounds” OP’s hubby was suggesting.

“Stuarta is probably one of the worst I’ve ever heard,” one Redditor said. “How into yourself do you have to be to curse your child with such a name?”

Because … STUARTA!!!!

“Stuarta sounds like a pharmaceutical product. (I can hear the commercials now. ‘In some cases, Stuarta can cause headaches, rashes and even death.’),” another said, to which more users wondered if it would be a laxative, yeast infection medication, topical ointment, or antidepressant.

The Update

OP is apparently a saint because it’s not every day that someone comes back and gives an update about their unbelievable drama. But she did, and for that, we give her a round of applause. OP returned to Reddit to announce that after 18 hours of labor (!!!), she delivered a “beautiful, healthy baby girl … [who] already has the most incredible head of dark hair.”

OP then told readers to “buckle up” because — just like her labor — getting through the name situation “might take a minute.” Right before pushing, things got “a little heated” between OP and Stuart.

“Apparently, the stress of contractions made him even more attached to ‘Stuarta.’ He was pacing the room, muttering about ‘family legacy’ while I was doing some very impressive Lamaze breathing exercises,” she wrote .

The stress of contractions. THE STRESS OF CONTRACTIONS! While OP went through waves of intense pain, Stuart was getting more attached to the topical ointment name?!

After OP’s water broke with a “rather impressive pop ,” the nurse — “bless her heart” — started calmly prepping for delivery.

“The second our daughter was out, screaming her little lungs out, a wave of pure, primal love washed over me,” OP wrote. “It was in that moment, staring at this tiny, perfect human being, that the name debate completely evaporated. There was no way I could call this beautiful little girl ‘Stuarta.'”

“So, what did we end up with?” OP asked, building up the suspense.

In what she described as the “haze of postpartum bliss,” she blurted out the first name she thought of: Ella. It’s not her husband’s name or a strange variation of it. It’s the name of the “incredible” nurse who coached her through labor.

“Not exactly the most adventurous choice,” OP said of the name, “but in that moment, it felt perfect. Strong, steady, kind — just like the woman who’d helped bring our daughter into the world.”

How touching is that? And, honestly, I have to disagree with the notion that it’s not adventurous. (Ever heard of Ella of Frell?) The name Ella has English, French, German, and American origins and can mean “all” or “beautiful fairy.”

“Stuart, bless his confused heart, just looked at me, then at our daughter, then back at me again. Finally, he let out a shaky laugh and said, ‘Ella it is.'”

Reddit’s Reaction

OP’s update post is quickly gaining traction and Reddit users have so many feelings.

“I’m so happy you guys could agree on a name,” said one of the top comments. “Ella is a really good and classic name. Well wishes to you and your baby.”

To which someone hilariously responded, “I like Ella too, but I’m surprised OP’s husband didn’t counter with Stuartella.” Redditors are still laughing and throwing out equally awful alternatives. What about Suartess or Stuella De’Ville?

Of course, “Stella” would have been an easy compromise but don’t tell OP’s husband! Ella is a beautiful name and how touching is it that she’s named after someone who delivered her?

“I remember this!” one Redditor said, thrilled to see an update. “So happy everything worked out and you and baby Ella are healthy and happy. Best wishes to all of you! (And thank goodness you all dodged Stuarta!)” And we have to agree on all counts.