A mother who named her baby after lockdown says she has ‘no regrets’ over the unusual choice.
Jodi Cross, 36, fell pregnant with her first daughter during the second coronavirus lockdown in 2021 after a year of trying to start a family.
Ms Cross and her husband, Rob, 26, wanted an unusual name for their baby to remember the lockdown. So they named their baby girl, born on 28 November 2021, ‘Lockie’.
Hairdresser Ms Cross Jodi said lockdown was a “really good time” in their lives despite the pandemic - and they named daughter after it. The mother-of-one said although it might surprise people, she has “no regrets” over their name choice.
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Ms Cross, from Wixams, Bedfordshire, said: “We had been trying for a year to get pregnant and lockdown meant I was furloughed and Rob was working less.
“I think we just relaxed a bit because we had so much more time than we normally would, and then we found out I was pregnant.
“When she was born there was the new strain of Covid coming about - Omicron - so we knew she'd be a lockdown baby.
“So we named her Lockie for lockdown - we really liked the name, and lockdown was a good time in our lives because it was so relaxing. People might not like the name, but I don't care what they think.
“We know lots of people didn’t enjoy lockdown but for us, it was a good time.”
Ms Cross said her and husband Rob reconnected on Tinder in 2019 after attending school together and were in the same class. They began speaking and ended up meeting at a local pub for a catch-up.
Romance quickly blossomed between the pair and they started dating - until coronavirus struck and the country hit a standstill in March 2020 as the nationwide lockdown in the UK began.
Ms Cross explained at the time that at the time, she and Rob were living separately, so Rob - who has one child from a previous relationship - moved into her flat with her.
The couple was overjoyed after marrying in secret when Ms Cross was seven months pregnant with Lockie.
Ms Cross explained that Lockie’s name was not only based on lockdown but several coincidences leading up to her birth where the word repeatedly appeared, the couple said.
“There was a girl who came into the salon whose surname was Lockey at the time we were considering names - and then we got married in Gretna Green in Scotland, where there are lots of locks,” Ms Cross said.
“The primary reason was definitely lockdown, but the name just felt right.”
“You never know, other people might hear our story now - and next year it might be the most popular baby name.”
Noah and Olivia were the most popular names for boys and girls in 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Oliver dropped to second place having been the most popular boys’ name for eight years, while Olivia topped the girls’ list for the sixth year in succession.
