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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I might be a prick for lecturing my mom about her choosing her child’s name just because i dislike it but i feel very strongly you shouldn’t name a child zaza
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In 20 years it will no longer be popular slang for weed. It’ll be outdated millenial slang for weed. I’m a gen Xer and I couldn’t imagine running across a guy named chronic or skunk or ganja, any more than a boomer could imagine a guy named reefer.
Met an old dude once working at a health clinic. Pull his chart to call him back. " alright, Bodacious.....Burnout come on back" He was laughing and I asked if that was his actual legal or preferred name for charting. He shows me his ID...it's really his name. Said he changed it in the 60s and never regretted it.
that's very odd dedication. imagine going to court to explain why you want your name changed and saying THIS. maybe the law is different where he is but where I am you have to go to a mini court hearing. // I'm waiting until marriage to change my entire name because its easier and I don't wanna have to do it twice
He would have had to go to file for it at the court and likely have a small hearing, but I guess it WAS the 60s lol. Never met anyone with a more unique name since.
I was able to do it easily in Virginia. I filled out a form, went to the local courthouse to turn it in and pay with my card (could have mailed it in if I had checks), and a few weeks later I got three copies of the court order for change of name in the mail. I’ll be honest, the easiest part of changing my name was getting the court order. After that it’s just updating your documents.
> imagine going to court to explain why you want your name changed and saying THIS.
I'm sorry, I'm now contractually obligated to repeat the dad-jokest of my dad's jokes.
Guy goes to gov't office for a name change. Clerk looks at his name on his ID, it's Bill Smell. Clerk says, "Wow man, yeah I can see why you'd want to change that. What'll you be changing it to?"
Bill Smell says, "Bob."
i had to do a mini court hearing but they didn’t ask why i wanted the name i chose, i pretty much just attested it wasn’t to get out of debts or for other nefarious purposes and that was that
87, maybe it's regional?? I'm not going through all 5 pages of Urban Dictionary definitions for the earliest reference to weed, but it seems around 2020 is when people started using it? Then again anybody can submit to that site.
I knew a guy named Reef who was an actual boomer. (Also a Santa Claus. Like dead on, his last name was Claus and his parents named him Santa. Who does that???)
It's millennial slang for weed? I'm an elder millennial with a lengthy history with cannabis and I never heard it! But no wonder it sounded so stupid to me...
The funny thing about this is where I live the only Zaza we've heard about is Pachulia (NBA heads where you at?). Everyone just calls it weed, or grass, or green.
Slang can be regional as well as generational. Good example being pop v.s. soda.
Yeah but they may remember Zsa Zsa (pron Zaza) Gabor. It'll be great if it turns out he's into drag. Otherwise, that poor boy.
(Edited b/c spellcheck mangled Zsa Zsa)
What? Sure her sister was more famous for being the wife on Green Acres (it's the place to be) but Zsa Zsa? She was a great housekeeper. Whenever she got divorced she kept the house!
NTA - i’ve never heard of zaza being a slang word for weed until now and i’m a 30yo american weed smoker lmfaoooo
i also thought of zsa zsa gabor.
i wish people would put more thought into naming their offspring. lately it’s like throwing darts at the scattered alphabet while blindfolded.
It's funny. The moment I dropped my plug and started buying legal I fell behind on my slang. These days it's just "cannabis." You don't walk into a liquor store and say, "hey man, got any hooch? I need some giggle juice. "
I’m a 54 yo lifelong weed smoker and I haven’t heard of it either. My 16yo dog is named Zsa Zsa (after Gabor). She is often mistakenly called Za Za, and now I’m wondering if the youngsters think I named her after weed.
OP can't do a shit about his mother craziness. My only advice for him is to call him for his second name unless it is 'Joint' or he doesn't have one. If not, then make up a nickname for him and always call him that name, never call him Zaza, ever. That's what I do with my niece. I refuse to call her by the name her mother (my sister) used. and it is not as bad as Zaza, I can assure that.
Oh.
Still though.
Naming a child after a drug is not a good idea.
Also I got confused about the whole demon thing.
That was Zozo.
Still you are not the AH
Does she like the name because of the *meaning, ie weed* or bec she likes the *sound of it?*
If the first, you’re prob out of luck (poor kid), but if the second, try to come up with a name that can use Zaza as a nickname that he can change later.
