What’s in a name…?

Well, apparently, a lot!

A teenager wrote a story on Reddit and asked if he’d doing anything wrong by refusing to take his stepfather’s last name.

Read what he had to say below and see what you think.

AITA for not taking my stepdad’s last name?

“My stepdad married my mom when I (16,m) was 7.

Before the wedding my mom and stepdad asked me if I’d like to change my name when mom changed hers.

They said there was no pressure and I didn’t need to answer right away.

No, thanks.

But I knew my answer when they asked and I told them I didn’t want to change my name.

I think for a 7 year old I said it clearly without freaking out or anything.

But the whole no pressure thing wasn’t so true because my mom looked sad and my stepdad suggested I think about it for a bit longer.

I said I didn’t need to because I liked my name and didn’t want to change any part of it.

It wasn’t the only time they asked me.

Right now we’re standing at maybe 12ish times they asked me.

Give it a rest!

Each time they tried saying it a different way.

From would I like to have the same name as the rest of my family to would I like to be a their last name and then it went back to would I like my stepdad’s last name.

My mom tried asking me once if I’d like to have the name of the only dad I ever knew.

Because my dad passed away when I was one and I don’t remember him.

I was close with my grandparents from him before they both passed away.

My grandma passed away a few months ago.

Man…

My stepdad waited a few weeks after grandma passed and then he asked me again, without mom.

He told me how much it would mean to him and how I didn’t have anyone the name connected to me now so wouldn’t I like to be connected to him and the rest of the family in name.

I told him I needed mom there and I told them I needed them to stop.

That they keep asking and I keep saying the same thing.

I said it doesn’t matter if I don’t remember dad, or if the family I was closest to on that side are all gone now, it’s still my name and I don’t want to change that.

I told them I’m tired of them asking me and if they ask again I’ll leave as soon as I can and I won’t give them the chance to ask me again.

I told them it’s how serious I am about this.

That I know they don’t want to lose me so please drop it.

My mom took me out for pizza and ice cream a few days after that talk and she said she wanted to ask me why I’m so against the name change not asking me to change my name so I couldn’t follow through on my promise for it.

She told me she just wants to understand because she can’t get me rejecting the name of the only dad I’ve ever known.

I told her she’s looking at it wrong.

He got real with his mom.

She asked me how and I said he’s not the only dad I’ve ever known because he’s not my dad.

He’s a father figure and he’s my stepdad and dad to my half siblings but he was never my dad.

I told her I don’t remember my dad but to me he’s still the only dad I have.

She said people take stepparents names all the time for different reasons and I said they do but even more don’t.

I told her I just didn’t want to.

That there isn’t a good reason for me to do it and it’s not some huge deal.

Mom said it’s a huge deal when I won’t even consider changing my name and can’t give a better reason.

She also said I should never tell my stepdad what I said to her because it would break his heart.

She said he always saw me as his son and he’d be heartbroken to know I don’t see him as an actual dad to me.

And she said I needed to give a lot more consideration to taking my stepdad’s last name because it’s something that will always feel like a big insult to him.

She said he was already angry, which I knew, that my reaction to them asking last time was to say I’d walk away from them.

AITA?”

Here’s what folks had to say on Reddit.

This person didn’t hold back.

Another individual said he’s NTA.

This Reddit user shared their thoughts.

Another individual spoke up.

This Reddit user chimed in.

This young man isn’t going for it!

It should be his decision.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.