Woman confronts childhood friend for spelling her baby's name in weird fashion

Finding a suitable name is the next big stressor for new parents after having a baby. Choosing a name is a big decision, prompting caregivers to go for unusual, unique and sometimes outright surprising choices. By doing so, we have seen some kids get really uncalled-for names that are sometimes spelled wrongly too, making it awkward for them growing up. Similarly, a woman called out her friends for addressing their newborn with a weirdly spelled name. The 21-year-old, who goes by u/addie_maylen on Reddit, had to face the heat from her childhood friend Loreen and her husband for questioning the couple’s choice of name for their little one.

The woman started by revealing the kind of bond she had with Loreen, aged 22, that developed over the past 17 years. “She recently gave birth to her daughter and her husband recently told us the name. They decided to name their daughter ‘Ghiuliyette’ i.e., pronounced as Juliet, with her middle name being 'Mahriya,'” the unidentified woman wrote anonymously. She thought that the spelling was a joke until the couple expressed their seriousness.

“I told her that the unconventional spelling of such a simple, beautiful name might create unnecessary challenges for her daughter. She became upset and told me to stop ‘ruining’ her mood, adding that I was being mean,” the child’s godmother added. She went on to suggest that it was her honest opinion about the spelling. The woman shared that the couple spoiled the “beautiful name” by including letters that don’t belong there.

However, Loreen didn’t pay heed to her friend’s unwanted but well-meaning advice. This didn’t stop the woman from expressing her concerns via another text message, suggesting the little girl may end up struggling to get her name changed someday. Instead, the new mom lashed out, asking her to stop texting and calling her a “bad friend” for criticizing the name. The woman, for her part, didn’t feel she’d done anything wrong by sharing her point of view.

“When I told her the spelling was just bad, she went crazy. She told me I’m the worst friend ever and that I would never be able to see her daughter again,” the post elaborated on the tensions. It didn’t stop there, as Loreen’s husband also sent a stern email, stating she needed to stop being disrespectful. The father felt the unique spelling made the name cute and distinctive.

Acknowledging it was a unique choice, the woman felt it would make the girl’s life challenging. “She’ll probably be bullied for that spelling. I haven’t replied, and honestly, I don’t think I’m wrong here,” asserted the woman caught in a dispute with her friend. In an update, the child’s godmother admitted she shouldn’t have pressed the issue more than once.

In her formal apology, the woman asked Loreen to consider looking at it from another perspective as well. Loreen also began to notice her “mistake” but maintained she wouldn’t change it. “Her husband, however, was still pretty mad. He thinks I took it too far and that my apologies aren’t sincere. He went on to block me everywhere and tried to convince Loreen to do the same,” the post concluded, sparking widespread reactions. A high school teacher, u/Astute_Primate, wrote, “I’ll tell you upfront—you’re right. Kids with unusual spellings of their names are often unhappy, as around three-quarters of the time, their names are hard to spell and frequently mispronounced.” “Imagine her having to spell her name for standardized testing in school or on legal documents,” said u/JForKiks, echoing the common sentiment.