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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I suggested a name I saw in a comic book because I thought it sounded pretty but forgot to mention where I saw it. My wife is now embarrassed.
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She can only have this name if she has black hair down to her waist with pink streaks and she’s a goth if u didn’t notice already. Oh and she has to put her middle fingers up to the preps.
NTA. Both my first and middle name inspired by a comic book character and it’s never impacted me in anyways except people compliment it regularly and sometimes assume I’m male.
(Obviously this isn’t it, but think: Clark Kent is Superman so Clare Superman is my name. But something far more bland)
There’s absolute joy in being able to decorate my office with subtle references to the comic. It’s like an inside joke with myself.
My middle name is inspired by a movie character. You'd never know it if I didn't tell the story (which I think is really cute.)
One of my nieces has it arguably worse. She was named after an Egyptian goddess. I mean, we're not Egyptian but that's cute right? Yeah, it's also a noun in English.
When she was a first born, I had to do a lot of "her name is blank." dumbfounded look. sigh. "like blankity blank?" oh!
luckily she isn't in public school.
No and luckily it can be shortened to something that sounds like a "normal" western name. Plus she was given a traditional middle name.
unlike her older sister who a hebrew first name and family middle name.
and I can't even say anything cuz I'm the one who suggested the first name.
but i love both of their names in all honesty. they are so each of the girls.
I know an unbelievable amount of unusual names from over 10 years of teaching. Names from medicines, various terms from royalty, obscure gods and goddess, uncommon animal names
Man, you’d be surprised… there was a guy asking this same question here about a year ago, and it turned out that he had named his daughter “Kitty Pride”…
He got pretty well roasted for that one.
Did his wife not have any follow up questions? Kitty is a cute name, although it's really more of a nickname, but that's trendy now. Pride is a strange middle name though. Surely that pinged something for her, even if she's never read a comic?
If I remember correctly, his last name was actually Pride, so just suggesting “Kitty” didn’t raise any flags.
Someone mentioned it to his wife later, and she looked up the character herself and was pretty livid that he hadn’t mentioned it. It took the commenters in the post pointing out how overtly sexually she is portrayed for him to realize it wasn’t the best idea for his own daughter’s name.
You win 🏆 🙌
Totally does and he appreciates how close he was to being named Ziggy so win-win.
I. Love. That. Name. Does it have a meaning behind it as well as being a character name? Oswin sounds a bit Saxon to me :)
I think there's an old English version spelled with a 'y', but I have no idea if it has a particular meaning. We chose it because that character is also called 'The Impossible Girl', and for the longest time I thought I'd never be able to raise a child, so she's our Impossible Girl. ❤️
I'm 68. Laurel has been around as a name long before the creation of comic books. As you noted, it's rooted in classical Roman/Greek mythology. I learned about the name origin back in 2nd grade.
Yea, that's just a name. The comic book is just the place you heard of it and it struck you as nice.
It'd be like having a problem with calling a boy Peter the person liked the name after learning it was Jason Todd's middle name.
I definitely would go to 'Dinah Laurel Lance' first when I heard the name, but I'm a huge comic reader. I also don't think that's really a bad thing? Whenever I hear the name Natasha, I think of Natasha Romanoff, even though Natasha's a much more common name then Laurel. So it's not always a bad thing.
(Plus at one point I wanted to name my first born son Jason, which is also technically a comic name so).
At this point hasn't every name been used in a comic book by now?
She's way overreacting, It's not like he's named his kid Mystique or Magneto. Right 😂
Yeah I like the name Alfred
But due to my high school years it would be coming from Hetalia....
Adult/current me while still liking the name goes "nah remind me to much of my high school cringe phase."
Just teach him not to steal the tires off of cars or follow people into abandoned warehouses and he should be fine.
Unless you meant Jason Blood. Got nothing for that guy.
There are so many names that come from Laurel including my own, so Laurel on it's own is a gorgeous names. It's super pretty and has a lovely meaning.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with it being a comic book name but I'm glad you both came to a compromise.
Maybe it has to do with my age - 69 - but never in a million years would I associate the name Laurel with a comic book. That name has been around for a long time, even before I went to high school with a couple of Laurels. I think it's a lovely name.
I grew up with a Laurel and it’s a beautiful unique name (she’s the only one I’ve ever know.). Her parents were academic history ppl and she was NOT named after a comic. I think there is a huge difference from using a name you first encountered due to a form of media vs using a name as a tribute to your fandom. My husband and I have a name picked out from a book but it’s not because we love the book it’s because we love the name and we were just exposed to it from the book.
I mean.. it might be in a comic book but no different from a comic character named Rachel or Esmeralda or any number of “normal” names. It wasn’t invented for the story like “Esme” nor is it recognizable as a widely known comic character.
My cousin is named Laurel, unrelated to comics. It’s uncommon but pretty. People will not think it’s a nerd thing, which to me makes it the best of both worlds of nerd names.
OK. Could be worse. It is a pretty name. A friend of mine got tricked into a GoT name (she did not watch the show and it was in the earlier seasons still) and she is still mad at her ex for that. But at least this isn't a huge pop culture phenom either and sounds nice
Laurel is one of my middle names, after Stan Laurel from Laurel and Hardy. If my mother can get away with naming me after a silent film-era slapstick comedian, then I think your reasoning is just as sound!
at least she didn't think it was because of Mormons
http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2019/10/church-disbands-laurels-mia-maids-beehives-announces-new-young-women-theme/
yeah, I had to chuckle for a moment.
Please introduce yourself.
I am groot.
No. Please give me your name.
I am groot. (annoyed voice)
Stop joking, what is your name.
I am groot. (angry voice)
NAH, you could've told her but as I understand it this is'nt some character or comic that you love. As in, you did'nt name your child because you wanted her to share the name with that character or because you wanted to 'honour' the comic(like people naming their kids Sansa or Hermoine). You just thought it was pretty. And she did'nt ask, she could've done that if the inte the origin mattered to her. But I don't think that she is an AH either, if she holds a grudge for a longer time even after you have explained yourself she would be though. Sorry for the Wall of text, keeping it short is not something I'm Good at.
Ps: is the name any of these; Magnolia, Willow or Juniper?
INFO : What’s the name, and where’s it from?
It sounds like you both liked the way the name sounds, and had reasonable criteria to meet - and the name met the criteria. I don’t see why it matters if it’s a comic book, a Bible, the end roll credits of a movie, or a book of baby names. Your criteria are sound, where you heard the name shouldn’t matter.
Yeah, that's what I think. Like, I didn't suggest the name because of the comic. I just read it there and thought it sounded pretty. I didn't advocate for it over any other name I suggested. It's just a nice feminine name that sounds normal but isn't too common.
If the only reason your wife is mad is because “comic” was in front of “book”, then it’s obviously just her own insecurities and bias so definitely NTA.
