Mum triggers debate for saying babies should have ‘grown-up names’

Jody Coffey

“I named adults, not babies.”

While nowhere near the hardest part of parenthood, naming your baby can be a difficult process.

With so many options and variations of names, along with many forgotten names coming back into trend, deciding on the right one can take time.

However, one mum believes the process can be narrowed down by only giving babies ‘grown-up names,’ which has triggered some discussion online.

TikTok user, Ruby Villarrea l, a mum-of-two from Colorado, went viral for saying that she didn’t want her children to outgrow their names as they grow up.

Ruby reasoned that when choosing her children’s names, Karla, 5, and DeLuca, 3, she did so by thinking about how the would feel about their names.

Responding to a TikTok video posted by @nikkiruble called ‘I named adults, not babies’, Ruby said: “The whole concept when I was trying to look for a name and choose a name for her was I did not want her to outgrow her name. I wanted the name to fit her as a baby, as a toddler, as a child and into adulthood.”

Ruby’s video has surpassed the original post garnering 1.5 million likes, with many users rushing to the comments section to back up her reasoning.

@rubyyvillarreal #stitch with @nikkiruble love having nicknames as they are younger and it doesnt mean they will perfer it over their name as they get older. Just gives them options ??‍♀️ #nicknames #babynames #babytok #adultnames #pregnancytiktok #toddlersoftiktok #momtok #momlife #babynames #babyname ♬ original sound – R U B Y ?

“Ppl [sic] name their kids like they’re dogs,” one wrote.

“Imagine a 30 year old named posie and sunday,” another chimed in.

Meanwhile, there were some users who were quick to point out a flaw in Ruby’s theory.

“On the flip side tho a baby named Frank doesn’t seem right like they should spawn out as a 60yr old grandpa,” one user commented.

“problem is if the majority of ppl name their kids with baby names then in 30 years time those names will be associated with adults ur kids name won’t,” another wrote.

“The world is changing so much. By the time our babies are adults all names are going to be so different & unique it won’t matter,” was the reply of one commenter.

Some users highlighted that there are other factors to consider when it comes to naming your children, such as ethnicity and spelling.

“The name isn’t the problem it’s the spelling . Like imagine spelling out your name every single time they ask you to,” one user said.

Baby naming in the celebrity world has become a source of public scrutiny in recent times with Molly-Mae receiving backlash for naming her daughter Bambi.

“Not many people liked it, which doesn’t matter at all because Tommy and I absolutely love it,” Molly shared in a Youtube video.

Kylie Jenner also received negative commentary for her son’s moniker, Aire.

His name was initially Wolf, but the Kardashian sister said she and Aire’s father, Travis Scott, ‘really didn’t feel like it was him.’

Public reaction about the name was not what any new parent would hope for.

“Honestly the second one is worse. “Wolf” is kinda badass,” one user said on Pop Base’s post of the name change on X.

“why cant anyone have normal names anymore…? a simple jacob or mario would be nice,” another wrote.

Not every name is going to be everybody’s cup of tea, it seems, so you may as well go with your gut!