I can't bear to say my one-year-old's name out loud because it's so embarrassing
- Redditer from a 'German-speaking country' said she receives 'funny looks'
- READ MORE: Husband blasted over cruel 'prank' he played on his wife
A woman has revealed she is so embarrassed by her son's name that she avoids ever saying it out loud.
The mother-of-two, who lives in a 'German-speaking country', took to Reddit to ask forum users whether they thought she and her husband had 'made a mistake' in choosing the moniker.
The anonymous poster explained that she had began to develop 'insecurities' about the name of her second son, admitting that she often receives 'funny looks' from strangers when she says his name aloud.
'Since our boy's birth 18 months ago insecurities around his naming weigh on my heart and mind,' she confessed, adding that she even finds herself uttering it 'apologetically'.
She explained that she and her husband, who is half Italian, had initially been delighted with the choice of name for their first born son, Valentino.
'Valentin is a well known and popular name in our area, but with the -o ending it has an Italian touch,' she explained.
'I have been nothing but super happy with that name and it seems to be received positively by pretty much everybody.'
Three years later, the couple discovered they were expecting their second son and so got to brainstorming ideas for names.
The mother-of-two, who lives in a 'German-speaking country', took to Reddit to ask forum users whether she and her husband had 'made a mistake' choosing the moniker (stock image pictured)
Writing on baby names forum, the anonymous poster explained that she had began to develop 'insecurities' about the name of her second son and that she often receives 'funny looks' from strangers when she says his name aloud
But things weren't as smooth as the first time round. 'I seem to have run out of name suggestions, since I had already found "the" perfect name for our firstborn,' the anxious mother wrote.
She said would have 'loved' the name Alessandro, but that it was already taken by someone in the family.
Another name she liked, Alessio, was also ruled out by her husband, leaving her stumped for ideas.
Then in the final few weeks of her pregnancy, her husband suggested the name Orlando, which she clarified would be pronounced in the Italian/ German style 'Or-lahn-do', rather than the English 'Or-lehn-do/Orländo'.
The parents finally decided to give it a try, with the mother stating she at first 'liked it quite a lot'.
But a year and a half on, she had started to have second thoughts.
'He is almost 1.5 years now and I am still unsure...', she said. 'The name has no ties to German at all (unless you consider its German version Roland) and instead of compliments we receive funny looks when mentioning it.'
And it's not just her own uncertainty. The poster said that reactions from onlookers are rarely positive and she often finds herself trying to justify the reasons for the moniker.
'I always add half-apologetically say "My husband is Italian" as to explain the slightly weird choice. Also, I think the names do not fit very well together,' she admitted.
As a result, she refers to him as 'Lando' since she 'cannot bring myself to say his real name.'
'Did we make a big mistake with that name? Please let me know your thoughts,' she desperately asked readers.
Forum users were quick to reassure her that the names sounded 'great together', with others insisting she needn't 'apologise' for the moniker.
'I think Orlando and Valentino sound great together!,' one wrote.
They added: 'It sounds a little like you’re struggling to handle the way this culture handles names foreign to them.
'You don’t need to apologise. You didn’t name your child Blanket or Tynnifer. They’re perfectly normal names. Don’t feel embarrassed. If this is a common theme, this might be more about your own insecurity and feeling like you fit in than about the name.
A second wrote: 'I love the nickname Lando for him, but Orlando itself is a beautiful name.'
'Yeah I absolutely agree with you! It’s a strong, cool name - think of Lando Norris, a famous F1 driver for example.
'You don’t need to have some big origin story for a name or to be apologetic for it, your kid is a little person and a lot more than just their name!,' a third said.
Another wrote: 'I like Orlando! And I think it goes really well with Valentino. It seems to tie in well with your husband’s Italian background. Lando is a cute nickname.'