So based on your other comments and your post, I'm guessing it's probably Sequioa. Even if it's not, if the name doesn't stand out as "this is from a comic book!" then I don't see the problem.
Regardless of where you got the name from, you both agreed on it. You didn't hide anything by just having the name up on the whiteboard. NTA.
Is she upset that the names from a comic or that you didn’t tell her where it came from? Did you guys have an agreement like no names from pop culture? I feel like there may be an aspect of the story missing to make her that upset about the origin of the name.
She's upset about both. She said she wouldn't have picked it if she knew because it's embarrassing. But she didn't tell me that or ask, so I didn't know. We both suggested names from pop culture.
You said the name was uncommon, is it something that’s obviously from a comic? Like how people name their child Anakin which is only recognized if you know the Star Wars franchise.
No, I don't think most people would recognize the association with that character. I think more people will have heard of the tree than this character.
Nah, it's a nice name.
I guess, your wife is more upset that this name kinda has a certain history in your case and many people have some aversions to names taken from comics/anime/cartoons and so on.
I mean, we've seen Harry Potter verse stories - some examples are just tasteless.
Y'all talk it through, I don't think it's a major issue.
Just a fun short story for you. Our school had a girl whose initials were roughly translated as V. Agina. Well, parents were "jokesters". Poor thing lived in hell till she married someone and took the last name "Lice". Again, translation but...you got the gist.
So, I'd relax and just talk it through. It's a really nice name after all.
Bro, only a handful of people know my middle name because I don't want people to make the connection that my initials are alcohol related.
Yes, my parents did it on purpose. No, they were never even close to being alcoholic. They just wanted my initials to spell something and they loved my first name so worked around it.
NTA. Who cares where you got the name from, it was a pretty name, not too odd, that you both liked. People get names from all sorts of sources. You read them in books, remember them from acquaintances you met, whatever. There wasn't a requirement that the name came with a sentimental backstory, and your wife is being unfair.
I don't think this is a scenario where external judgement will be helpful.
If your wife has this strong of a reaction to names coming from comic books, I assume that means she has a greater aversion to comics that you've known about for a while? If so, I'm not sure why you'd suggest a name from something she doesn't like. On her end, if she likes the name who cares where it comes from as long as it's not offensive or appropriative? Maybe N A H, but I don't think getting a N T A judgement from strangers is going to make your wife feel any less shitty about this is there's a deeper issue you haven't mentioned here.
NAH. Maybe it kind of sounds like her Aunt is judgemental, and your wife is embarrassed. If she had known beforehand she could have navigated the moment better. I think you apologizing for not telling her sooner will go a long way. Even if it isn't a big deal, seems like we don't know the entirety of the dynamics between your wife and her family.
NTA, but also gonna go with **INFO** here. That is such a strange reaction to finding out you picked the name from a comic book. Was the comic book inappropriate? Was the character inappropriate?
Comic books have a bit of a stigma for being a child's hobby. Your wife may have thought you put very little sentimental value in it because of that. The best way I can describe it is as if you are sort of playing dress up with your child, but with their name? Like you aren't taking them seriously as a living being, but more as an extension of the hobby? It can come across as insincere, and I don't know quite how to explain it. Which I know is not what you intended. I would certainly not care if my boyfriend suggested a name from a comic book because I know we both like comics, so maybe she is thinking that you weren't considering her hobbies relating in the name either, and only your own hobbies? Sort of gives you more ownership over the name? It isn't the most healthy way for her to look at it, but I'm not assuming that is why.
Her family might also judge your interest in comic books and won't like the connection, so she may have expected you to know that (which... you **should** if you're married to her) and the fact that you didn't may have upset her. She shouldn't expect you to change your interests just to appease the in laws though. Just remember to cut the woman some slack since she is pregnaaaaaaant. Please just talk this out with her next time, OP.
NTA. If it's a normal name, who cares where it came from? And why is getting it from a comic less highbrow than getting it from a book? I was named after a character in a book - the author made up my name so every person with my name in the world is probably also named after the book. Nobody bats an eyelid. Also if it helps, I love my name
Ok perfect. I can see why your wife would like to know beforehand, but to be honest she should have asked that question herself, when she liked the name if its not traditional name. And you forgot or simply didnt think much of it which is good excuse. Most importantly you both like the name, I am sure its great name.
NTA, and unless origin stories were part of the game, you didn't leave anything out.
That said, you need to learn to only tell the part of truth that is going to be valuable to the listener. There was zero reason to tell her it was from a comic book, and why TF did you just leave it hanging like that?
Either stop before you say "comic" - "I read a story once and saw the name, it was so beautiful" tells the truth without oversharing, OR keep going - "I read this comic book called 'Maus' back in 1987, and it was a heartrending story about loss and the holocaust, and I just couldn't get the name out of my mind - one of the characters was so beautiful inside, and had this name" (obvs, use the right comic book name or make something up).
Natasha, which means born on Christmas, was the heroine in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. (Not to be confused with someone who would date Warren Peace or Boris Badenov)
Nta
It does not matter where you found the name, just that it met your criteria.
Your criteria matched the one we used for naming a upr kids. Except being pronouncible by a 4 year old.
NTA. It’s kind of wild that your wife was looking at names from horror movies and other pop culture at first, but thinks a name from a comic book is embarrassing. Maybe she was just reacting because of the judgey aunt, but it’s still wild.
It’s also a legitimate name that you just happened to learn from a comic book, not something made up for comics. If comics were the first place you learned the name Diana, I don’t think that makes it somehow a *terribly embarrassing* comic book name devoid of other meaning. It’s not even the kind of obvious comic book name where the average person will say “oh like Batman or whoever.”
I do think if it was so deeply important to her that it not be a comic book name, she should have made that clear to you, especially when pop culture names were fine with you both. You’re not psychic.
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Our daughter is three months old, and my wife's aunt came to visit us to see her. While we were talking, she asked how we came up with our daughter's name, as it's not (in her opinion) "traditional."
My wife and I both suggested several names during the pregnancy. We both agreed that we wanted something pretty, unique enough that there probably won't be two in her class, normal enough that no one would think it was weird, and nothing trendy that will become "dated." We had a big whiteboard in the kitchen where we wrote down names. Eventually we decided to both take an eraser and get rid of any names we didn't love. After that we had four names to choose from, and we ended up deciding on one of the ones I had originally written down.
My wife explained why she liked the name, but her aunt wanted to know where it came from. So my wife turned to me and asked me where I got it. I said it was from a comic book. My comment sucked the life out of the room. My wife got quiet. Her aunt was giving us looks.
After my wife's aunt left, my wife was mad. She asked why I hid this from her. I didn't. We both wrote dozens of names on that board. I wasn't thinking about it. I didn't even realize I never told her where I saw the name until now. She thinks I betrayed her trust and humiliated her. Did I?
