Choosing a name for a newborn baby is never an easy task. Usually, parents agree on a name well before the baby is born, and everything goes rather smoothly, but this is not always the case.
Sometimes, one of the parents proposes a name that is a bit too original and not to other’s taste. This was the case with this mother, who, after choosing a rather uncommon name for her son, was criticized and harassed by her in-laws.
For this mother, there was never really any doubt: her family had long respected a tradition regarding male heirs, and in her mind, her son would not escape the rule. However, the in-laws could not accept this and went so far as to harass the young mother to change the name.
Last August, these parents learned the gender of their future baby: a boy!
For the mother, there was no doubt: her son, being the first male heir of his generation, would continue her maternal family’s tradition, and his name was already chosen: Gaylord.
Upon learning the mother’s proposal, her in-laws expressed reservations because Gaylord, in Shakespeare’s language, can be translated as “gay lord.”
The father’s family could not accept that the future baby would have such a name, denouncing it as an “abuse.” They believed that such a name could be difficult for a boy to bear, especially in school.
For the mother, while tradition is important, she is not entirely naive. She is fully aware that this name is not the easiest to bear and is even willing to compromise: if the official name remains Gaylord, his everyday name will be Gail, which is neutral and quite acceptable.
While the in-laws were initially convinced by the mother’s proposal, they quickly changed their minds and tactics: there was no way the boy would carry that name, even if it meant harassing and ridiculing the future mother.
The future father initially thought it was a bad joke but quickly realized otherwise, immediately siding with his family, refusing such a name for his son.
Since then, what should have been a joyful event bringing two families together has become a source of endless discord and disputes.
The in-laws provided the mother with a list of names they chose, which deeply offended her, believing that they had no right to name her son for her.