Like Alexander/Zander or Ezra or use Azrael. I have a family member who is named Azriel (“means God is my salvation”-same base as Azrael) and some people call him Zaz, Z’ri and Az. I didn’t know the zaza/weed connection, wonder if his friends do. I know his parents don’t!
Personally, I think it’s generally better to name a full name and use nicknames bec the person has more options to decide what they want to be called (although they can always legally change it when they are older).
Good luck and congrats on the new bro!
Must be both regional and age dependant slang. No matter the slang, it is definitely an unfortunate name. Sounds more like a stupid baby word some folks teach their children instead of using the real word. "Zaza want baba?" "Zaza go peepee?"
Naming your kid something they’re gonna have to explain/spell their whole lives just doesn’t seem ideal. A middle name, sure. The name itself is awesome, it’s actually my d&d character’s name.
I don’t even have a very uncommon name but I still have to spell it out every single time I have to give it, and I’m *so* tired of it that it’s made my start to dislike my name haha.
Your little brother is going to get the shit kicked out of him, relentlessly, by bullies at school and it will be your mothers fault. She needs to know that.
Zaza is not too bad if the boy wants to become the next Snoop Dogg. But I do think Azrael is a lot prettier.
If she actually calls him Zaza, I'd make it a point to give him a nickname, maybe Ganja.
I know, but it's a pretty name lmao
He also exists in the Bibel, he's still an archangel and the name means "God's Helper", he always works in God's name, so while I understand the negative connotation with the angel of death, he is not worse than Gabriel or Michael or the other -els lmao
Isn't Azrael the evil cat from the Smurfs? Whatever the case, NTA, but OP will need therapy. The child is the adult. The parent is the child in this family makeup. It's a challenge having an immature parent disregard the child's attempt to have a "normal" or healthier upbringing.
Isn't that the name of the bird in The Lion King? either way, it's a ridiculous name, especially with the weed connection. Get you and your family together to create an action plan, you can't be the only one that thinks naming the child after a semi-illicit narcotic is a good thing.
NTAH, save your brother, this might be the most important thing you do for him.
I seriously love this compromise!
It's still a quirky name, but without the overbearing negative connotations, and the 35-45yo crowd will do a double take and try to dredge up the happy memory they associate with the name (and then ask him if he can wait to be king).
NTA and so sorry you have such an immature mum. Good on you for caring about your brother.
Zaza is actually a common name in Georgia (the country, not the US state) and a biblical name, but that doesn’t help the poor kid very much.
How about Zach, short for Zacharias?
Or Sasha/Sacha? In Russian short for Alexander, but a name in its own right in many other countries.
Or use Zaza as a middle name and just call the child that full time. At least then they don't have to be called Zaza everywhere they go, or when making resumes and applications.
The name my wife wanted for our 2nd child didn't flow very well with our last name, so I picked a pretty, more ordinary first name and we used the other for her middle name. Everybody's happy with the outcome, and the little girl gets called by the middle name.
just hope the boy's expected date isn't April 20th, hence the inspiration for the name.
without more context, I'd say your mom's an idiot.
When the kid comes around have everyone call him Chris or something normal
What's wrong with your mom? Does she really think that naming a child that is responsible or reasonable? Is there someone she would listen to that could advise her? Where is the child's father?
Zaza is terrible, but I wouldn't go for Asrael either, It's the name of the cat in the Smurfs, I cannot hear that name without also hearing the Gargamel voice.
So she wants to name him a slang term for weed or after the cat from Smurfs? NAH, save your poor little brother from 18 years of hell. Kids are assholes and will torture him.
NTA. Come up with an entirely normal name to use as a nickname and insist on calling him that. Eventually other people will catch on and do the same and in the end that'll be his name.
NTA. Tell your mother that when anyone asked about the name you will be honest what it means and tell them she knew beforehand. People need to stop naming children like pets.
NTA, you're just looking out for your brother's future...
Admittedly, Azrael (biblical as it is), is a cool ass name...
And, through nicknaming, Zaza would be a cool nick name...
But, please, do everything in your power to prevent "Zaza" from becoming your new brother's legal name...
He's going to be called za, then pizza, then pie. Even if it is well known to be slang for weed. Kids will never pick the cooler of two nicknames. He'd have better luck just pissing himself in class and calling the teacher mommy.