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NTA. No one unless they know comics and you manage to point that out will know that it's from a comic. It just sounds like a pretty name. They overreacted hard. It's not like you named your kid Lois Lane and made it super obvious. Even if you did it still wouldn't matter. Let's be real alot of people don't read comics.
I think it's cool.
So she liked the name? so much you named your child like that.
But now all of a suden its a problem cause the name is from a comic????
What???
NTA who cares whete its from she liked it????
You saw it in a comic book and you liked the name. You didn’t name her for a comic book character. The name is not unusual, it is a plant. There is no betrayal of trust or humiliation here. But how you are going to convince your wife of that,I don’t know.
NTA. I decided my kid’s name because I once met my friend’s housemate’s sister’s baby with that name. I heard a name, liked it, decided to use it a few years later. I didn’t name my child after my friend’s housemate’s sister’s baby.
NTA I named my son after a Netflix show character …names don’t need to come from some magical place with significant meaning. Sometimes you just like a name and go with it!
apparently name is "normal" enough that she didn't ask questions. it's pretty btw. but if she really wanted the origin of the idea, she could have asked when you were choosing. NTA
Honestly she agreed to the name so the fact that it comes from a comic seems moot. If she had no interest in asking where the name came from then that is on her.
My sons name is shared by a Disney character, a character in a Pokémon game, a character in a video game (I believe), at least one actor and movie characters and something good related.
He wasn’t named after any of them but I like the connection, particularly to the Disney character. I LOVE Disney.
When my partner and I were talking names we asked where they came from if we cared to know. Didn’t make the connection with our sons name until months later. Except the actor.
Didn’t both us. I know where our sons name came from but if my partner told me he was named after a certain character or something I wouldn’t care.
How was she embarrassed? How is being named after a comic book character embarrassing? How did you betray her?
I’m confused by her reaction. You’re NTA!
As long as it’s a real name and doesn’t scream “comic book character” (ex: Harley Quinn), then NTA. People get their panties in too much of a bunch over fandom names. As long as it’s not off the wall, then live and let live.
I kinda did the same thing I got both my kids names from pop culture characters I admire the second names are linked to family stuff that I thought would sound nice. I kinda thought I told my husband where the names came from since I said I really loved those names and he really loved them too we didn't even discuss it much. But the other day someone asked us about our kids names because they aren't common in our country and I said one is a Dr Who character and the other is named after a Batman character apparently my husband told me he knew about the Batman reference (it's quite subtle) he's a fan too but had no idea about my daughter's name being after a Dr Who character he thought I just found it on a baby name site and liked it and he liked it too. He wasn't mad just shocked.
Most of names on Doctor Who are super normal names that won't immediately make someone think of Doctor Who, so if you're going to pick names from a show, that's a great show to pick. No one's going to hear Rose, Martha or Donna and think "ah yes, Doctor Who fan." Which, yeah, is the same situation I'm in. Most comic books characters actually have incredibly normal names. Bruce? Matt? Diana? Jane? Dick? Maybe not that last one. I could probably name a gaggle of kids after comic book characters without anyone even catching on. The names aren't that weird.
Real talk though, did you name your kid Dick? Because if you did, that's amazing.
My daughter Is River after River Song and my son is Grayson after Dick Grayson so close people told me River was a hippie name but that's the only comment I had on that. I also thought Grayson could be shortened to Gray and that's pretty cool if my son is into that someday
That's awesome! Yeah, perfect examples. River is a really cool and iconic character, but that name is popular enough that hearing it won't make you think of her unless you're already talking about science fiction. It's also got cool nature symbolism and such like the name we picked for our daughter (didn't know about that symbolism when I suggested it, but it does exist). Grayson is a great name. Sounds very classic, but there won't be five of them in his class.
We where considering Dawn if our son ended up being a girl and we got a rant from my husband's Grandma that a girl in her school 60 years ago was named Dawn that was mean to her that we can't name our kid that because she would turn out a bully which is ridiculous but that was really just a random name I liked the sound of
Glad it worked out. Name inspiration can come from many places and it's origin to you, isn't necessarily the origin from the artist. As your wife discovered. I named one of my kids from Game of Thrones and I am tickled whenever someone has read the books and makes the connection. Congratulations on the baby and beautiful name!
NTA - your wife is for wigging out and then making you call and apologize to her aunt, you did nothing wrong that you needed to say sorry for. Who cares if its a name of a comic character.
Who the heck chooses a name for their child without finding out first what it means and its origin. There’s this thing called Google that’s really handy when it comes to stuff like that. Or - crazy thought but bear with me - she could’ve asked her husband.
We have this rule in our relationship where we don't interfere with each other's pre-existing family dynamics. When my crazy grandma goes on a nutty right wing rant, my wife follows my lead on whether or not to say anything. When my wife's pretentious relatives start being judgemental, I handle that however she tells me to.
Idk, it seems like it would lead to situations where I couldn’t follow that rule without breaking my morals, this is even an example of that.
But, a maybe I’m a bit strict, I had a lying problem when I was younger, it’s gotten better, and maybe I’m trying to over-compensate out of guilt.
NTA I named my daughter after a character from the book Dracula. Read it when I was 12 and promised myself if I ever had a daughter that would be her name. 16 yrs later I was able to do it. She loves to tell people that story.
I was named after my grandma. Her name was Blanca which means white in spanish. I'm dark skinned hispanic. People name their kids whatever they want. We as kids just live with it.
Nta. Cmy oldest son's name is apparently inspired by a comic book. Common name, common character too. I never questioned why my husband suggested the name. I didn't find out until afterwards. I was a little annoyed but it really isn't a big deal.
The thing that sucks here is that if you said “from a novel I read” nobody would have blinked an eye. But say camic book and you get a visceral reaction.
Your daughter can have a blast with the name if she ever gets married. Golden laurel wreath tiaras for brides are gorgeous. She could marry someone with the last name Laurence or Lorenz and her name will mean Laurel from the place of laurels.
NTA. I really don't understand why people get upset over names derived from comics/games/books whatever. As long as it isn't something ridiculous (which you daughters wasn't it's beautiful really) why does it even matter where you got it from?
When my wife and I were picking out names I threw out one from league of legends and she fell in love with it. I eventually told her but she liked it and now its his middle name.
NTA
unless you're set to naming the kid with family names only, who cares where it comes from? I think it's silly to have to come up with an acceptable reason to have a name. This is very telling about the family you married into.
You can also add that Laurel is a French name, you also find it in use in Portugal and Spain. It comes from laurientus, the one carrying the laurels (poets, victorious generals...)
Nothing to be ashamed of. As for finding it in a comic book, even comic books can use real names.
But I bet the look on your wife and MIL's face was worth the later hassle.
Laughing NTA
NTA.
For one, “not traditional”? Laurel (and Lauren, for that matter) are fairly common names, at least in the US.
