Picking a name for your expectant baby is an exciting but daunting task - and it's made much more challenging if your loved ones don't like it. Bella Davis, 18, found herself having to justify her six-month-old daughter's name to her family, after they mistook it for a car manufacturer.
Bella and her boyfriend, Reason Robison, 20, fell in love with the name Polaris - another name for the North Star - before their baby girl was born last July. But despite the couple loving it, relatives had their doubts. Stay-at-home mum Bella said: "When we told our friends and family almost everyone didn't like it.
"A lot of people thought of the car manufacturing company, Polaris Inc, who sell all terrain vehicles.
"My sister absolutely hated it but once Polaris was born, she's started to like it a bit more.
"A lot of people have warmed to it since, my mum said she liked it, but I don't know if she was lying to me.
"I've had a lot of people online who don't like it as well."
After sharing her little girl's name on TikTok, Bella received a lot of backlash with trolls claiming the moniker "sounds like a disease".
"A lot of the comments are saying she'd be bullied in school for her name and that it's ugly," Bella said.
"I've just stopped reading the comments now because they're too hateful.
"I don't really care but it's also not very nice to hear at the same time."
The name had a personal meaning to the young couple, as they first bonded over a love of astronomy and would go stargazing together on their dates.
Bella recalled how Reason had pointed to the North Star, or Polaris, just before asking her to be his girlfriend.
Despite the backlash, Bella and Reason claim they don't regret naming their daughter Polaris - pronounced as 'Pol-air-is' - and encourage parents to "go for it" if they like an unusual name.
Bella said: "I've never once regretted naming her Polaris.
"To all the people online, I'd say it's not your kid and you shouldn't give your opinion unless it's wanted because the things people say do hurt and it's unnecessary.
"I'd definitely say to other parents that if you love a name then go for it.
"Your opinion is all that matters and at the end of the day it's your decision. There's no name in the world that everyone's going to like.
"And to the people who say she'll be bullied - I think kids will be mean either way and if they're mean about her name then they're not very good friends anyway."
Does your baby have an unusual name? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
