Choosing a unique baby name often means pulling inspiration from loved ones, but one young mother’s sentimental gesture toward her grandparents has sparked family chaos and online ridicule.
A Reddit user shared that her 20-year-old cousin recently gave birth to a baby girl and decided to honor her grandparents, Harvey and Charlotte, by blending their names. On paper, it sounded like a sweet tribute. In practice, the result left relatives speechless.
The chosen name? Harlotte, a portmanteau that, unfortunately, sounds identical to “harlot,” a Middle English term for a prostitute.
“She named her something so horrific I cannot even call the baby it,” the poster wrote. “This poor child. Harlotte. HARLOTTE.”
According to the post, the family had no idea about the name until after the legal paperwork was finalized. The reveal prompted an immediate uproar.
“My mom burst out, ‘YOU NAMED THE BABY W****???’ and my cousin started screaming,” the Redditor recalled. “We are a loud family, but holy hell.”
The poster admitted she’s been avoiding using the baby’s actual name, instead nicknaming her “Piglet” because she was born pink and with a “puggy nose.”
Online, commenters were just as horrified. Many called the name “appalling” and urged the family to use an alternative nickname like Lottie to spare the child future embarrassment.
“I would immediately and insistently start calling that child Lottie and never look back,” one person wrote.
Another commenter said this was one of the rare situations where they believe parents should reveal name choices before the birth: “99.9% of the time I say keep names to yourself. This is the 0.1%.”
Some suggested less controversial mashups such as Charley, Harley, Harvette, or even Charvey.
One parent of a girl named Charlotte shared their own accidental “Harlotte” moment, recalling a Christmas ornament mishap: “The ‘C’ fell off her name ornament one year. It was funny as an accident, on purpose, it’s just awful.”
The story reignited debate over whether governments should regulate baby names. A number of users noted that countries like Iceland, Germany, Sweden, China, and Japan have strict naming laws, only allowing parents to choose from an approved list or seek official permission for exceptions, per BBC News.
“Some people say it’s an affront to their freedoms,” one commenter wrote. “But really, it just bans things like this so kids aren’t abused their whole upbringing because their jacka** parents named them Bætmàn.”
As for baby Harlotte, only time will tell if her unusual name remains a point of contention or if, as her relatives hope, she simply grows up answering to a gentler nickname.