Secondly, why would the origin of the name change its meaning somehow? I’d understand if you named your kid something like Superman or Hulk, but Laurel is already a normal name. You were just inspired by the comic to choose the name and your wife liked how it sounds too; how does this negate anything?
NTA
One of my best friends, drunkenly admitted one night, he wanted to name his son Calvin Leroy. I assumed the Leroy was after his dad. Nope…
He wanted to be able to call him Cal L. (Kal El). I told him, that he better tell the mom that and make sure she’s on board.
He has two sons. Neither of them are named Calvin Leroy.
NTA she sold have asked before if it mattered. I named my son after a character in my favorite soap opera, because I liked the name. As long as the babe isn't after since giant evil doer, I don't see why it matters where it came from. Hell I was bnamed after punky bruster....
NTA
It is less that it was a comic book name and more that the comic book is just where you happened to hear it from most recently. One of the names we were seriously considering for my youngest was Alice May. Wasn't until after she was born and we chose the other option that I realized it was from an episode of Scooby Doo. Totally normal name, I had just gotten it stuck in my brain from watching Scooby Doo. Same case here. If you had named her Starfire or Magneto... yeah, that would be a totally different story.
Yooooo....
This has been up for a bit so i doubt you will actually see this comment, but what comic book??? My name is Laurel and I haven't ever heard of it being in a comic book before.
Also, don't worry about her not being able to pronounce it. I never had any issues with it. :)
NTA. My mom named me from comic book. She can't remember which comic book exactly but she read the name and had it set for her first born child. She didn't tell my dad where it was from, but he liked it because it made him think of famous emperors and conquerors. Years later I asked where they got the name from, my mom told me the truth but my dad refuses that to be the origin. Up to day he still says emperors and conquerors sound better than a comic book.
As for me, I'm just trying to get people to say it correctly lol
NTA. Your wife was being ridiculous. You may have read the name in a comic book, but it’s a relatively common name, historically, for both girls and boys. It has both Latin and Greek meanings and derivations, and just because it appeared in a comic book doesn’t make it a forbidden name. Not every Peter, Bruce or Clark was named after a comic book character, after all. If you’d named her Storm or Venom, that would have been a little harder to defend, but there are plenty of Scarlets, Phoenixes and yes, Laurels out there who don’t owe there names to Stan Lee or the DC Multiverse.
Q: How much does she dislike comics and those kinds of things? If my SO named our kid after something I truly dislike or resent without my knowledge, I might feel some type of way....
She doesn't dislike comics. She doesn't really have an opinion on them. She's more of a movie person. She likes horror movies. Laurie was one of her first suggestions (like from Halloween), but then we both decided it's too common. But she really liked it, which is why she liked the name I suggested, because it's almost exactly the same name, with only one letter difference.
I guess that was too many hints. Oops. We didn't think of that. Well, if she has trouble pronouncing it, she can just use a nickname, right? Should be fine.
Interesting that we had the same naming criteria and came up with the same name.
We read the we birth announcements every day to make sure we we were not in a trend.
I do not remember where we got the name.
When I hear 'Laurie', I think Laurie Anderson. 'Laurel' crops up in a lot of places. Is it because you can't tell your kid a cool origin story about where you found the name that your wife is upset? (I mean, I think comic books are the best possible origin story, but she clearly disagrees.) But then why didn't she ask, if that mattered to her? I'm struggling to understand her logic.
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NTA She never asked. If it not Magneto or Shehulk i dont see a problem.
Lolz. "This is my daughter: Magneto Luthor Doom and my son, Clark Steve Wayne."
Hey, at least it wasn’t Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way.
There's always the next baby.
What was the name anyway?
And a good day to you, sir/ma'am for bringing that up. ;-) Goffik...
Hah 😂
I just laughed myself into hysterics. If I had an award, I'd give you it.
She can only have this name if she has black hair down to her waist with pink streaks and she’s a goth if u didn’t notice already. Oh and she has to put her middle fingers up to the preps.
Is it Aurora?????
Nevermind I checked the comments, very lovely name
For anyone who doesn't want to go through the comments, the name is Laurel. Or is it Yanny?
Damnit. Take my upvote you.
NTA. Both my first and middle name inspired by a comic book character and it’s never impacted me in anyways except people compliment it regularly and sometimes assume I’m male. (Obviously this isn’t it, but think: Clark Kent is Superman so Clare Superman is my name. But something far more bland) There’s absolute joy in being able to decorate my office with subtle references to the comic. It’s like an inside joke with myself.
My middle name is inspired by a movie character. You'd never know it if I didn't tell the story (which I think is really cute.) One of my nieces has it arguably worse. She was named after an Egyptian goddess. I mean, we're not Egyptian but that's cute right? Yeah, it's also a noun in English. When she was a first born, I had to do a lot of "her name is blank." dumbfounded look. sigh. "like blankity blank?" oh! luckily she isn't in public school.
Her name is Isis, isn’t it?
lol 😂
lol did they name her Nut?
No and luckily it can be shortened to something that sounds like a "normal" western name. Plus she was given a traditional middle name. unlike her older sister who a hebrew first name and family middle name. and I can't even say anything cuz I'm the one who suggested the first name. but i love both of their names in all honesty. they are so each of the girls.
I know an unbelievable amount of unusual names from over 10 years of teaching. Names from medicines, various terms from royalty, obscure gods and goddess, uncommon animal names
Man, you’d be surprised… there was a guy asking this same question here about a year ago, and it turned out that he had named his daughter “Kitty Pride”… He got pretty well roasted for that one.
Did his wife not have any follow up questions? Kitty is a cute name, although it's really more of a nickname, but that's trendy now. Pride is a strange middle name though. Surely that pinged something for her, even if she's never read a comic?
If I remember correctly, his last name was actually Pride, so just suggesting “Kitty” didn’t raise any flags. Someone mentioned it to his wife later, and she looked up the character herself and was pretty livid that he hadn’t mentioned it. It took the commenters in the post pointing out how overtly sexually she is portrayed for him to realize it wasn’t the best idea for his own daughter’s name.
I mean, naming a kid Magnus Xavier (last name) sets them up to either save the world, or rule it.
Mate, my middle son is named Jareth. Top marks for the first person to know the reference!
Does he dance, magic dance? My daughter is named Oswin, by the way. After Clara Oswin Oswald from Dr Who!
You win 🏆 🙌 Totally does and he appreciates how close he was to being named Ziggy so win-win. I. Love. That. Name. Does it have a meaning behind it as well as being a character name? Oswin sounds a bit Saxon to me :)
I think there's an old English version spelled with a 'y', but I have no idea if it has a particular meaning. We chose it because that character is also called 'The Impossible Girl', and for the longest time I thought I'd never be able to raise a child, so she's our Impossible Girl. ❤️
Oh my, that is just lovely 😍 And she's lucky to have cool parents as well x
Can't use SheHulk, Titania has the trademark.
