A new mother asked if she should change her daughter’s name because she’s worried it sounds like “cigarette.”
The concerned mother, believed to be American, told Reddit that she has been discussing nicknames with her husband that they could use as an alternative, but they are thinking about changing them entirely.
The father revealed that after much discussion her husband suggested Sigrid and she thought she liked it.
Now, however, he worries that it sounds too much like “cigarette.”
Few Reddit users alleviated the original poster’s concerns, with many agreeing that it did indeed sound like “cigarette,” if said with a southern American accent.
A woman holding a newborn baby in her arms (file image)
The mother explained: ‘The girl is one week old and her name is Sigrid. My husband and I had a hard time choosing a name. We both had a favorite that the other didn’t like.
Mine was Ottilie and her Aubrey. Etta was our compromise name, but she soon abandoned it after she was born. She mentioned Sigrid and I thought I liked her and agreed.
“Now I’m worried she’ll be bullied because it sounds like a cigarette.” Her husband loves the nickname Ziggy or Siggy. Could she Sisi work (she is pronounced Ceecee?)’
Concerned people mistakenly assume that the family is of Scandinavian descent, she continued: “Also, we are not Scandinavian, even though we both look like it and my husband has Danish ancestry a couple of generations ago.”
He said he’s now thinking of Beatrix as a new nickname, adding: “I might be willing to change it.”
Commentators were quick to weigh in on the matter, with many agreeing that the name Sigrid indicated Scandinavian roots.
“Sigrid is sweet, but people will surely assume that you or your partner are Scandinavian,” said one.
But one didn’t feel this was a problem and said, ‘So you wouldn’t use a name, just because it’s not your heritage?’
‘I mean, I understand that you don’t want to give your child a really unusual, hard-to-pronounce name from another culture.
But Sigrid doesn’t seem so exaggerated. I’m in Western Europe, I don’t know anyone who is Scandinavian and I’ve heard of several Sigrids on my local network.
As for the new mother’s concerns that Sigrid bore a resemblance to the word cigarette, one harshly wrote: “I’ve thought about it for a while and it sounds pretty terrible.”
“I don’t know where you live, but as an American, the way I read it, it sounds exactly like southerners say cigarette.”
A different user said: ‘I like Etta and Aubrey a lot more, but Sigrid is a good name. Although I agree that the English pronunciation sounds a bit like a cigarette.”
One user rushed to his defense: ‘Can I just say that the people on this sub need to get out and touch the grass?
‘This is a one-week postpartum mom looking for support and we’re talking about the name of her one-week-old baby.
“Sigrid is a very normal name (although not so common in the US) and it doesn’t have to be your favorite to be their favorite.”
The user then told OP to “give yourself some grace and DO NOT waste time searching this subreddit for name validation.”
‘I chose a name I love and although I’ve seen some people love my son’s name here, I’ll remember the few who have had really nasty things to say.
“I had to delete this sub after I had my baby because people here are so mean.”
Another user positively stated: ‘I love it! Sigrid has been on my list for years and I never thought he was anywhere near the cigarette. ‘Sisi, Ziggy or Siggi would be great nicknames!’