Woman Takes Grandma’s Word When Naming Daughter, Discovers Awkward Truth

A mom has revealed how her beloved grandmother helped choose her eldest daughter’s name, though not in the way she had originally planned.

Whenever Jess Johnson from New Jersey thinks about how her 8-year-old daughter ended up being called Sophia, she smiles. “I can’t help but find the entire thing hilarious,” Johnson told Newsweek. “It really did feel meant to be.”

The story behind Sophia’s name is one she has told to friends and family countless times. However, it is only now that she has decided to share it with the world after taking to Reddit to detail the role her late grandmother, affectionately known in the family as Peewee, played in proceedings.

Writing in a post shared to Reddit, Johnson said: “When I was pregnant with her my grandma had begun her very long at-home hospice journey and experienced dementia and memory loss during that time.”

Eager to include Peewee in some way, Johnson committed what some experts believe to be a big no-no when it comes to baby names: she told Peewee those she was considering.

Taylor Humphrey is a baby name expert who helps people name their babies for a living. Her one piece of advice to parents is simple: “Never share the name before your baby is born!”

“People love to share their unsolicited opinions about baby names, which can be really hurtful and upsetting to parents who have come to the conclusion that this is the right name for their child,” Humphrey told Newsweek.

That was something Johnson ignored, though, preferring to tell her grandma she was torn between the names Lydia, Olivia and Sophia.

Peewee’s response wasn’t hurtful or upsetting; quite the opposite in fact. But it did change the course of things for both Johnson and her daughter.

“My grandma f****** GASPED at the name ‘Sophia’ and it sealed the deal. She told me: ‘Oh my gosh! That was my grandmother’s name! Such a beautiful name!'” Johnson said.

After months of debate and uncertainty, Johnson was thrilled at Peewee’s response. “I absolutely LOVED that it was also a family name, and there was no question after that,” she said.

A few months later after Johnson had welcomed Sophia into the world, she decided to bring the subject up again while visiting Peewee. She assumed her grandma would be touched at learning her name was Sophia, but that was not the case.

Johnson recalls telling her grandma: “I loved how we were able to use a family name we loved.” What followed next is burned into her memory. “My grandma looked at me in HORROR and yelled, ‘My grandmother’s name was Sara!'”

Looking back now, Johnson has no regrets about calling her daughter Sophia, despite what happened. “I never felt angry or upset about it not actually being a family name! We were considering the name as an option once we found out we were having a girl,” Johnson said.

Though it may not have a family link to her grandma, Johnson said that her daughter’s name will forever remind her of Peewee. “I’m very glad we chose it and that my grandma is the reason my daughter has such a pretty name!”

A few years after Sophia was born, Johnson found herself pregnant again. She recalled that day where her grandmother had told her mom’s name had actually been Sara. It was a nice name but, before she contemplated using it, Johnson decided to investigate further.

“I was getting really into ancestry at this time and had made an extensive family tree,” Johnson said. “This showed me, clear as day, that my grandmother’s grandma was not Sophia or Sara, and her name was ANNE,” she added. “I just lost my s*** cracking up … it just kept getting funnier and funnier.”