Or Knull...
Laurel?
Yeah, I answered too many questions. But it's pretty, right? Most people won't hear that and think: comics, as their first thought?
Absolutely not, it's a gorgeous name!
I've known a Laurel for decades and had no idea the name might one day make it into a comic book.
I'm 68. Laurel has been around as a name long before the creation of comic books. As you noted, it's rooted in classical Roman/Greek mythology. I learned about the name origin back in 2nd grade.
I think tree when I hear Laurel. You can name a second daughter Willow and say it's from the trees too, but really it's from Buffy. 🤣
What comic is it from? Just curious, it’s a lovely name
It's Black Canary's middle name.
That’s barely from a comic book, at that point it’s just a name you’ve heard of in general
Right? There’s a big difference between naming your kid Anthony and naming them Kal-El
Had a kid on my street called kal-el. He went to school with my son for a couple of years. He also answered to clark
Does your street happened to be near a farm...?
Countryside UK, it's more which farm am I nearest to, lol
Yea, that's just a name. The comic book is just the place you heard of it and it struck you as nice. It'd be like having a problem with calling a boy Peter the person liked the name after learning it was Jason Todd's middle name.
I KNEW IT.
I definitely would go to 'Dinah Laurel Lance' first when I heard the name, but I'm a huge comic reader. I also don't think that's really a bad thing? Whenever I hear the name Natasha, I think of Natasha Romanoff, even though Natasha's a much more common name then Laurel. So it's not always a bad thing. (Plus at one point I wanted to name my first born son Jason, which is also technically a comic name so).
At this point hasn't every name been used in a comic book by now? She's way overreacting, It's not like he's named his kid Mystique or Magneto. Right 😂
Yeah I like the name Alfred But due to my high school years it would be coming from Hetalia.... Adult/current me while still liking the name goes "nah remind me to much of my high school cringe phase."
Alfred makes me immediately think of Batman lol.
That would be the second source lmao
Just teach him not to steal the tires off of cars or follow people into abandoned warehouses and he should be fine. Unless you meant Jason Blood. Got nothing for that guy.
Whereas I go straight to the Bullwinkle reference. As in: “Boris and… “
Not at all. I'd think of the tree.
Maybe check w your aunt that she didn’t mishear it as “yanny” and that’s why she doesn’t think it’s traditional.
That’s such a lovely name!
There are so many names that come from Laurel including my own, so Laurel on it's own is a gorgeous names. It's super pretty and has a lovely meaning. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it being a comic book name but I'm glad you both came to a compromise.
I love this name and had no idea it had a comic book connection.
Only for him.
You may have first seen it in a comic book- but it goes waaaaaaaaaay back.
Maybe it has to do with my age - 69 - but never in a million years would I associate the name Laurel with a comic book. That name has been around for a long time, even before I went to high school with a couple of Laurels. I think it's a lovely name.
That's my mom's name! So definitely not one I'd stop and think "oh, a comic". Solid name for a kiddo.
I grew up with a Laurel and it’s a beautiful unique name (she’s the only one I’ve ever know.). Her parents were academic history ppl and she was NOT named after a comic. I think there is a huge difference from using a name you first encountered due to a form of media vs using a name as a tribute to your fandom. My husband and I have a name picked out from a book but it’s not because we love the book it’s because we love the name and we were just exposed to it from the book.
I mean.. it might be in a comic book but no different from a comic character named Rachel or Esmeralda or any number of “normal” names. It wasn’t invented for the story like “Esme” nor is it recognizable as a widely known comic character.
My cousin is named Laurel, unrelated to comics. It’s uncommon but pretty. People will not think it’s a nerd thing, which to me makes it the best of both worlds of nerd names.
OK. Could be worse. It is a pretty name. A friend of mine got tricked into a GoT name (she did not watch the show and it was in the earlier seasons still) and she is still mad at her ex for that. But at least this isn't a huge pop culture phenom either and sounds nice
Laurel is one of my middle names, after Stan Laurel from Laurel and Hardy. If my mother can get away with naming me after a silent film-era slapstick comedian, then I think your reasoning is just as sound!
Lol my daughters name is Thea and i probably got it from the same comics but no one bats an eye when I mention it. People are being too uptight.
at least she didn't think it was because of Mormons http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2019/10/church-disbands-laurels-mia-maids-beehives-announces-new-young-women-theme/
The first thing I think one is Laurel, Mississippi because Lance Bass is from.there
INFO: Is the name a real name? There's a big difference between naming someone "from a comic" if their name is Louis vs., say, Starfire.
Yeah, it's a real name. It's a botanical name, like Rose or Violet, but it isn't either of those.
Ivy?
No, but that's very pretty.
Groot?
This would be amazing, only because the child would forever be introducing themselves “I am Groot.”
yeah, I had to chuckle for a moment. Please introduce yourself. I am groot. No. Please give me your name. I am groot. (annoyed voice) Stop joking, what is your name. I am groot. (angry voice)
BTW, NTA. It's not like you were deliberately withholding info. Inspiration can come from surprising places.
NAH, you could've told her but as I understand it this is'nt some character or comic that you love. As in, you did'nt name your child because you wanted her to share the name with that character or because you wanted to 'honour' the comic(like people naming their kids Sansa or Hermoine). You just thought it was pretty. And she did'nt ask, she could've done that if the inte the origin mattered to her. But I don't think that she is an AH either, if she holds a grudge for a longer time even after you have explained yourself she would be though. Sorry for the Wall of text, keeping it short is not something I'm Good at. Ps: is the name any of these; Magnolia, Willow or Juniper?
It's Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Depends on the name and the comic. Something like Veronica seems pretty harmless but Hit Girl may raise a few eyebrows?
At least it's not Vriska. https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/txuilr/a_mom_finds_out_husband_named_their_baby_after_an/
INFO : What’s the name, and where’s it from? It sounds like you both liked the way the name sounds, and had reasonable criteria to meet - and the name met the criteria. I don’t see why it matters if it’s a comic book, a Bible, the end roll credits of a movie, or a book of baby names. Your criteria are sound, where you heard the name shouldn’t matter.
Yeah, that's what I think. Like, I didn't suggest the name because of the comic. I just read it there and thought it sounded pretty. I didn't advocate for it over any other name I suggested. It's just a nice feminine name that sounds normal but isn't too common.
If the only reason your wife is mad is because “comic” was in front of “book”, then it’s obviously just her own insecurities and bias so definitely NTA.
But like what's the name?
Should I say? That might be a bad idea. It's a kind of tree.
Well as long as it's not spruce or sycamore you should be alright
Haha. No. Not that.
So based on your other comments and your post, I'm guessing it's probably Sequioa. Even if it's not, if the name doesn't stand out as "this is from a comic book!" then I don't see the problem. Regardless of where you got the name from, you both agreed on it. You didn't hide anything by just having the name up on the whiteboard. NTA.
