A mum who named her daughter after a former Roman emperor has said she won’t consider changing it even though her family hate it – and online commenters are split too
Choosing a name for your child is often a deeply personal decision. Parents can take inspiration for their child’s name from a variety of different places, including baby name books and websites, family members, and even pop culture references from films, books, or music.
However, one mum who took inspiration from history for her daughter’s name has been met with harsh criticism from her family, who have urged her to change the moniker. The mum said the baby’s grandmother has even gone as far as being “deliberately stubborn” and claiming she “can’t remember the name” so she doesn’t have to use it.
In a post on Reddit, the mum said she chose to name her newborn daughter Aurelia, inspired by the former Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius.
She wrote: “My family is very critical of my newborn daughter’s name – Aurelia. My mom says it sounds too modern and ‘made up’, and it’s way too hard to pronounce. My husband and I explained that it’s an ancient Roman name, and we were inspired to name her after Marcus Aurelius when we read his Meditations while I was pregnant.”
The mum went on to say she and her husband pronounce their daughter’s name as “Aw-ree-lee-uh”, which is potentially causing the confusion. Commenters on the post pointed out the name is most commonly pronounced “Aw-ray-lee-uh”.
She added: “We pronounce her name Aw-ree-lee-uh, because that’s the pronunciation that makes the most sense to us due to her namesake.
“I feel like she is being deliberately stubborn by saying she can’t remember the name, even though she has had two weeks of hearing us say it.”
At the end of her post, she asked people if they thought Aurelia was “too out-there” as a name, and said some of her family have also criticised it for not “matching” their other kids’ names – Evangeline, Eliza, and Clara.
Commenters on the post largely told the mum she should keep using the name if she loves it. They noted that there was nothing wrong with the moniker itself, but many did point out the issues with the pronunciation.
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One person said: “This sounds like a mum issue rather than a name issue. ‘Modern and made up’ about a name that has literally 1000s of years of history. Aurelia is a lovely name. Wait it out, I am sure your mum will come around eventually.”
Another added: “Definitely an established name, but I have never heard that pronunciation before. Is it a legitimate pronunciation of the name? I’ve always heard it as being ‘uh-RELL-ee-uh’ or ‘uh-RAY-lee-uh’.”
A third posted: “I think it goes great with her sisters’ names! It’s a very pretty name. If you and your husband love it, that’s what matters most. Others will figure out how to say it.”