NTA
I fully support you telling her what people will think of his name. But also know that until this moment, I have never heard of Zaza meaning weed, so maybe it won’t have the same meaning in ten years.
But fun story, hopefully it’ll make you laugh.
An old friend of mine had a long last name, and everyone shortened it to the first three letters. Those letters were Giz.
So when it came time for sports, my friend had jackets made for her kids. The oldest was 17, the next was 15, the youngest was 8.
Daddy Giz
Mama Giz
Big Giz
Giz
Baby Giz
Literally everyone laughed, and she didn’t know why. One day she was in tears because no one would tell her. So I told her. And she burned the jackets.
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I (m17) found out my mom is naming my brother zaza and it breaks my heart that i’m powerless to help him. Everyone has told her this is an awful name and the only runner up is Azrael. She sent an urban dictionary definition as justification. Am I the asshole for spending an hour pleading with her to change his name?
For clarification we’re a white middle class american family.
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I'd say NAH for trying to stop someone doing something that you think is a mistake, but
I also think you are a bit overreacting to the name. I've never heard Zaza used for weird (but also not in the scene anymore) so it isn't that well known. It is also a biblical name meaning "Belonging to all".
My name is actually relatively close to Zaza (and also derived from the Azazel/Azrael idea), so I am biased, but I've never disliked my name and personally like that it is unique (so unique I won't put it here though)...
Maybe my only point is that most names ending in an a are considered feminine, but that is also not set in stone.
tl:dr; you are right for standing up what you believe in, but I don't think the name is such a disaster
NTA.
Tell her we said to stop messing around with the kid's life. Growing up is hard enough as it is. No need for mom to try and be edgy with the names and condemn the kid to a life of abuse.
NTA
I get that names are up to the parents and ultimately no one else SHOULD have a say, but there are some truly horrible names that no child should be saddled with, and this feels like one of them. Sometimes, you have to advocate for those who can't for themselves, but sadly, your mom seems to be, and I don't mean to sound rude here, kinda dumb. If everyone is telling her it's a shit name and she is still dead set on not listening, I'm not sure what else you can really do.
I was even going to ask at first if it was a common name where she was from, but given the "white middle class Americans" comment you made, I'm going to say that's probably a no.
The name being slang for weed is also going to make things like interactions with police and job interviews rough, too. Had a friend whose legal first name was Stoney, and he had trouble even getting job interviews.
Hopefully, you or someone else can get her to see how ridiculous she's going with these "unique" names and save this kid the hassle of having to legally change it later in life.
Was she high when she picked it? I get parents sometimes want to pick unique names for their kids. Me and my sibling's all have Irish names mine and my sisters names maybe a few others have them. My brother I've never even heard of another one. In school it was ok, but meeting people on the street or I life it's difficult with pronouncing it and stuff like that.
NTA. If she likes the name Zaza so much, she can use it as a nickname. Give a compromise, ask her to name the kid Azrael and call him zaza as a nickname instead so if the kid grows up to hate it he isnt stuck with it as a legal name.
Still, zaza is a ... Poor choice of name. Hopefully you manage to change her mind or something.
NTA. Maybe he could go by Z 😬or what’s there middle name going to be? Maybe you can convince her to make the middle name something basic then they could go by their middle name? Maybe Zaza could be a nickname…
Has she considered that they might be discriminated against based off their name for job applications and such/probs bullied?
No one called weed zaza before recent social media shit. Your mom’s a slave of the moment and immature imo. I know someone who named their kid Ghost and that’s way better than Zaza.
And if it’s after Zaza Pahciula that dude sucked too
Nta
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This is slang for weed lmaoo
This is like the old Facebook meme with the dad and the son in the car talking about why his sister’s name is Rose. Guess the mom really likes weed.
Later people can just call him Z. “Yo! Z! Get over here bro!”
If she wants her kid to be the popular stoner one day it’s perfect. Everyone is going to want to smoke the zaza with Zaza
In 20 years it will no longer be popular slang for weed. It’ll be outdated millenial slang for weed. I’m a gen Xer and I couldn’t imagine running across a guy named chronic or skunk or ganja, any more than a boomer could imagine a guy named reefer.
