Names are powerful and meaningful, as they give an insight into a person’s background and their cultural heritage. Every name has a reason, either to honor a family member or as an acknowledgment of one’s family history. However, some people give their children names just because they fancy it or to make them stand out.
Parents are allowed to name their kids after people who have had a positive impact on their lives. However, it is up to the child’s parents to decide how to go about it, not their family members. Consequently, when a non-parent tries to interfere in the naming process, things tend to get overly complicated.
A man has taken to Reddit to voice his opinion about how people from similar demographics have reacted to the name he chose for his child. According to the Reddit post, he identified himself as a black man who grew up in the foster care system. Dimitri Petrovitch, an elderly Russian man, raised him for most of his life in the system.
According to him, Petrovitch did not formally adopt him or choose to be his legal guardian. However, Petrovitch played an integral part in his upbringing, something he stated he was very grateful for. Unfortunately, Petrovich died a long time ago and was unprivileged to have fathered any biological children.
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Consequently, when his son was born, he and his wife decided to honor the late Petrovich by naming their son after him. The couple had decided to name their son Dimitri Petrovitch Willam, with Willam being his last name, to appreciate his impact on his life.
However, his wife’s family was not all too excited about the name, asking the couple the reason behind their naming decision. They questioned the couple’s choice of a “white” name, suggesting they should show more black culture. Relatives claimed that a black child with a Russian name would inevitably face bullying.
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In the 1960s, black and white names showed less disparity, but with the civil rights movement, naming trends shifted significantly in the 1970s. Some historical events and main screen media have helped to encourage the idea of naming a child based on their cultural heritage.
Some iconic historical moments also symbolized the difference between white and black names. A popular example is Kunta Kinte, an enslaved man, who insisted on being called by his Gambian name, rejecting the name Toby. This demonstrates how a person’s name has great power and significance and may influence who they are.
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Even though it might be challenging to oppose one’s family in this circumstance, the poster stood by his convictions. Research indicates that those who dislike their name experience poor psychological adjustment in later life.
The wife’s family had no right to voice their intense displeasure with the marriage, despite their desire to preserve their cultural heritage. This is most likely the reason for the over 4.7k comments and 25k upvotes this viral article garnered, with people criticizing the entitled in-laws.
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