TWO expectant parents thought they'd get creative with their baby's name, and go with a nature-inspired choice.
But critics worry the little girl will be bullied because of the name, and even expect it will increase cruel comments about her weight.
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The baby's father posted on Reddit in the Name Nerds forum, where parents-to-be crowdsource ideas for baby names.
"My girlfriend and I are expecting in February, and are deciding now on the names for our babies," the expectant dad wrote.
He said that his girlfriend was having twins, and while they had a "solid name" for a boy picked out, but were torn about what they'd name their baby girl.
"We fell in love with the name Orca, but many people have criticized us for this," he wrote.
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Many know the orca better by its nickname, the killer whale. They're one of the largest living creatures on the planet, known for the black-and-white patterns on their skin.
The dad explained that he and the expectant mother had looked for other names, but none compared to Orca. In a comment, he gave examples.
"We adore the name Ophelia but feel as though it doesn’t fit with our son's name Oslo," he said, though it did sound nice with their other son's name, Caspian.
"Is the name really that bad?" he asked. "Will we be judged for it or is it one of those things that in practice won’t cause any problems?"
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Some commenters tried to be gentle with their criticism.
"It’s hard to dissociate from the type of whale, and I think that will lead to some strife in her life – from whale jokes to killer jokes," a patient commenter explained.
"It does have a pretty sound but I think it would set her up for teasing," another agreed.
Others were harsher in their criticism, lashing out at the poster in a big way.
"That name is bad and you should feel bad," one wrote, as straightforward as can be.
"Just imagine is she becomes even the tiniest bit chubby at any point in her life," another implored. "Please don’t do this to your kid."
"I have a family member whose name is Orca," said one commenter, much to everyone's surprise. "He always jokes about it and wants to be called Whale and things like that, because he really doesn't know what the hell to do with his name."
"It is a horrible name," the commenter added. "Imagine naming your kid Killer Whale. It's like you name your baby Furry Wolf or Uranus."
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"Naming your kid after a whale is just cruel," said one person who said it guaranteed the little girl would be bullied.
"If she gains a bit of weight? Whale!" they said, imagining the cruelty she may face. "Has scoliosis? Humpback whale! Just don't do it."
"I obviously understand the connotations and would hate for it to affect her body image," the original poster reassured commenters.
Luckily, he seemed to be swayed by the outpouring of concern.
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He planned to take many of the suggestions from commenters to his girlfriend for discussion, even though Orca would always hold a special place in their hearts.
"If it didn’t have the connotations we wouldn’t hesitate," he said to one person who suggested a variety of other animal-themed names. "Thanks for the list!"