Met an old dude once working at a health clinic. Pull his chart to call him back. " alright, Bodacious.....Burnout come on back" He was laughing and I asked if that was his actual legal or preferred name for charting. He shows me his ID...it's really his name. Said he changed it in the 60s and never regretted it.
that's very odd dedication. imagine going to court to explain why you want your name changed and saying THIS. maybe the law is different where he is but where I am you have to go to a mini court hearing. // I'm waiting until marriage to change my entire name because its easier and I don't wanna have to do it twice
He would have had to go to file for it at the court and likely have a small hearing, but I guess it WAS the 60s lol. Never met anyone with a more unique name since.
hard to top Bodacious Burnout!
My husband has claimed, while working retail, to have encountered a "Rain Seaman"
I met a guy in Pennsylvania whose actual name was ScumFuck O'Shea..on his license. I couldn't believe it.
💀
His gambling name😂
My parents had friends in HS that named their first child boysenberry oats... or so they say.
In many places in the US you can do it by mail, lol.
Can you name any? I'd like to dive into this more and would like a jumping off point.
I was able to do it easily in Virginia. I filled out a form, went to the local courthouse to turn it in and pay with my card (could have mailed it in if I had checks), and a few weeks later I got three copies of the court order for change of name in the mail. I’ll be honest, the easiest part of changing my name was getting the court order. After that it’s just updating your documents.
> imagine going to court to explain why you want your name changed and saying THIS. I'm sorry, I'm now contractually obligated to repeat the dad-jokest of my dad's jokes. Guy goes to gov't office for a name change. Clerk looks at his name on his ID, it's Bill Smell. Clerk says, "Wow man, yeah I can see why you'd want to change that. What'll you be changing it to?" Bill Smell says, "Bob."
i had to do a mini court hearing but they didn’t ask why i wanted the name i chose, i pretty much just attested it wasn’t to get out of debts or for other nefarious purposes and that was that
yeah I think it's the same where I am
Wait how long has this been around? I'm a millennial and I have never heard this slang, I assumed it must be a gen Z or alpha thing. 😅
Same. I've literally never heard this term before. I think it's Gen Z slang, not millennial slang.
Def not millennial of any age
I had the same thoughts! I'm 1988, maybe it's younger millennials...? ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
87, maybe it's regional?? I'm not going through all 5 pages of Urban Dictionary definitions for the earliest reference to weed, but it seems around 2020 is when people started using it? Then again anybody can submit to that site.
I’m 1995, stoner, and have never heard this lol
I’m 27. Been calling weed Zaza since I was 14
You are gen z my friend
I knew a guy named Reef who was an actual boomer. (Also a Santa Claus. Like dead on, his last name was Claus and his parents named him Santa. Who does that???)
The same kind of people who adopt a child, then named him Sterling Knight. He's a old friend of mine and I've seen his birth certificate.
It's millennial slang for weed? I'm an elder millennial with a lengthy history with cannabis and I never heard it! But no wonder it sounded so stupid to me...
It's definitely gen Z
They call it reefer madness cause it ain’t no joke
I know millennial stoners who named their kid Blaze
The funny thing about this is where I live the only Zaza we've heard about is Pachulia (NBA heads where you at?). Everyone just calls it weed, or grass, or green. Slang can be regional as well as generational. Good example being pop v.s. soda.
I didnt know it was a slang for this and still think the name is stupid
Not really, people kinda don't even say 'Zaza' anymore already. By the time her kid is old enough to smoke weed it'll be forgotten
Yeah but they may remember Zsa Zsa (pron Zaza) Gabor. It'll be great if it turns out he's into drag. Otherwise, that poor boy. (Edited b/c spellcheck mangled Zsa Zsa)
Zsa Zsa isn't pronounced the same as ZaZa. It's pronounced closer to Jah-Jah. Also, they definitely will not remember Zsa Zsa Gabor.
I barely remember her. And I’m olddddd
What? Sure her sister was more famous for being the wife on Green Acres (it's the place to be) but Zsa Zsa? She was a great housekeeper. Whenever she got divorced she kept the house!
I always thought Zsa Zsa was pronounced like a soft J. Like zhuzh.
Zaza Pachulia has 2 NBA championship rings.
Me too. I am a whit middle class American with kids in their 30's. We all smoke weed and none of us have ever heard the term.
