When it comes to dating, everyone has a check list of things they're searching for in a partner - whether they realise it or not. But one man has been left feeling "really shallow" after marking a 'red flag' against his girlfriend's name for something she can't help.
He explained how he hates his girlfriend's name so much that he avoids using it in conversation - despite knowing her name "means a lot to her". The 26-year-old said: "My girlfriend of six months is named Zelda. Her parents were huge literary geeks, and her mum had a particular interest in the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, and to a lesser extent, her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald.
"The name means a lot to her because her mum passed when she was 10 and she felt very in touch with her because of the name."
After meeting Zelda at a work convention, he thought her name would grow on him - but sadly for him, it didn't.
He added: "We have so much in common. We both love our work, have interests in maths and science, enjoy learning, love to read, love the same drinks, the same foods. We have our lively debates which I really appreciate.
"She likes to challenge me everyday, and I value that a lot. I can see myself spending the rest of my life with her.
"We both want to be married and have two kids, both want to live in a nice house in the suburbs, both want a nice big yard, both want a cat and a dog.
"We're compatible in all the best ways, and where we disagree, we like to turn it into a nice and spirited debate, but still respect each other.
"I love her. I just can't get over her name."
He admitted to calling her by "pet names" and "weird nicknames" simply to avoid saying her real name because he dislikes it so much.
He said: "I just feel so weird calling her Zelda. It reminds me of Legend of Zelda, and I don't like the games, and my first thought is always 'Who names their kid after a video game?'
"But then I have to remind myself that it's not after a video game, it's after a great author and I just need to get over it. But I can't. I hate the name!
"It just feels so wrong to me, and I want to like it. I think it's a beautiful story and I'm glad it connects her so deeply to her mother, but I don't know how."
Branding himself as "shallow" for his strong dislike toward her name, he asked Reddit users for advice on how he can "warm up to it".
He added: "I just can't get past it - and no, I'm not considering breaking up with her over it. I think it's such a weird, kind of clunky name.
"I just need to know how I can warm up to it or get more acquainted with the name. I want this to work, and I don't like to wince every time my girlfriend's name is used."
Offering their advice, one user said: "Why do you feel the need to actively like your partner's name? Most people feel neutral about their partner's name. It's just a name.
"As for the active dislike of the name - why in the world would you actively dislike any name?
"Zelda is actually a pretty normal name, a bit dated, but it's not like her parents named her something that's not recognisable as a name.
"My advice to you is to not think about whether you like it or not. It's her name and you love her."
Another user added: "I'm not particularly fond of most names of people I meet, but I don't hate them either. For my boyfriend, I rarely call him by his name.
"I think you have tunnel vision on this issue and need to work through how to let it go."
A third user said: "Have you read anything by the author(s)? Maybe if you found some of their stuff you like you could connect to some of the love her mom had for the work and from there, to the name."
Do you have a strange story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
