A pregnant woman is “really annoyed” with her family, who keep mispronouncing her unborn son’s name and have even begun giving him incorrect nicknames – leaving her seriously contemplating ditching the name altogether. Many expectant parents opt to keep their chosen baby names under wraps until the little one has safely arrived . For others, however, sharing the name with their nearest and dearest feels perfectly natural — though this approach does come with its own pitfalls. It can open the door to brutally honest
opinions , as some people feel more inclined to voice their disapproval before a baby is born, seemingly believing their candour won’t cause any harm. In other instances, it gives parents a chance to hear how their child’s name will sound in practice, and even what nicknames might crop up along the way. For one mum-to-be, this has become quite the headache, as her family are “already” calling her unborn son the “wrong name”. Taking to Reddit, she explained: “I love the name Rafael, and
I’m pretty set on it especially since my husband likes it too. But my mom and grandma keep calling him different things – ‘baby Ralph’, ‘Ralphie’, ‘Rafa’. “It’s really annoying to me and makes me not want to name him that anymore. I’ve corrected them multiple times but they still call him different names. “My husband’s cousin also referred to him as ‘Ralphie’. Should I just keep correcting them?! Or just name him something different. I’m 4 [months] so we’ve got plenty of time.” In
the comments section, fellow Reddit users were eager to weigh in with their opinions. One person said: “Rafa is a legitimate [nickname] for Rafael, can’t imagine why they’re going with Ralphie though.” Another said: “They’re just being ignorant and deliberately choosing to use the wrong name. There’s no way you could possibly mix up Ralph/Ralphie and Rafael. I’m sorry that’s happening.” A third advised: “Tbh [to be honest] I think you either need to accept that people are going to nickname him or just change
the name. I’m not saying it’s right, they should be respectful and call him what YOU want him to be called! “I’m just saying it’s kind of inevitable that nicknames come with most names and it’s beyond your control. Again, doesn’t make it right!” While a fourth said: “Raphael is the name that has the nicknames ‘Ralph’ or ‘Ralphie’ (don’t like either of those at all). Rafael has the nicknames Raf and Raffy (which I do like). “I’d let them know they aren’t even using
the correct nicknames with the spelling. I specifically would never use Raphael because of the nicknames, but do like Rafael because of the nicknames. “Either way, I have absolutely skipped over names entirely because of the nicknames and knowing people do not listen in not shortening the name or using a certain nickname.” Someone else commented: “People come up with nicknames for loved ones and these seem to be the ones they’re choosing. If it bothers you so much, change the name, but it will
likely happen regardless!” However, another urged the expectant mother to stand her ground and added: “Rafael is a relatively easy name. Yes, keep telling them and don’t change it for their sake if you like the name.”
baby name, Rafael, mispronouncing, nicknames, family conflict, pregnancy, Reddit