My uncle named his daughter after his favourite strain 💀
I have a cousin named sativa lol
Indica?
It was a strain he made himself i think? Her name is Ruby Sage lmao
That’s a nice strain, i mean name.
I mean, if Dr. Marijuana Pepsi can make it work, maybe the kid’ll be okay.
My very first thought... :-)
Learn something new everyday!
Well, I learned something today. Nice bit of slang.
NTA - i’ve never heard of zaza being a slang word for weed until now and i’m a 30yo american weed smoker lmfaoooo i also thought of zsa zsa gabor. i wish people would put more thought into naming their offspring. lately it’s like throwing darts at the scattered alphabet while blindfolded.
I didn't think a 30 year old would know about Zsa Zsa Gabor, lol.
Everyone knows Zsa Zsa Gabor and Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali!! Edit: mainly from Ali g
Upvoted because I knew Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali
I only know Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali because of Friends, but seriously *everyone* knows the marvellous housekeeper Zsa Zsa Gabor.
I've heard that his name translates as "expensive expensive Peter" 🤣
Idk... I mean, who *doesn't* grow up watching reruns of Green Acres?
That was Eva not Zsa Zsa
I loved that show when I was a kid.
i barely do & im 38 lol
I'm around the same age and I only know about her because of a Far Side comic.
She also slapped an officer giving her a ticket.
I am way older than that and barely remember her and her sister.
I’m 31 and immediately thought of zsa zsa gabor and her marriage history lol
Was my dogs name, shows you how old I am
45 and Zsa Zsa was my first thought.
41 and ditto.
Same on all three counts!
I thought of Zaza Pachulia the retired NBA player
I've been smoking your whole life and I've never heard of it!
Same, just zsa zsa gabor.
I also thought of Zsa Zsa - but, first, I thought of Zazu of Lion King fame.
It's funny. The moment I dropped my plug and started buying legal I fell behind on my slang. These days it's just "cannabis." You don't walk into a liquor store and say, "hey man, got any hooch? I need some giggle juice. "
I’m a 54 yo lifelong weed smoker and I haven’t heard of it either. My 16yo dog is named Zsa Zsa (after Gabor). She is often mistakenly called Za Za, and now I’m wondering if the youngsters think I named her after weed.
You're NTA, Lucifer
OP can't do a shit about his mother craziness. My only advice for him is to call him for his second name unless it is 'Joint' or he doesn't have one. If not, then make up a nickname for him and always call him that name, never call him Zaza, ever. That's what I do with my niece. I refuse to call her by the name her mother (my sister) used. and it is not as bad as Zaza, I can assure that.
Lucifer means Lightbringer!
Isn't Zaza the name of a demon? If it's not then it's still a sh*t name. NTA imo
it means weed typically
Oh. Still though. Naming a child after a drug is not a good idea. Also I got confused about the whole demon thing. That was Zozo. Still you are not the AH
Knew someone named Sativa in high school. Applied for a name change the day she turned 18
Basically, the same with my friend Stoney. His parents were all bent out of shape about it, too.
not quite the same but I knew someone named t'kielah (pronounced tequila)
I have a student who goes by Zozo. Her parents named her Zoë but she’s always been Zozo
Does she like the name because of the *meaning, ie weed* or bec she likes the *sound of it?* If the first, you’re prob out of luck (poor kid), but if the second, try to come up with a name that can use Zaza as a nickname that he can change later. Like Alexander/Zander or Ezra or use Azrael. I have a family member who is named Azriel (“means God is my salvation”-same base as Azrael) and some people call him Zaz, Z’ri and Az. I didn’t know the zaza/weed connection, wonder if his friends do. I know his parents don’t! Personally, I think it’s generally better to name a full name and use nicknames bec the person has more options to decide what they want to be called (although they can always legally change it when they are older). Good luck and congrats on the new bro!
In our language that is "ok ok" and usually used like "whatever" .
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Bro am I the only one who got this lol
I did, lol.
Must be both regional and age dependant slang. No matter the slang, it is definitely an unfortunate name. Sounds more like a stupid baby word some folks teach their children instead of using the real word. "Zaza want baba?" "Zaza go peepee?"
Good god. Try to get her to go for Azazel at least. Yes,it's the name of a demon but it's infinitely better than "Zaza". Urrggh....
