Mom-To-Be Shares Baby Name With Family, Nobody Prepared for Her Choice

Picking a baby’s name isn’t something that can be rushed, and in this day and age, parents don’t shy away from quirky or unusual choices. But one mom-to-be may have gone too far—at least according to the internet—after her choice sparked disbelief in a viral Reddit post.

Racking up 22,000 upvotes in just one day, the post features a screenshot shared by u/__misaki__of text messages exchanged with their older cousin. In the messages, the cousin initially describes the name as a “pretty name” before revealing it in full: “Vaselina,” leaving both the original poster and thousands of Reddit users in shock.

The text exchange reads: “I’m sorry but wait what?” followed by a photo of a petroleum jelly jar sent to confirm the pronunciation. The expecting mom responds to clarify that the name inspiration is indeed from the brand, but with the “nia sound at the end.”

Newsweek discussed the July 15 post with baby name expert Briana Engelbrecht, who shared the ups and downs of unique names.

Engelbrecht, the associate editor at Babylist, said: “A unique name can be a powerful expression of identity, family heritage, or personal values. It can make a child feel special and it’s less likely to be shared by three other kids on the playground.”

However, it doesn’t come without its challenges. Engelbrecht explained untraditional names might be misspelled or misunderstood.

“Names that break from tradition can sometimes be mispronounced, misspelled, or misunderstood, which can be frustrating for kids and parents alike. There’s also the pressure of picking something that still feels right as a child grows into adulthood,” she said.

She added: “Ultimately, there’s no right answer, it’s about what resonates with each family. We encourage parents to trust their gut, think about how a name might feel in everyday moments, and choose something they genuinely love.”

“Think about how a name might feel in everyday moments, and choose something they genuinely love. “

However, u/__misaki__doesn’t feel that way, adding the following text to the post: “Is vaselinea a tragedeigh? how do I convince her to going back to choosing the name serena.”

According to a 2024 BabyCenter survey of over 450 parents, nearly 1 in 10 moms wish they had chosen a different name for their child. Many have shifted their preference over time, with 20 percent saying they now favor their child’s nickname—whether it’s a shortened form of the legal name or something entirely different—while 15 percent report preferring their child’s middle name instead.

So far, the post has more than 2,500 comments.

The top comment says: “The only place you should have difficulty choosing between Vaseline and Nivea is in your shopping basket. Not your child’s name. Yikes!”

One user asked: “Isn’t that just the Spanish word for Vaseline,” to which the original poster replied: “Damn I didn’t know that that’s even worse…the fact that it will quite literally just translate to ‘Vaseline.'”

Another offered an alternative: “Can I suggest the name Valentina? starts with a V and ends with that ‘ah’ sound your cousin is going for. Very pretty name [in my opinion].”

The original poster also told another user: “I also tried suggesting a name like Sonia since she wanted a ‘nia’ sound at the end but according to her its not elegant sounding enough and she needs a name that will stick with someone when they hear it.”

Newsweek reached out to u/__misaki__ for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.