Single mum tired of justifying her son’s ‘unusual’ name


Many parents would agree that, apart from the physical labour of childbirth, one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent is naming your child.

Our name is our identifier, something we carry forever. Makes sense that choosing a name is a lot of pressure.

While most of the time, parents opt for a more common name, the practice of choosing more unique names is becoming much more mainstream. However, not everyone is a fan of this.

Sophia Waterfield, who works as a freelance journalist based in the UK, is here to share the story of how she was met with judging looks and hurtful comments after naming her son a rather unique name.

cFIYiB5WNkHQ2_9TWuTSrAEI2emacK4B7EXCbn8hwBPcBVWW4LJxIzIWfr8IJ6Cme_ntDKklqaJbKxXtCZXIRYesXJIPrODyCTfap55nX-pC0k_A3mLzGBK9U3YCpQ-m2p23AolQ

Sophia is tired of having to justify her son’s name. Credit: news.com.au.

Sophia Waterfield is a 32-year-old single mum from the Yorkshire Wolds and her son’s name is Amyas.

According to Sophia, the name holds a sentimental value to her and it means “loved” in Latin. It’s also the name of a character in an Agatha Christie novel. So obviously this name meant alot to Sophia and holds a ton of sentimental meaning. Very cute right?

When the ultrasound technician told the mum she was having a boy, the name flashed into her mind. “It wasn’t even in my top 10 favourite boy’s name list,” she said.

“From that moment on, he could only ever be Amyas to me.”

The name is pronounced as “Am-ee-us” or “Am-yas”, clarified Sophia.

The constant stream of questions, and even attempts to change her mind about her son’s name, started when Sophia was pregnant.

“I was constantly asked about what I was calling my baby and when I told them, I was met with odd looks.” She recalled other people straight up telling her: “Why would you call him that?”

Sophia said that the unnecessary questions added to her post-childbirth stress. When all she wanted was to cuddle her baby to rest, she was instead justifying to people why she named her son Amyas.

HYVFQysElf1H319LU3G4s21BVW8q77HJqnpbzTu6zAnqraFGtI6WRwoQ2aNDxQ7XhbmBuzryrPavA089Ong02H2xTnZxueO_pZu4Nel5O9jXW3KRnRXlMcR_pFTSgjcQfaeQDTnA

The name Amyas holds sentimental value to Sophia. Credit: news.com.au.

Last year, Sophia received hurtful remarks from people online when she wrote an article about her son’s unusual name. Anonymous commenters have called her “pretentious”, “stupid”, and “one of THOSE parents”.

“To say I felt sick with anger is an understatement,” said the journalist. “I’m never going to be used to the trolling which comes with the job, I have become able to deal with it.”

“But when your child, an innocent infant, becomes the target it changes the game.”

She said that the trolls went as far as to call her son a future “murderer” and “will pursue a career in prison because of the bullying”.

In response, Sophia said: “While this is one of the most extreme responses to my son’s name, it’s not the first and I know it won’t be the last.”

“Disagreeing with my name choice is one thing, but insulting me and my son is out of line.”

“All I want is for people to respect my son’s name without question. I don’t know why people think they have the right to such strong opinions on the matter.”

Sophia expressed that it’s mentally exhausting for her and her kid to be attacked for personal decisions.

“At the end of the day, the reasons why my son is called Amyas are only the business of his parents. Nobody else.”

While we are all entitled to our own opinion, attacking and abusing someone based on a personal choice that is largely harmless is wrong. We wish the best for Sophia and Amyas!

What are your thoughts? What are the most out-there names you’ve come across? Let us know in the comments below.
 
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What about Michael Jacksons "Blanket" I almost threw up when I first heard that and other weird celebrity names. My pet hate is a normal sounding name with altered spelling so the poor child spends a vast amount of it's life correcting it... :rolleyes:
Absolutely agree. My former name was always misspelt
 
Single mum tired of justifying her son’s ‘unusual’ name

Many parents would agree that, apart from the physical labour of childbirth, one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent is naming your child.