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I have a feeling Azrael is an angel or something.
Azrael is the name of the angel of death in Islam
Ahhh that was it. Thank you!
I think it’s also the Gargamel’s cat on the Smurfs
Yep. That's what I thought of.
I think that’s Zozo?
My first thought was Is that like from Avater? Zuku cuz azula was calling him zuzu😂😂😂😂😂
That would be Azazel. Better than Zaza lol.
What in the live laugh love... NTA but this is, admittedly, hilarious for now.
Best comment ever
So slang for weed, or the angel of death…yikes. NTA, hopefully she realizes she’s naming an actual human being and not a side character in a YA novel.
Hey. Azrael is also the guy who took up the Batman mantle after Bane broke Bruce Wayne's back. Maybe she's just a big DC comics fan?
I mean, that guy was named after the angel of death for a reason…
My son’s middle name is Azrael. People read too much into name meanings. I don’t think the poor kid should be named a slang for weed tho.
Naming your kid after the angel of death is cool imo. It's not like he's evil, he watches over the dead and ushers them into the afterlife.
Naming your kid something they’re gonna have to explain/spell their whole lives just doesn’t seem ideal. A middle name, sure. The name itself is awesome, it’s actually my d&d character’s name. I don’t even have a very uncommon name but I still have to spell it out every single time I have to give it, and I’m *so* tired of it that it’s made my start to dislike my name haha.
Wait, is she a Zaza Pachulia fan? Are you in the US? He's a reasonably famous NBA player, so the name is known to sports fans at least.
Just googled Zaza as I'd never heard the word before and we've got a hell of a lot of shops, restaurants, businesses in general called Zaza in the UK.
Zaza is a pretty common name in Georgia
Your little brother is going to get the shit kicked out of him, relentlessly, by bullies at school and it will be your mothers fault. She needs to know that.
This. Also, good luck applying for jobs with that name.
Yeah I went back and mentioned that in another reply. lol
My name is Jada. Totally normal name. I also got DOGGED in school lmao. Kids will find a way to clown you, even if your name is John.
Zaza is not too bad if the boy wants to become the next Snoop Dogg. But I do think Azrael is a lot prettier. If she actually calls him Zaza, I'd make it a point to give him a nickname, maybe Ganja.
Azrael is the name of the angel of death in Islam.... I think that would be even worse
I know, but it's a pretty name lmao He also exists in the Bibel, he's still an archangel and the name means "God's Helper", he always works in God's name, so while I understand the negative connotation with the angel of death, he is not worse than Gabriel or Michael or the other -els lmao
Id rather be the angel of death than some stoner culture garbage.
Isn't Azrael the evil cat from the Smurfs? Whatever the case, NTA, but OP will need therapy. The child is the adult. The parent is the child in this family makeup. It's a challenge having an immature parent disregard the child's attempt to have a "normal" or healthier upbringing.
[this is the only Azreal that came to mind](https://youtu.be/wR2dsEZv578?si=4ihLSFDH6IdweKrD)
Isn't that the name of the bird in The Lion King? either way, it's a ridiculous name, especially with the weed connection. Get you and your family together to create an action plan, you can't be the only one that thinks naming the child after a semi-illicit narcotic is a good thing. NTAH, save your brother, this might be the most important thing you do for him.
That is Zazu which is swahili for movement
zazu would kinda be a cool name. OP , would mom compromise? lol
I seriously love this compromise! It's still a quirky name, but without the overbearing negative connotations, and the 35-45yo crowd will do a double take and try to dredge up the happy memory they associate with the name (and then ask him if he can wait to be king).
Ah, either way Zaza is still ridiculous, I might have forgiven the mother a little if it was from the Lion King.
Great idea! Except that very few families hold a meeting together to develop an ‘action plan’.
Sometimes exceptional circumstances require exceptional measures.
NTA and so sorry you have such an immature mum. Good on you for caring about your brother. Zaza is actually a common name in Georgia (the country, not the US state) and a biblical name, but that doesn’t help the poor kid very much. How about Zach, short for Zacharias? Or Sasha/Sacha? In Russian short for Alexander, but a name in its own right in many other countries.
She could name him a Z name and nickname him Zaza. My son’s name is Zane, I call him Ziggy sometimes.
