Choosing a baby name is always difficult for new parents. There is so much to consider and it has to be the right decision as there is no going back.
In recent times, more and more parents have been opting for unusual names, referencing television series, celebrities, and nature. While you might be more than happy with the naming, some more unique names are bound to come under scrutiny by friends and family.
And one woman has shared her outrage over a family friend's choice of name for her baby - and even mistook it for their dog. The confusion unfolded during a family catch-up on Boxing Day when the woman's niece was talking about their friend's newborn.
Sharing her shock on Reddit - under the heading 'I honestly thought it was a dog' - she explained: "Boxing day the whole family got together for a catchup, and my niece starts talking about a friend and how "Oakley" keeps keeping her (her friend) up at night.
"I asked if Oakley was a dog, she said no, it's her friend's baby. I then ask what its gender was. She goes, "Prepare to be disappointed... it's a girl."
Arguing it sounded more like a boy's name, she added: "Well technically I would have been disappointed either way, but I'd say it sounds more masculine. At least it's spelled correctly (I asked for clarification) and they didn't butcher it by spelling it Oakleigh."
She continued to explain that the unusual moniker is in fact in memory of the mum's grandma, who was named Bonnie.
However the woman and others on the forum were left confused about the relevance to their relative.
"Apparently the name is in honour of her (her friend's) grandma who was named Bonnie," she added.
"Even more bizarre is that she herself wasn't named after an outlaw, and it's not like Annie was right there. And there are other outlaw names they could have gone with... Pearl (Hart), (Calamity) Jane etc."
Finally, sharing her disgust for the name choice, she added: "It's names like these that honestly make me want to question my faith in humanity. If one of my own friends did this I would seriously cut them off and/or drag them to a brain surgeon."
Many commented on the thread sharing their confusion of how they came to Oakley from Bonnie, with one responding: "It's quite a reach to go from Bonnie to Oakley.
"They just wanted to name their kid Oakley but they knew it's a stupid name so they tried to retroactively hand-wave it by inventing a myth about how it's 'in honor of her friend's grandma.'"
The woman who shared the story then chipped in: "I do agree that Bonnie >>>> Oakley is a bit of a stretch. I didn't want to offend by asking if the grandma was still alive as to say 'why not just name her Bonnie?'".
However one Reddit user suggested the following theory: "Both outlaws. Bonnie Parker (as in Bonnie and Clyde) and Annie Oakley."
Others spoke about how popular the name was becoming but with different spellings, with one saying: "Hahah my baby cousin is named Oakley and our grandma calls him 'okily dokily'" and another confirming: "That name's getting ridiculously popular.
"I know of 2 Oakleys, 1 Oaklee, and 1 Oaklea. All but 1 of the Oakleys are girls".
A few others commented about the dogs they know named Oakley, with one saying: "My rescue dog's name was Oakley when we got him!"
Do you have an unusual name that you grew up hating? Email saffron.otter@reachplc.com
