It's always a difficult choice for parents to choose a fitting name for their baby, but when it's finally stuck, it's seemingly impossible to think of calling their little one anything else.
However, when a child ages and grows into an adult, they might find that the name doesn't represent them truly and may debate having it changed.
Taking to popular forum site Reddit, one woman explained that she felt negative connotations towards her birth name and has decided to appoint a new name for herself - but her parents are refusing to use it.
She explained: "Let's say my parents named me N. My parents named me N because one of them had a dream before the other was pregnant that they were going have a girl called N."
The woman went on: "Fast forward years later, I grow up and go through bullying in school for unrelated reasons. I can't stand being called N cause how it reminded me of how other kids would call me out for anything, rumours about me, weekly threats, etc. I explore gender identity along with healing with trauma and start going by 'Z'.
"Everybody I know calls me Z. My current friends, my friends of more than 8+ years, my teachers, and my therapist. My parents know about me going by Z and refuse to call me by it. I either get exasperated sighs or light anger whenever I am able to sign documents or other things with my chosen name.
"One of them says that it's hard for them and that I need to be patient but how can I be patient if they aren't even trying? I went through my friends deadnaming me at first but eventually, they all remembered and got the memo, meanwhile, my parents haven't uttered my name once on their lips.
"They say it's hard and it causes them pain because I'm rejecting them and that they gave me my name with so much love. I know that completely. To hold your baby in your arms and claim it yours with a name. But I'm also in pain as well. I've had this discussion about my name at least four times and every time I seem to get nowhere at all.
"It hurts because I've told them multiple times that the name N makes me unhappy and it feels like they are saying it even more to make me upset. I ask to be called my name Z, the name I want and they always respond with N. I've tried ignoring them or trying to get back at them by calling them things they don't like so they can see how it feels but they don't care.
"I'm starting to feel confused and selfish that I want them to call me Z. I thought about bribing them with chores around the house so they can say Z ('I'll do all the [random chore] for a week if they say 'Z can you do the [random chore]'')
" hate that I can't let this go and pushing on the decision they've already made up on. Everybody else I know approved of me being called Z, I am much more relaxed and happier when I'm called by Z. I'm probably going to get my name legally changed to Z anyways."
Seeking advice for her dilemma, the woman questioned: "Am I the a**hole for trying to force my parents to call me by my chosen name??"
After sharing her concerns online, Reddit users flocked to the comment section to assure the woman that she wasn't being unreasonable.
One person wrote: "Not the a**hole - parent of two, one who's 21 and the other is five. If my kid asked me to call them the Queen of England to make them feel comfortable or happy, I don't give a f***, I'm going to do it."
Meanwhile, a second user penned: "Not the a**hole. One of mine has wanted to change their name for the last 20 years and has tried different ones over this time. As a parent, yes, I wish they wanted the one I had chosen, it was symbolic and important to me. But, at the end of the day, they f****** hate the name I gave them."
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