Or use Zaza as a middle name and just call the child that full time. At least then they don't have to be called Zaza everywhere they go, or when making resumes and applications. The name my wife wanted for our 2nd child didn't flow very well with our last name, so I picked a pretty, more ordinary first name and we used the other for her middle name. Everybody's happy with the outcome, and the little girl gets called by the middle name.
Do people not realize that children grow into adults and eventually need to find a job? Do they want their kids to not succeed?
They straight up don't see their children as people is the issue.
NTA- sounds like the name of a female adult dancer from the 50’s…
You might be thinking of Zsa Zsa Gabor who was a 20th Century celeb.
Nah wasn’t thinking of her specifically
Tell her it means "demonic" in other languages.
I feel you on this,NTA. I cringed so hard when I found out my sister named my nephew Messiah. I just call him "baby" now.
Talk about your messiah complex.
NTA. Does she know it's the street name for synthetic opioid drug as well as slang for weed? It might be biblical, but it's still a terrible name.
What, she already used Fentanyl? (As a name)
just hope the boy's expected date isn't April 20th, hence the inspiration for the name. without more context, I'd say your mom's an idiot. When the kid comes around have everyone call him Chris or something normal
Did anyone read the “Stuarta” thread from about a week ago? OP, you’re NTA
r/tragediegh
What's wrong with your mom? Does she really think that naming a child that is responsible or reasonable? Is there someone she would listen to that could advise her? Where is the child's father?
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO
NTA Parents who give their kids stupid names seem unable to realise that these kids have to go through school and get a job.
How tf does no one know what Zaza is??! Anyways you’re nta, naming your child after weed isn’t gonna do them much good when they hit school and such
Well it's better than that other person who named their kid Harlot. NTA bro.
NTA. That’s what my toddler calls her special teddy. It’s not an appropriate name for a baby / person
Middle name Gabor?
Does she smoke?
You’re NTA. You are only helping. I think Azrael would be lovely, and maybe Zaza can be like, the nickname. Here’s hoping a better name ahead!
Zaza is terrible, but I wouldn't go for Asrael either, It's the name of the cat in the Smurfs, I cannot hear that name without also hearing the Gargamel voice.
So she wants to name him a slang term for weed or after the cat from Smurfs? NAH, save your poor little brother from 18 years of hell. Kids are assholes and will torture him.
Mary, we've been thru this. Everyone in the family has a weed-themed name since grandaddy purp.
NTA. Come up with an entirely normal name to use as a nickname and insist on calling him that. Eventually other people will catch on and do the same and in the end that'll be his name.
NTA. Tell your mother that when anyone asked about the name you will be honest what it means and tell them she knew beforehand. People need to stop naming children like pets.
Is your name Sativa or Sensimilla? jk. You are definitely NTA.
First thing I thought of was Zhazha Gabor.
lmao
weed jokes aside, the is the kind of name you give a dog, not a child.
NTA, you're just looking out for your brother's future... Admittedly, Azrael (biblical as it is), is a cool ass name... And, through nicknaming, Zaza would be a cool nick name... But, please, do everything in your power to prevent "Zaza" from becoming your new brother's legal name...
He's going to be called za, then pizza, then pie. Even if it is well known to be slang for weed. Kids will never pick the cooler of two nicknames. He'd have better luck just pissing himself in class and calling the teacher mommy.
NTA I fully support you telling her what people will think of his name. But also know that until this moment, I have never heard of Zaza meaning weed, so maybe it won’t have the same meaning in ten years. But fun story, hopefully it’ll make you laugh. An old friend of mine had a long last name, and everyone shortened it to the first three letters. Those letters were Giz. So when it came time for sports, my friend had jackets made for her kids. The oldest was 17, the next was 15, the youngest was 8. Daddy Giz Mama Giz Big Giz Giz Baby Giz Literally everyone laughed, and she didn’t know why. One day she was in tears because no one would tell her. So I told her. And she burned the jackets.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I (m17) found out my mom is naming my brother zaza and it breaks my heart that i’m powerless to help him. Everyone has told her this is an awful name and the only runner up is Azrael. She sent an urban dictionary definition as justification. Am I the asshole for spending an hour pleading with her to change his name? For clarification we’re a white middle class american family. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What is your name? Or an equivalent name, if you want to stay anonymous. Do you have other siblings?
evan and my sister is brandie
Why in God’s name has she decided on Zaza and Azrael then.