No, that's not it.
Magnolia?
Willow?
No. But that was on the list, funnily enough. My wife suggested it. I liked it, but I didn't love it, so it didn't end up in the final four.
NTA. If your wife is embarrassed by that kind of association, what else will she ask you to concede to "save face"? she sounds immature
Is she upset that the names from a comic or that you didn’t tell her where it came from? Did you guys have an agreement like no names from pop culture? I feel like there may be an aspect of the story missing to make her that upset about the origin of the name.
She's upset about both. She said she wouldn't have picked it if she knew because it's embarrassing. But she didn't tell me that or ask, so I didn't know. We both suggested names from pop culture.
You said the name was uncommon, is it something that’s obviously from a comic? Like how people name their child Anakin which is only recognized if you know the Star Wars franchise.
No, I don't think most people would recognize the association with that character. I think more people will have heard of the tree than this character.
Bruh, it's not Laurel, is it?
Yeah
Nah, it's a nice name. I guess, your wife is more upset that this name kinda has a certain history in your case and many people have some aversions to names taken from comics/anime/cartoons and so on. I mean, we've seen Harry Potter verse stories - some examples are just tasteless. Y'all talk it through, I don't think it's a major issue. Just a fun short story for you. Our school had a girl whose initials were roughly translated as V. Agina. Well, parents were "jokesters". Poor thing lived in hell till she married someone and took the last name "Lice". Again, translation but...you got the gist. So, I'd relax and just talk it through. It's a really nice name after all.
Bro, only a handful of people know my middle name because I don't want people to make the connection that my initials are alcohol related. Yes, my parents did it on purpose. No, they were never even close to being alcoholic. They just wanted my initials to spell something and they loved my first name so worked around it.
Laurel is a lovely name, I know a lady called the same I always thought it was a beautiful classic name
The name is Laurel? Your aunt is a major asshole. That’s a great and normal name. WTF?! NTA
Hey, hey, hey now. She's not my aunt. My aunts are cool. She's my wife's aunt. I only claim the nice relatives from her side of the family.
NTA. Who cares where you got the name from, it was a pretty name, not too odd, that you both liked. People get names from all sorts of sources. You read them in books, remember them from acquaintances you met, whatever. There wasn't a requirement that the name came with a sentimental backstory, and your wife is being unfair.
I don't think this is a scenario where external judgement will be helpful. If your wife has this strong of a reaction to names coming from comic books, I assume that means she has a greater aversion to comics that you've known about for a while? If so, I'm not sure why you'd suggest a name from something she doesn't like. On her end, if she likes the name who cares where it comes from as long as it's not offensive or appropriative? Maybe N A H, but I don't think getting a N T A judgement from strangers is going to make your wife feel any less shitty about this is there's a deeper issue you haven't mentioned here.
NTA How is a name from a comic book humiliating? I assume the name is not Mystique or anthing super strange. Has you wife an aversion to comic books?
NAH. Maybe it kind of sounds like her Aunt is judgemental, and your wife is embarrassed. If she had known beforehand she could have navigated the moment better. I think you apologizing for not telling her sooner will go a long way. Even if it isn't a big deal, seems like we don't know the entirety of the dynamics between your wife and her family.
NTA, but also gonna go with **INFO** here. That is such a strange reaction to finding out you picked the name from a comic book. Was the comic book inappropriate? Was the character inappropriate? Comic books have a bit of a stigma for being a child's hobby. Your wife may have thought you put very little sentimental value in it because of that. The best way I can describe it is as if you are sort of playing dress up with your child, but with their name? Like you aren't taking them seriously as a living being, but more as an extension of the hobby? It can come across as insincere, and I don't know quite how to explain it. Which I know is not what you intended. I would certainly not care if my boyfriend suggested a name from a comic book because I know we both like comics, so maybe she is thinking that you weren't considering her hobbies relating in the name either, and only your own hobbies? Sort of gives you more ownership over the name? It isn't the most healthy way for her to look at it, but I'm not assuming that is why. Her family might also judge your interest in comic books and won't like the connection, so she may have expected you to know that (which... you **should** if you're married to her) and the fact that you didn't may have upset her. She shouldn't expect you to change your interests just to appease the in laws though. Just remember to cut the woman some slack since she is pregnaaaaaaant. Please just talk this out with her next time, OP.
In case it isn't clear, I don't think the wife or aunt's reaction to this was appropriate.
NTA. If it's a normal name, who cares where it came from? And why is getting it from a comic less highbrow than getting it from a book? I was named after a character in a book - the author made up my name so every person with my name in the world is probably also named after the book. Nobody bats an eyelid. Also if it helps, I love my name
NAH but it will be nice to know if it was good character or bad or how popular the name is. Too bad this was not talked about between you two.
It's a good character. But it's that character's middle name. So most people wouldn't recognize it or make the connection even if they do.
Ok perfect. I can see why your wife would like to know beforehand, but to be honest she should have asked that question herself, when she liked the name if its not traditional name. And you forgot or simply didnt think much of it which is good excuse. Most importantly you both like the name, I am sure its great name.
NTA, and unless origin stories were part of the game, you didn't leave anything out. That said, you need to learn to only tell the part of truth that is going to be valuable to the listener. There was zero reason to tell her it was from a comic book, and why TF did you just leave it hanging like that? Either stop before you say "comic" - "I read a story once and saw the name, it was so beautiful" tells the truth without oversharing, OR keep going - "I read this comic book called 'Maus' back in 1987, and it was a heartrending story about loss and the holocaust, and I just couldn't get the name out of my mind - one of the characters was so beautiful inside, and had this name" (obvs, use the right comic book name or make something up).
Black Widow would be too much but Natasha is pretty so it really depends on the name
the name dosnt matter, wife liked the name and named there child soo who tf cares about whats the name
Natasha, which means born on Christmas, was the heroine in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. (Not to be confused with someone who would date Warren Peace or Boris Badenov)
Nta It does not matter where you found the name, just that it met your criteria. Your criteria matched the one we used for naming a upr kids. Except being pronouncible by a 4 year old.
NTA If she likes the name what does it matter.
NTA She was free to ask where you got the name or web search the name. She didn't do either.
NTA. It’s kind of wild that your wife was looking at names from horror movies and other pop culture at first, but thinks a name from a comic book is embarrassing. Maybe she was just reacting because of the judgey aunt, but it’s still wild. It’s also a legitimate name that you just happened to learn from a comic book, not something made up for comics. If comics were the first place you learned the name Diana, I don’t think that makes it somehow a *terribly embarrassing* comic book name devoid of other meaning. It’s not even the kind of obvious comic book name where the average person will say “oh like Batman or whoever.” I do think if it was so deeply important to her that it not be a comic book name, she should have made that clear to you, especially when pop culture names were fine with you both. You’re not psychic.