Our name is our identifier, something we carry forever. Makes sense that choosing a name is a lot of pressure.

While most of the time, parents opt for a more common name, the practice of choosing more unique names is becoming much more mainstream. However, not everyone is a fan of this.

Sophia Waterfield, who works as a freelance journalist based in the UK, is here to share the story of how she was met with judging looks and hurtful comments after naming her son a rather unique name.


cFIYiB5WNkHQ2_9TWuTSrAEI2emacK4B7EXCbn8hwBPcBVWW4LJxIzIWfr8IJ6Cme_ntDKklqaJbKxXtCZXIRYesXJIPrODyCTfap55nX-pC0k_A3mLzGBK9U3YCpQ-m2p23AolQ

Sophia is tired of having to justify her son’s name. Credit: news.com.au.

Sophia Waterfield is a 32-year-old single mum from the Yorkshire Wolds and her son’s name is Amyas.

According to Sophia, the name holds a sentimental value to her and it means “loved” in Latin. It’s also the name of a character in an Agatha Christie novel. So obviously this name meant alot to Sophia and holds a ton of sentimental meaning. Very cute right?

When the ultrasound technician told the mum she was having a boy, the name flashed into her mind. “It wasn’t even in my top 10 favourite boy’s name list,” she said.

“From that moment on, he could only ever be Amyas to me.”

The name is pronounced as “Am-ee-us” or “Am-yas”, clarified Sophia.

The constant stream of questions, and even attempts to change her mind about her son’s name, started when Sophia was pregnant.

“I was constantly asked about what I was calling my baby and when I told them, I was met with odd looks.” She recalled other people straight up telling her: “Why would you call him that?”

Sophia said that the unnecessary questions added to her post-childbirth stress. When all she wanted was to cuddle her baby to rest, she was instead justifying to people why she named her son Amyas.


HYVFQysElf1H319LU3G4s21BVW8q77HJqnpbzTu6zAnqraFGtI6WRwoQ2aNDxQ7XhbmBuzryrPavA089Ong02H2xTnZxueO_pZu4Nel5O9jXW3KRnRXlMcR_pFTSgjcQfaeQDTnA

The name Amyas holds sentimental value to Sophia. Credit: news.com.au.

Last year, Sophia received hurtful remarks from people online when she wrote an article about her son’s unusual name. Anonymous commenters have called her “pretentious”, “stupid”, and “one of THOSE parents”.

“To say I felt sick with anger is an understatement,” said the journalist. “I’m never going to be used to the trolling which comes with the job, I have become able to deal with it.”

“But when your child, an innocent infant, becomes the target it changes the game.”

She said that the trolls went as far as to call her son a future “murderer” and “will pursue a career in prison because of the bullying”.

In response, Sophia said: “While this is one of the most extreme responses to my son’s name, it’s not the first and I know it won’t be the last.”

“Disagreeing with my name choice is one thing, but insulting me and my son is out of line.”

“All I want is for people to respect my son’s name without question. I don’t know why people think they have the right to such strong opinions on the matter.”

Sophia expressed that it’s mentally exhausting for her and her kid to be attacked for personal decisions.

“At the end of the day, the reasons why my son is called Amyas are only the business of his parents. Nobody else.”

While we are all entitled to our own opinion, attacking and abusing someone based on a personal choice that is largely harmless is wrong. We wish the best for Sophia and Amyas!

What are your thoughts? What are the most out-there names you’ve come across? Let us know in the comments below.
The child has to live for his entire life with the name you chose. It's best to be mindful of that. Also, he is always going to have to spell it and pronounce it all his life if it's an obscure name.
 
Yes the name is unusual, but it is not a name that should cause any issues or bullying for the child. So therefore others should just keep their noses out of her business.
A past wife of mine thought that Holly was a lovely name for a girl. Then changed her mind when she said the whole name together - Holly Wood.
Now that would have been a bad name to use.
 
Single mum tired of justifying her son’s ‘unusual’ name

Many parents would agree that, apart from the physical labour of childbirth, one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent is naming your child.

Our name is our identifier, something we carry forever. Makes sense that choosing a name is a lot of pressure.

