A mum wanted to honour her late dad by naming her daughter after him - but she claims her friends and family have 'ruined' the tribute by giving the newborn unwanted nicknames09:10, 06 Jul 2026While some parents pass names down through the generations, others come up with completely new monikers for their children. But one woman wanted to honour her late dad when naming her daughter and decided to call her Theresa as it was inspired by his own name.‌She said on Reddit: "I have a 3.5-month-old daughter that we named Theresa. We absolutely love the name and it was chosen to honor my father, whose name was Taras but went by Terry. He passed away in 2010 before I met my husband. It's not an exact match, but "inspired by" his name." However, she claims her family have been "ruining" the tribute by giving her daughter an array of unwanted nicknames - including T-Bone and Tree.‌She added: "Unfortunately, everyone in our lives seems incapable of using her full name and instead of calling her Theresa, they call her whatever the hell they think of. Tess, Tessa, T-Bone, even Tree. TREE.‌"God forbid they use the name we gave her, which is only three syllables. They don't even call her Terri, which would make the most sense given the inspiration behind her name.Unwanted baby nicknames Spark family drama"No one can agree on a nickname and they all feel so forced. Every time someone calls her by a nickname, I cringe because it doesn't suit her."This is just a venting post really, but insight and opinions are welcome. I liked the nickname Reese, but unfortunately that's out due to a negative association my husband has with a co-worker with that name.‌"Sigh. Who knew Theresa was such a mouthful."Seeking advice, she shared how while she'd rather her daughter simply go by Theresa, she would rather let her choose a nickname herself than have others decide one for her little girl.‌She said: "I really don't mind if she develops a nickname, but I would prefer she decide that rather than have one forced upon her."She's obviously not in school or hasn't made any friends yet, but I won't be upset if one of the nicknames sticks later down the road. It just feels forced when the people in her life are already trying to give her a nickname.Reddit weighs In on choosing child names and nicknames"I feel like that's something a person should decide for themselves amongst their peers.‌"The silliest part is that I have a brother, Matthew, and the whole family calls him by his full name (NEVER Matt). Why they can't do the same for Theresa I'll never understand."Commenting on her post, one user said: "Out of your list of things she's been called, Tessa and Tree are my favourites.Nicknames happen. And when kids are little, it's like cats and dogs - they get called all kinds of weird stuff that's only semi-related to their name. It tapers off and cools down after the chosen name and nickname become better established through everyday conversation."Article continues belowAnother user added: "My best friend in middle school was Theresa, we called her Tree. She was a great friend."A third user said: "The idea that you can control nicknames is hysterical. I have some bad news for you when your kid goes to school."The only edit I'd definitely make is changing "close to his own name" to "inspired by his own name." It reads much more naturally given that Taras/Terry isn't actually close to Theresa, but the inspiration is clear.