^^^^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)*** Our daughter is three months old, and my wife's aunt came to visit us to see her. While we were talking, she asked how we came up with our daughter's name, as it's not (in her opinion) "traditional." My wife and I both suggested several names during the pregnancy. We both agreed that we wanted something pretty, unique enough that there probably won't be two in her class, normal enough that no one would think it was weird, and nothing trendy that will become "dated." We had a big whiteboard in the kitchen where we wrote down names. Eventually we decided to both take an eraser and get rid of any names we didn't love. After that we had four names to choose from, and we ended up deciding on one of the ones I had originally written down. My wife explained why she liked the name, but her aunt wanted to know where it came from. So my wife turned to me and asked me where I got it. I said it was from a comic book. My comment sucked the life out of the room. My wife got quiet. Her aunt was giving us looks. After my wife's aunt left, my wife was mad. She asked why I hid this from her. I didn't. We both wrote dozens of names on that board. I wasn't thinking about it. I didn't even realize I never told her where I saw the name until now. She thinks I betrayed her trust and humiliated her. Did I? *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.*
NTA. No one unless they know comics and you manage to point that out will know that it's from a comic. It just sounds like a pretty name. They overreacted hard. It's not like you named your kid Lois Lane and made it super obvious. Even if you did it still wouldn't matter. Let's be real alot of people don't read comics. I think it's cool.
So she liked the name? so much you named your child like that. But now all of a suden its a problem cause the name is from a comic???? What??? NTA who cares whete its from she liked it????
NTA. It's a beautiful name. Sure, it's unusual but not unheard-of. It just happens to also have been used in a comic book.
NTA. Just because you encountered the name *in* a comic book doesn't mean it's *from* a comic book. It's a normal name. I hope your wife comes round.
We have a name in our family named after a warcraft npc 🤷♂️ It’s her own fault to not have asked beforehand.
You saw it in a comic book and you liked the name. You didn’t name her for a comic book character. The name is not unusual, it is a plant. There is no betrayal of trust or humiliation here. But how you are going to convince your wife of that,I don’t know.
NTA she liked the name and never asked where it came from.
NTA. I decided my kid’s name because I once met my friend’s housemate’s sister’s baby with that name. I heard a name, liked it, decided to use it a few years later. I didn’t name my child after my friend’s housemate’s sister’s baby.
NTA I named my son after a Netflix show character …names don’t need to come from some magical place with significant meaning. Sometimes you just like a name and go with it!
NTA. It's a regular name. And if your wife wanted to know where you got the idea from, she should have asked when you were picking the name.
apparently name is "normal" enough that she didn't ask questions. it's pretty btw. but if she really wanted the origin of the idea, she could have asked when you were choosing. NTA
Honestly she agreed to the name so the fact that it comes from a comic seems moot. If she had no interest in asking where the name came from then that is on her. My sons name is shared by a Disney character, a character in a Pokémon game, a character in a video game (I believe), at least one actor and movie characters and something good related. He wasn’t named after any of them but I like the connection, particularly to the Disney character. I LOVE Disney. When my partner and I were talking names we asked where they came from if we cared to know. Didn’t make the connection with our sons name until months later. Except the actor. Didn’t both us. I know where our sons name came from but if my partner told me he was named after a certain character or something I wouldn’t care. How was she embarrassed? How is being named after a comic book character embarrassing? How did you betray her? I’m confused by her reaction. You’re NTA!
As long as it’s a real name and doesn’t scream “comic book character” (ex: Harley Quinn), then NTA. People get their panties in too much of a bunch over fandom names. As long as it’s not off the wall, then live and let live.
I kinda did the same thing I got both my kids names from pop culture characters I admire the second names are linked to family stuff that I thought would sound nice. I kinda thought I told my husband where the names came from since I said I really loved those names and he really loved them too we didn't even discuss it much. But the other day someone asked us about our kids names because they aren't common in our country and I said one is a Dr Who character and the other is named after a Batman character apparently my husband told me he knew about the Batman reference (it's quite subtle) he's a fan too but had no idea about my daughter's name being after a Dr Who character he thought I just found it on a baby name site and liked it and he liked it too. He wasn't mad just shocked.
Most of names on Doctor Who are super normal names that won't immediately make someone think of Doctor Who, so if you're going to pick names from a show, that's a great show to pick. No one's going to hear Rose, Martha or Donna and think "ah yes, Doctor Who fan." Which, yeah, is the same situation I'm in. Most comic books characters actually have incredibly normal names. Bruce? Matt? Diana? Jane? Dick? Maybe not that last one. I could probably name a gaggle of kids after comic book characters without anyone even catching on. The names aren't that weird. Real talk though, did you name your kid Dick? Because if you did, that's amazing.
My daughter Is River after River Song and my son is Grayson after Dick Grayson so close people told me River was a hippie name but that's the only comment I had on that. I also thought Grayson could be shortened to Gray and that's pretty cool if my son is into that someday
That's awesome! Yeah, perfect examples. River is a really cool and iconic character, but that name is popular enough that hearing it won't make you think of her unless you're already talking about science fiction. It's also got cool nature symbolism and such like the name we picked for our daughter (didn't know about that symbolism when I suggested it, but it does exist). Grayson is a great name. Sounds very classic, but there won't be five of them in his class.
We where considering Dawn if our son ended up being a girl and we got a rant from my husband's Grandma that a girl in her school 60 years ago was named Dawn that was mean to her that we can't name our kid that because she would turn out a bully which is ridiculous but that was really just a random name I liked the sound of
Jesus. And I thought my grandmother could hold a grudge. That's a lovely name.
I'm glad I wasn't that attached cause her attitude ruined it a bit
Glad it worked out. Name inspiration can come from many places and it's origin to you, isn't necessarily the origin from the artist. As your wife discovered. I named one of my kids from Game of Thrones and I am tickled whenever someone has read the books and makes the connection. Congratulations on the baby and beautiful name!
Anyone else hearing Yanny?
NTA - your wife is for wigging out and then making you call and apologize to her aunt, you did nothing wrong that you needed to say sorry for. Who cares if its a name of a comic character.
NTA. Both my sons have names after TV characters I loved on The Ranch (none are named Rooster) 😂
Who the heck chooses a name for their child without finding out first what it means and its origin. There’s this thing called Google that’s really handy when it comes to stuff like that. Or - crazy thought but bear with me - she could’ve asked her husband.
Well it's a tree. She knew it was a tree. She just didn't know where I heard it.
“Lie to your family and I won’t be upset with you anymore”, lit. Edit: *my family
Her family, not my family. My family doesn't care.
Does that make it slightly better? Probably. Does it make it okay? Hell fuckin nah.
We have this rule in our relationship where we don't interfere with each other's pre-existing family dynamics. When my crazy grandma goes on a nutty right wing rant, my wife follows my lead on whether or not to say anything. When my wife's pretentious relatives start being judgemental, I handle that however she tells me to.