While most of the time, parents opt for a more common name, the practice of choosing more unique names is becoming much more mainstream. However, not everyone is a fan of this.

Sophia Waterfield, who works as a freelance journalist based in the UK, is here to share the story of how she was met with judging looks and hurtful comments after naming her son a rather unique name.


cFIYiB5WNkHQ2_9TWuTSrAEI2emacK4B7EXCbn8hwBPcBVWW4LJxIzIWfr8IJ6Cme_ntDKklqaJbKxXtCZXIRYesXJIPrODyCTfap55nX-pC0k_A3mLzGBK9U3YCpQ-m2p23AolQ

Sophia is tired of having to justify her son’s name. Credit: news.com.au.

Sophia Waterfield is a 32-year-old single mum from the Yorkshire Wolds and her son’s name is Amyas.

According to Sophia, the name holds a sentimental value to her and it means “loved” in Latin. It’s also the name of a character in an Agatha Christie novel. So obviously this name meant alot to Sophia and holds a ton of sentimental meaning. Very cute right?

When the ultrasound technician told the mum she was having a boy, the name flashed into her mind. “It wasn’t even in my top 10 favourite boy’s name list,” she said.

“From that moment on, he could only ever be Amyas to me.”

The name is pronounced as “Am-ee-us” or “Am-yas”, clarified Sophia.

The constant stream of questions, and even attempts to change her mind about her son’s name, started when Sophia was pregnant.

“I was constantly asked about what I was calling my baby and when I told them, I was met with odd looks.” She recalled other people straight up telling her: “Why would you call him that?”

Sophia said that the unnecessary questions added to her post-childbirth stress. When all she wanted was to cuddle her baby to rest, she was instead justifying to people why she named her son Amyas.


HYVFQysElf1H319LU3G4s21BVW8q77HJqnpbzTu6zAnqraFGtI6WRwoQ2aNDxQ7XhbmBuzryrPavA089Ong02H2xTnZxueO_pZu4Nel5O9jXW3KRnRXlMcR_pFTSgjcQfaeQDTnA

The name Amyas holds sentimental value to Sophia. Credit: news.com.au.

Last year, Sophia received hurtful remarks from people online when she wrote an article about her son’s unusual name. Anonymous commenters have called her “pretentious”, “stupid”, and “one of THOSE parents”.

“To say I felt sick with anger is an understatement,” said the journalist. “I’m never going to be used to the trolling which comes with the job, I have become able to deal with it.”

“But when your child, an innocent infant, becomes the target it changes the game.”

She said that the trolls went as far as to call her son a future “murderer” and “will pursue a career in prison because of the bullying”.

In response, Sophia said: “While this is one of the most extreme responses to my son’s name, it’s not the first and I know it won’t be the last.”

“Disagreeing with my name choice is one thing, but insulting me and my son is out of line.”

“All I want is for people to respect my son’s name without question. I don’t know why people think they have the right to such strong opinions on the matter.”

Sophia expressed that it’s mentally exhausting for her and her kid to be attacked for personal decisions.

“At the end of the day, the reasons why my son is called Amyas are only the business of his parents. Nobody else.”

While we are all entitled to our own opinion, attacking and abusing someone based on a personal choice that is largely harmless is wrong. We wish the best for Sophia and Amyas!

What are your thoughts? What are the most out-there names you’ve come across? Let us know in the comments below.
What about when he grows up humiliated because of his name. He also has long hair now and looks like a girl. Poor child.
 
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It's strange: while people try to come up with "unusual" names for their children (And I like Amyas!!) our dogs are no longer called Molly or Buddy, but as a pet sitter I get Henry, Charlie or Charly, Frankie or Franki, Edward (NOT Eddie!!), Georgia, Misha, Sasha, Elvis, Maisie, Lucy etc, all the names we dont want to call the kids anymore...
 
