A Mom Chose 'Cowboy' As A Baby Name & People With 'Unique' Names Are Sharing Horror Stories

If there's one thing you need to keep in mind when trying to invent a unique baby name, it's that babies grow up and you need a name that'll work whether their 4 or 44 years old.

That's the warning that several Reddit users have been sharing in response to one complaint on the Am I The A**hole forum, where someone admitted to calling out their sister for choosing "Cowboy" as her child's first name.

The original poster explained that their sister is "obsessed" with the show Yellowstone and so she wants to name her kid Cowboy.

"I know I should have kept my mouth shut. It's not my circus or my monkey," the poster wrote. "I just know the absolute sh*t that kid will go through."

The poster says they called out the name and told their sister that "she was naming a person who would eventually be an adult," and so she needs to pick a name that will work when the child grows up.

"She thinks I'm an a**hole for calling her name choice stupid," the poster wrote. "I think I'm trying to save him from a lifetime of bullying until he legally changes his name."

The post has generated thousands of upvotes and comments since it went up, while also inspiring several users to share their own horror stories with having an all-too-special first name.

"Preteen girls will decimate a girl with an unusual name," wrote one woman. "I lived through it. I, to this day, hate my name." She then added that she never shares her name online because "I am the only one on Facebook with my name."

"My name is so 'unique' I don't use it for Facebook," wrote another woman on the thread.

"I have encountered two little girls actually named Unique," added one user.

"So they weren't," observed another it the replies.

"I knew a dude who was named Blade," wrote one user. "Born three months after the first movie came out. Went by his middle name and has a strained relationship with his mom who refuses to call him anything else lol."

Others called out "weird spellings of common names" as potentially "worse" that he more "creative" handles.

"Maddisyn and Acheleighlyn have entered the chat," joked another user.

"Ex teacher here," one poster wrote. "Top worst names I've come across... Tequila, Female (pronounced Fem-ahh-lay), Pebbles, Hellzbellz."

Many Reddit users were Thunderstruck by that last one in particular.

The Reddit community didn't immediately rule on whether the poster was the a**hole here, but the early votes were definitely lining up against the sister for her choice of name.

"As a legal name it's ridiculous," observed one user.

"One day, a woman will break his heart and say she wants a Cowman, not a Cowboy," wrote someone else.

"Cowboy makes a fine NICKNAME for a baby," wrote another critic. "Now what's his legal name going to be?"

It's also worth pointing out that no one in Yellowstone is named "Cowboy," although there are plenty of other related options. What's wrong with a classic name like John? Or if you want something different, why not go with Rip or Kayce?

The Reddit community's message is pretty clear: Save a child, don't name him Cowboy.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.