Why would a father give two of his children the exact same name? Users on Reddit wondered the same thing when an 18-year-old named Roseanne posted that her father, who she's never been very close to, got remarried and he and his new wife decided to give their new baby girl the exact same name she has.
The teen explained the situation in her post to Reddit's AITA forum. “I (f18) have never had a close relationship with my dad. My parents didn't want to have children but a mistake happened, i do have his last name but he was never present in my life until last year and i'm currently staying with him. My dad has a new wife and i met her last year, we don't really like each other. Now she is pregnant, the baby will be born in June around my birthday."
Like most expectant parents, they've put a lot of thought into the new baby's name.
Most parents put a lot of consideration into naming their baby, such as how the first name will sound with the last name, possible nicknames that may result from the name choice, and even how initials will look monogrammed. Baby names have become more niche and unique in recent years. With so many name choices, why use the same name twice?
Roseanne explained in her post that her stepmom likes roses, so they both want to name the baby Roseanne. She explained how this makes her feel.
“I don't like the idea at all. It will be my exact name and surname. I usually go by Ro or Rosie but i still dislike the name idea," she wrote. "I suggested other similar names, the most obvious being Rose but they don't like anything at all. My step mom says that i'm being selfish because i'm 'jealous' of my dad wanting this baby. My dad is upset at me and says i should be mature and not gatekeep a name.”
Roseanne isn't sure if she's just being too sensitive about the situation.
At the end of her post, she asked Reddit users for their advice. “I honestly don't know who is in the right here. AITA?”
Redditors responded to Roseanne's post with support and empathy.
“I can't wrap my head around it. Where I live it is illegal to name syblings with at least one common parent exactly the same," one commenter wrote. "That is crazy.”
Someone else agreed. “Is this for real? If they do this your relationship should be over. It’s extremely disrespectful. NTA. PS of course, decide what you want about the relationship — I’m just so angry on your behalf.”
Is that even legal?
Other commenters pointed out the legal repercussions of having two children with the same first name and last name.
“Also, there’s a good chance you’ll run into issues later having the same name. It’s not uncommon for people with the same name who are closely related to be mistaken for each other by credit bureaus and the like,” one person wrote.
It might be time for a clean break.
The general consensus among many of the commenters was for Roseanne to cut off contact with her father and stepmother altogether and then to legally change her name.
“NTA Tell them that you give your full support to them using the name, then go change your surname and never speak to them again," one Redditor suggested.
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