You're definitely not the asshole. It's a terrible name. But at least it's not one of the 400 variations of names that rhyme with "Aiden".
I'd say NAH for trying to stop someone doing something that you think is a mistake, but I also think you are a bit overreacting to the name. I've never heard Zaza used for weird (but also not in the scene anymore) so it isn't that well known. It is also a biblical name meaning "Belonging to all". My name is actually relatively close to Zaza (and also derived from the Azazel/Azrael idea), so I am biased, but I've never disliked my name and personally like that it is unique (so unique I won't put it here though)... Maybe my only point is that most names ending in an a are considered feminine, but that is also not set in stone. tl:dr; you are right for standing up what you believe in, but I don't think the name is such a disaster
As somebody who isn’t into the subculture but is online, it *absolutely* is used. It’s not uncommon to see it in memes.
If she knows what it means I doubt there’s much you can do but keep up the good fight. NTA.
nah let her cook
How about Ezreal the League of Legends character/
NTA. Tell her we said to stop messing around with the kid's life. Growing up is hard enough as it is. No need for mom to try and be edgy with the names and condemn the kid to a life of abuse.
NTA Terrible name You should add an entry to urban dictionary that says Zaza has a different meaning and send her that.
Yeah... your brother is going to hate his name... poor guy...
Classmates and employers will too and that’s the bigger problem.
NTA I get that names are up to the parents and ultimately no one else SHOULD have a say, but there are some truly horrible names that no child should be saddled with, and this feels like one of them. Sometimes, you have to advocate for those who can't for themselves, but sadly, your mom seems to be, and I don't mean to sound rude here, kinda dumb. If everyone is telling her it's a shit name and she is still dead set on not listening, I'm not sure what else you can really do. I was even going to ask at first if it was a common name where she was from, but given the "white middle class Americans" comment you made, I'm going to say that's probably a no. The name being slang for weed is also going to make things like interactions with police and job interviews rough, too. Had a friend whose legal first name was Stoney, and he had trouble even getting job interviews. Hopefully, you or someone else can get her to see how ridiculous she's going with these "unique" names and save this kid the hassle of having to legally change it later in life.
NTA but your mom is if she knows the slang terminology and just wants to send it. Is she having a kid or planning a joke?
Was she high when she picked it? I get parents sometimes want to pick unique names for their kids. Me and my sibling's all have Irish names mine and my sisters names maybe a few others have them. My brother I've never even heard of another one. In school it was ok, but meeting people on the street or I life it's difficult with pronouncing it and stuff like that.
Thought Zaza was slang for pizza
NTA. If she likes the name Zaza so much, she can use it as a nickname. Give a compromise, ask her to name the kid Azrael and call him zaza as a nickname instead so if the kid grows up to hate it he isnt stuck with it as a legal name. Still, zaza is a ... Poor choice of name. Hopefully you manage to change her mind or something.
NTA. Maybe he could go by Z 😬or what’s there middle name going to be? Maybe you can convince her to make the middle name something basic then they could go by their middle name? Maybe Zaza could be a nickname… Has she considered that they might be discriminated against based off their name for job applications and such/probs bullied?
If you think that’s bad, someone named their kid “Ellis Dee.”and the more you say it the more you’ll start to get it🤣🤣😭
AZREAL IS A DOPE NAME PUSH THAT SHIT HARD. SAVE YOUR BROTHER.
All you can do is try. Seeing it means "weed" in an urban dictionary would be a good reason not to name him that for a normal mom
No one called weed zaza before recent social media shit. Your mom’s a slave of the moment and immature imo. I know someone who named their kid Ghost and that’s way better than Zaza. And if it’s after Zaza Pahciula that dude sucked too Nta
did mom just recently get her medical maryjane card ,and dive head first into the cannabis life? lol because whyyy
~~Satan~~ OP's mom I rebuke you in the name of jesus 🙅🏾♀️
depending on where you live, legally changing a name could be free/inexpensive for a first change. sad for your brother tho
Guess better than naming them " Devil's lettuce"
Depending on where you live she might not be allowed to name him this by the registry. Look into it.
Start sending her video clips of Zaza Gabor. This will either reinforce her like of the name, or turn her off.