A mother who named her daughter Theresa to honor her late father has expressed frustration that friends and family are giving the newborn unwanted nicknames, including T-Bone and Tree.
Mother's Tribute to Late Father
The woman, posting anonymously on Reddit, explained that she and her husband named their 3.5-month-old daughter Theresa as a tribute to her father, Taras, who went by Terry and passed away in 2010. She wrote: "We absolutely love the name and it was chosen to honor my father... It's not an exact match, but 'inspired by' his name."
However, she claims that relatives and friends have been "ruining" the tribute by refusing to use the full name and instead calling the baby Tess, Tessa, T-Bone, or even Tree. She added: "God forbid they use the name we gave her, which is only three syllables. They don't even call her Terri, which would make the most sense given the inspiration behind her name."
Nickname Disagreements Cause Distress
The mother said that every time someone uses a nickname, she "cringes because it doesn't suit her." She noted that no one can agree on a nickname and that they all feel forced. She had liked the nickname Reese, but that was ruled out due to her husband's negative association with a coworker.
She emphasized that she would prefer her daughter to choose her own nickname later in life rather than have one forced upon her. "I really don't mind if she develops a nickname, but I would prefer she decide that rather than have one forced upon her," she wrote.
Reddit Users Weigh In
Commenters on the post offered mixed reactions. One user said: "Out of your list of things she's been called, Tessa and Tree are my favourites. Nicknames happen. And when kids are little, it's like cats and dogs - they get called all kinds of weird stuff that's only semi-related to their name."
Another user recalled: "My best friend in middle school was Theresa, we called her Tree. She was a great friend." A third commenter added: "The idea that you can control nicknames is hysterical. I have some bad news for you when your kid goes to school."
The mother noted the irony that her brother Matthew is always called by his full name, never Matt, while her daughter cannot get the same courtesy.