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What about when he grows up humiliated because of his name. He also has long hair now and looks like a girl. Poor child.
What's wrong with a boy having long hair? I know we ve been in lockdown, but if you venture outside there are lots of teenagers and even grown up men with long hair again. (though they might not have much hair on the top of their head, but only at the back 😉) As with the name it s the family's decision. If that boy is loved and supported (and that seems to be the case) he will be a lot better of than a Henry or George with short hair who gets judged by his looks and name and grows up amongst people who are judgemental and criticizing. He is not a "poor child"in my eyes.
 
Single mum tired of justifying her son’s ‘unusual’ name

Many parents would agree that, apart from the physical labour of childbirth, one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent is naming your child.

Our name is our identifier, something we carry forever. Makes sense that choosing a name is a lot of pressure.

While most of the time, parents opt for a more common name, the practice of choosing more unique names is becoming much more mainstream. However, not everyone is a fan of this.

Sophia Waterfield, who works as a freelance journalist based in the UK, is here to share the story of how she was met with judging looks and hurtful comments after naming her son a rather unique name.


cFIYiB5WNkHQ2_9TWuTSrAEI2emacK4B7EXCbn8hwBPcBVWW4LJxIzIWfr8IJ6Cme_ntDKklqaJbKxXtCZXIRYesXJIPrODyCTfap55nX-pC0k_A3mLzGBK9U3YCpQ-m2p23AolQ

Sophia is tired of having to justify her son’s name. Credit: news.com.au.

Sophia Waterfield is a 32-year-old single mum from the Yorkshire Wolds and her son’s name is Amyas.

According to Sophia, the name holds a sentimental value to her and it means “loved” in Latin. It’s also the name of a character in an Agatha Christie novel. So obviously this name meant alot to Sophia and holds a ton of sentimental meaning. Very cute right?

When the ultrasound technician told the mum she was having a boy, the name flashed into her mind. “It wasn’t even in my top 10 favourite boy’s name list,” she said.

“From that moment on, he could only ever be Amyas to me.”

The name is pronounced as “Am-ee-us” or “Am-yas”, clarified Sophia.

The constant stream of questions, and even attempts to change her mind about her son’s name, started when Sophia was pregnant.

“I was constantly asked about what I was calling my baby and when I told them, I was met with odd looks.” She recalled other people straight up telling her: “Why would you call him that?”

Sophia said that the unnecessary questions added to her post-childbirth stress. When all she wanted was to cuddle her baby to rest, she was instead justifying to people why she named her son Amyas.


HYVFQysElf1H319LU3G4s21BVW8q77HJqnpbzTu6zAnqraFGtI6WRwoQ2aNDxQ7XhbmBuzryrPavA089Ong02H2xTnZxueO_pZu4Nel5O9jXW3KRnRXlMcR_pFTSgjcQfaeQDTnA

The name Amyas holds sentimental value to Sophia. Credit: news.com.au.

Last year, Sophia received hurtful remarks from people online when she wrote an article about her son’s unusual name. Anonymous commenters have called her “pretentious”, “stupid”, and “one of THOSE parents”.

“To say I felt sick with anger is an understatement,” said the journalist. “I’m never going to be used to the trolling which comes with the job, I have become able to deal with it.”

“But when your child, an innocent infant, becomes the target it changes the game.”

She said that the trolls went as far as to call her son a future “murderer” and “will pursue a career in prison because of the bullying”.

In response, Sophia said: “While this is one of the most extreme responses to my son’s name, it’s not the first and I know it won’t be the last.”

“Disagreeing with my name choice is one thing, but insulting me and my son is out of line.”

“All I want is for people to respect my son’s name without question. I don’t know why people think they have the right to such strong opinions on the matter.”

Sophia expressed that it’s mentally exhausting for her and her kid to be attacked for personal decisions.

“At the end of the day, the reasons why my son is called Amyas are only the business of his parents. Nobody else.”

While we are all entitled to our own opinion, attacking and abusing someone based on a personal choice that is largely harmless is wrong. We wish the best for Sophia and Amyas!

What are your thoughts? What are the most out-there names you’ve come across? Let us know in the comments below.
I think Amos, a traditional name, would have done the trick and saved a lot of stress... Brigitta
 

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