Did you know in some countries it’s actually against the law to give kids strange names? Like, the government literally has to approve you kids name. They legally won’t allow it.
But not in the good ole’ USA! We can name our kids pretty much anything here, and that’s where our story starts.
The person who posted on Reddit had a particularly embarrassing name, and they decided to change it… but they didn’t tell their parents. And now that they’re getting married, things are getting awkward.
Let’s take a look…
AITA for keeping my name change a secret for five years?
So, my (26F) parents decided to name my sister and I after American states. I have permission to share her name (Arizona) and I was called Pennsylvania at birth.
Yea, my parents are weird. I guess they thought geographical names were cool, but I think there’s a huge difference between calling your child Arizona or Dakota or Paris Vs Pennsylvania. They’re massive Republicans and America lovers so maybe they wanted to be patriotic.
She definitely didn’t like the name, and chose to use a different one.
For as long as I can remember, everyone has called me Penn or Penny. My parents insisted that everyone was to call me by my full name, but most people could see how ridiculous my parents are.
My sister (28F) didn’t struggle as much with her name since Arizona just sounds better than Pennsylvania, and the Grey’s anatomy character Arizona Robbins made the name seem quite cool as we got older.
I was mocked and teased as a child in elementary school because of my parents insistence on my full name. They would literally berate my teachers for letting me write ‘Penny’ on my work/books.
Then she made it official.
When I was 21, I got my name legally changed to Penelope. Most people I had met in college had assumed that I went by Penny as a nickname for Penelope. Even my boyfriend’s mother called me Penelope because I was too embarrassed to tell her that Penny was short for Pennsylvania.
I kept it a secret from my parents and close family because I knew my parents would go mental and accuse me of disrespecting their choice.
I’m getting married this summer to my lovely boyfriend Tom (31M) and as you all know, you have to say your full name in your wedding ceremony when doing your vows. I knew I had to fess up about the name change because the alternative would be hoping they kept quiet when they heard me say ‘I, Penelope’ instead of ‘I, Pennsylvania’.
Yeah, things didn’t go well.
I invited them over to my home and I tried to tell them in a really calm way that I had changed my name but they freaked out. They said that I was disrespectful, I was calling their choice dumb etc.
They are refusing to attend the wedding now.
I know I’m not the AH for changing my name, but my parents are particularly angry about how I kept it hidden for five years before telling them.
And it seems like she’s not getting a lot of support.
Most people I know agree with them. They think that I should’ve had the courage to be honest with them years ago so they would’ve had time to get used to it instead of me dropping the news on them two months before my wedding and causing all this drama.
A few other family members have dropped out and my poor sister (who is maid of honor) is having a nightmare with this. My parents believe they had the right to know much earlier.
AITA?
I didn’t expect for people to get so bent out of shape for somebody using a name they’d basically used their entire life, but maybe I’m just not seeing it.
Let’s see what folks on Reddit had to say.
This person thought the parents are just itching for a fight.
But you don’t necessarily HAVE to tell them…
Yeah, the parents are definitely not well liked on Reddit.
Pro tip… if you give your kid a weird name, expect them to want to change it.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.