My sister stole my dream child’s name for her dog – now I’m skipping her wedding

A woman has taken to Reddit after she decided she wouldn’t attend her sister’s wedding because she named her dream child after her dog.

The woman said that finally, after years of fertility struggles, she and her husband are expecting their first child.

The two had agreed on the name early on – one she had wanted since she was in school. But months later, it was revealed that her sister had named her dog after her.

Is she wrong to feel upset?

“She doesn’t care about me or my feelings”

“Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve had a favorite name: Lila,” she began.

“It’s my dream name for a girl and I’ve talked about it so much that my whole family knows it’s ‘my’ name.” It has special meaning to me – my late grandmother’s name was Delilah and this is my way of honoring her. My husband also likes the name, so we decided very early on that this would be our daughter’s name.”

But it soon became clear that not everyone got the message.

“Six months ago, my younger sister Emma (27F) got a Golden Retriever puppy. We were all excited for her – she has always been an animal lover and was thrilled to finally get her own dog. But when she introduced us to the puppy, she accidentally said: “This is Lila!”, she wrote.

“At first I thought he was joking. I even laughed and said: “No way Emma. You know that’s my baby name!” But she just shrugged and said, “It’s a name, not a copyright. I thought it was cute for a dog.” I was honestly surprised. I didn’t want to make a big scene so I left it at the moment, but it bothered me a lot.

“Over time, the whole family started referring to their dog as ‘Lila,’ and that became the default association. At my baba shower last month, I was talking to some family members about daycare and when I mentioned naming the baby Lila, my aunt literally laughed and said, “You’re not naming the baby after Emma’s dog, are you?”

The woman said the controversy worsened her relationship with her sister.

“I felt humiliated. I tried to brush it off, but the more I think about it, the more it hurts. I finally sat Emma down in private and told her how I felt. I explained how important the name is to me, how it is connected to my grandmother and how much it means to me after everything we have been through to have this child,” she said.

“Emma rolled her eyes and said, “Oh my god, are you seriously still mad about this? It’s just a dog’s name. You don’t own Lila.” I told her that while I was going to name my daughter Lila, she made me very embarrassed. She laughed and said, “Strange for you, not for me!”

With Emma’s wedding now coming up in two weeks, and the poster supposed to be her maid of honor, the drama has really come to a head.

“I don’t want to stand there and celebrate her when I feel like she doesn’t respect me or care about my feelings. “Last week, I told her I wasn’t sure I could attend the wedding because of how hurt I’ve been about everything,” she said.

“She lost it. She called me selfish and accused me of ‘ruining her big day’ over something ‘stupid’ like a name. She even told me, ‘You’re the one doing this. Nobody cares except to you.”

Their family and friends are divided on the matter — and so is she — turning to the comments for advice.

“My parents are on her side, saying I’m ‘small and hormonal’ and I should let her go because ‘family is more important than a name,'” she said.

“My husband, on the other hand, is furious. He says Emma has been dismissive and mean, and I shouldn’t put my feelings aside just to keep the peace.”

“Now I feel torn. I know missing her wedding is a big deal and I don’t want to cause a permanent rift, but I also feel like Emma has completely dismissed my feelings and made this whole situation worse.”

“Your sister is not as careful as she should be”

Many commenters on the post sided with the woman, saying her sister was careless and inconsiderate, while others labeled her calculated.

“If family was more important than a name, Emma would have given her dog another name,” said one commenter.

“Family is supposed to support each other and it seems like your sister is not being considerate enough. Your feelings are valid and it’s important to stand your ground when it comes to something that means so much to you. You have every right to decide how to handle this,” said another.

“A name may seem small to some, but it’s clearly deeply personal to you and your sister should have respected that,” admitted a third.

“If family is more important than a name, why didn’t she change the dog’s name once she realized you weren’t good with it? He did it on purpose and he is your parent’s golden child,” said another.

“It seems like there is a lack of respect for your feelings on the part of your sister. It’s a day for him, but it’s a lifetime of your identity. Setting boundaries is important, and if she can’t acknowledge your discomfort, it’s her failure, not ours,” agreed another.

“It’s a name ffs”

However, just as many said the poster was being dramatic and should name the baby whatever she wants, regardless of her sister’s choice.

“Ugh! This is very exhausting for me. It’s a name ffs,” said one commenter.

“Who cares what your sister names her dog,” said another.

“The grandmother in question is also her sister’s grandmother… It’s entirely possible that she named the dog after the person she loved,” suggested a third.

“You are an adult, but you act like a young teenager. Want to name your daughter Lila? My name is Lila. Who cares if your sister’s current dog is also named Lila?” asked one.

“It’s just a name. Your sister is absolutely right that you have no copyright over it. It’s a dog, not a person. Settle in. Everyone in your family is right, you’re being ridiculous,” said another.