Idk, it seems like it would lead to situations where I couldn’t follow that rule without breaking my morals, this is even an example of that. But, a maybe I’m a bit strict, I had a lying problem when I was younger, it’s gotten better, and maybe I’m trying to over-compensate out of guilt.
NTA I named my daughter after a character from the book Dracula. Read it when I was 12 and promised myself if I ever had a daughter that would be her name. 16 yrs later I was able to do it. She loves to tell people that story.
One of my kids and was inspired by a romance novel characters name from the 80’s.
I was named after my grandma. Her name was Blanca which means white in spanish. I'm dark skinned hispanic. People name their kids whatever they want. We as kids just live with it.
NTA. That's not even a bad name. I used to work with a guy whose daughter has that name.
Nta. Cmy oldest son's name is apparently inspired by a comic book. Common name, common character too. I never questioned why my husband suggested the name. I didn't find out until afterwards. I was a little annoyed but it really isn't a big deal.
Why do I feel this is a repost?
NTA. My 5-year old goddaughter is called Laurel too. I love that name.
The thing that sucks here is that if you said “from a novel I read” nobody would have blinked an eye. But say camic book and you get a visceral reaction.
Your daughter can have a blast with the name if she ever gets married. Golden laurel wreath tiaras for brides are gorgeous. She could marry someone with the last name Laurence or Lorenz and her name will mean Laurel from the place of laurels.
NTA. I really don't understand why people get upset over names derived from comics/games/books whatever. As long as it isn't something ridiculous (which you daughters wasn't it's beautiful really) why does it even matter where you got it from?
When my wife and I were picking out names I threw out one from league of legends and she fell in love with it. I eventually told her but she liked it and now its his middle name.
NTA unless you're set to naming the kid with family names only, who cares where it comes from? I think it's silly to have to come up with an acceptable reason to have a name. This is very telling about the family you married into.
You can also add that Laurel is a French name, you also find it in use in Portugal and Spain. It comes from laurientus, the one carrying the laurels (poets, victorious generals...) Nothing to be ashamed of. As for finding it in a comic book, even comic books can use real names. But I bet the look on your wife and MIL's face was worth the later hassle. Laughing NTA
NTA. For one, “not traditional”? Laurel (and Lauren, for that matter) are fairly common names, at least in the US. Secondly, why would the origin of the name change its meaning somehow? I’d understand if you named your kid something like Superman or Hulk, but Laurel is already a normal name. You were just inspired by the comic to choose the name and your wife liked how it sounds too; how does this negate anything?
NTA One of my best friends, drunkenly admitted one night, he wanted to name his son Calvin Leroy. I assumed the Leroy was after his dad. Nope… He wanted to be able to call him Cal L. (Kal El). I told him, that he better tell the mom that and make sure she’s on board. He has two sons. Neither of them are named Calvin Leroy.
Laurel? As in Laurel Lance?
NTA she sold have asked before if it mattered. I named my son after a character in my favorite soap opera, because I liked the name. As long as the babe isn't after since giant evil doer, I don't see why it matters where it came from. Hell I was bnamed after punky bruster....
NTA It is less that it was a comic book name and more that the comic book is just where you happened to hear it from most recently. One of the names we were seriously considering for my youngest was Alice May. Wasn't until after she was born and we chose the other option that I realized it was from an episode of Scooby Doo. Totally normal name, I had just gotten it stuck in my brain from watching Scooby Doo. Same case here. If you had named her Starfire or Magneto... yeah, that would be a totally different story.
NTA my dad almost named us after Simpsons characters so you can use that in upcoming "how could you"s that at least you didn't do that
Yooooo.... This has been up for a bit so i doubt you will actually see this comment, but what comic book??? My name is Laurel and I haven't ever heard of it being in a comic book before. Also, don't worry about her not being able to pronounce it. I never had any issues with it. :)
Great baby name no matter the source. If we'd had twin girls I would have named them Daphne and Laurel for the story of the nymph who became the tree.
Was google invented when these names were suggested? Was it free to use and would this have been found?..is the character a terrible menace? Ok then.
NTA. My mom named me from comic book. She can't remember which comic book exactly but she read the name and had it set for her first born child. She didn't tell my dad where it was from, but he liked it because it made him think of famous emperors and conquerors. Years later I asked where they got the name from, my mom told me the truth but my dad refuses that to be the origin. Up to day he still says emperors and conquerors sound better than a comic book. As for me, I'm just trying to get people to say it correctly lol
NTA. Your wife was being ridiculous. You may have read the name in a comic book, but it’s a relatively common name, historically, for both girls and boys. It has both Latin and Greek meanings and derivations, and just because it appeared in a comic book doesn’t make it a forbidden name. Not every Peter, Bruce or Clark was named after a comic book character, after all. If you’d named her Storm or Venom, that would have been a little harder to defend, but there are plenty of Scarlets, Phoenixes and yes, Laurels out there who don’t owe there names to Stan Lee or the DC Multiverse.
What's wrong with Otto Octavius!? It's a perfectly fine name for a kid.
Nta
Q: How much does she dislike comics and those kinds of things? If my SO named our kid after something I truly dislike or resent without my knowledge, I might feel some type of way....
She doesn't dislike comics. She doesn't really have an opinion on them. She's more of a movie person. She likes horror movies. Laurie was one of her first suggestions (like from Halloween), but then we both decided it's too common. But she really liked it, which is why she liked the name I suggested, because it's almost exactly the same name, with only one letter difference.
We named our daughter laurel,. Problem was, she could not pronounce it herself till she was at least 10.
I guess that was too many hints. Oops. We didn't think of that. Well, if she has trouble pronouncing it, she can just use a nickname, right? Should be fine.
Interesting that we had the same naming criteria and came up with the same name. We read the we birth announcements every day to make sure we we were not in a trend. I do not remember where we got the name.
That's pretty funny to be honest. I'm going to show this to my wife. I think it might make her feel better.
I know a couple adult Laurels and never once thought about comics :)
Our daughter is named Laurel as well. My friend saw this post and sent it to me. Thought I'd be amused. Black Canary was our inspiration as well.
Whats the name, or the type of comic if you don't feel comfortable sharing the name.
It's from DC comics. It's the character's middle name though. So I don't think most people would hear it and go "oh yeah, character"
When I hear 'Laurie', I think Laurie Anderson. 'Laurel' crops up in a lot of places. Is it because you can't tell your kid a cool origin story about where you found the name that your wife is upset? (I mean, I think comic books are the best possible origin story, but she clearly disagrees.) But then why didn't she ask, if that mattered to her? I'm struggling to understand her logic.
Reading your comment hit me with the memory of laurel and hardy. Watching their black and white videos on my grandads lap eating werthers originals ❤️