Inspiration for baby names can come from a variety of different places, and it's not unusual for parents to name their little one after someone that has had significance in their own lives - such as a relative or a close friend. But one man has been roasted by his sister after he revealed he plans to name his baby after a character from his favourite cartoon series.
The woman explained her brother and his wife bonded over the Japanese animated series Dragon Ball Z when they first met, and so when his wife fell pregnant, they decided to honour the part the show had played in their relationship by naming their daughter after one of the characters.
The couple has chosen to name their impending arrival Videl, but the dad-to-be's sister has told them that while it's a pretty name, their daughter is likely to be "made fun of" or even "bullied" because of the cartoon connection.
In a post on Reddit, she said: "I know it sounds s****y, but hear me out. My brother Robin met Valerie back in their freshman year of college. Apparently, they bonded over Dragon Ball Z, as my brother's a massive fan of that show and its franchise. They started dating a month later, and they got married right after college graduation.
"We found out that Robin and Valerie were expecting back in January, and our entire family was excited, including my sister Maggie. We later found out it was a girl, and Maggie and I were both excited about being aunts, while our parents couldn't wait to be grandparents.
"My dad turned 55 yesterday, so me, my mum, Maggie, Robin, and Valerie got together at our parents' house to celebrate. Maggie and I asked Valerie about her pregnancy, and she excitedly stated she and Robin had decided on a name. We eagerly asked what it was, and Valerie said that she and Robin wanted to honour Dragon Ball Z with it being their first-ever conversation and something they've bonded over in the years.
"She told us their baby girl would be named Videl. I was kinda flabbergasted, and I could tell Maggie was too. I said that I wasn't trying to be rude and that I'm only trying to look out for Robin, Valerie, and the kid, but that they should consider another name. Valerie looked confused as she asked why. I said that it's a pretty name, but given it's from a cartoon, people will probably be quick to make fun of her or bully her."
The woman's words left her brother and his wife upset, and she was told that while she might not have liked the name, she could have been nicer about vocalising her thoughts.
She added: "Valerie literally looked like she was about to burst into tears as she got up and went up to Robin. She told Robin they were leaving because I shamed their baby's name. I tried to explain the whole thing to Robin, but he wasn't having any of it and he and Valerie left.
"Maggie agreed with me the name was weird, but I could've gone about a much better way of vocalising it. My parents think I should've just kept my mouth shut. Robin's really p***ed at me, as he's sent angry texts accusing me of embarrassing Valerie. I get that I was a bit harsh, but she's making it sound like I tore her a new one or something."
Commenters on the post were largely on the side of the parents, as many pointed out that Videl isn't the most bizarre of name choices, and they should be free to name their child however they please.
One person said: "It's not like they're naming the kid 'Dragonball'. It's a completely normal, pretty name that nobody who isn't part of the fandom will know is a reference. Apologise."
While another added: "Sometimes it’s appropriate to point out a particularly unfortunate name choice. This isn’t one of those times. Videl is a really pretty and unique name. Sharing a name with a cartoon character isn’t automatically going to lead to bullying."
And a third wrote: "Every name was a 'weird' name at some point in time. You have every right to dislike the name, but there's absolutely no reason to make negative comments about it, especially in front of others."
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