Choosing a baby name is an exciting but intimidating task and it's important to do your research before setting your heart on one. Looking into nicknames, meanings and variations of your newborn's moniker can prevent your child from being picked on or bullied by classmates later in life.
One troubled mum has shared her worries that she's 'ruined' her eight-year-old daughter's life after discovering that her name is also a medical term. The woman took to Mumsnet to ask fellow parents for their advice and reassurance, as she fears her child could be tormented in the school playground because of it.
In the post, the mum wrote: "So my daughter's name is Alexia. At the time of her birth, I was aware of dyslexia, but it was not everywhere like it is now and it never appeared to either of us that Alexia is also a medical term.
"We just struggled to find a name and both really liked it. She can't go by Alexa either for obvious reasons - Mumsnet constantly slams both of the names whenever they come up.
"This made my anxiety worse with all the negative comments over both of the names."
Alexia originates from the Greek word Alexander which means 'men's defender' and 'helper'.
But the medical definition of Alexia refers to the loss of ability to read written material due to brain injury, damage or trauma.
The mum was none the wiser when she first picked out the name, and says her daughter "loves" it - though isn't aware of any "negative connotations".
She finished by writing: "Is the name really that bad? What would you think if you heard it on a playground?"
Her post was inundated with supportive and reassuring comments, with many people agreeing that's she's "worrying about nothing".
One Mumsnet user said: "I think it's a lovely name! I had never heard of the medical term despite working in a health field - I don't think most people will have heard of it. Also I think it would be pronounced differently."
Another agreed: "I wouldn't think there was anything wrong with Alexia but like others say, if she's bothered by it when she's older, she can go by Lexi, Lex, Ali, Alex."
Some mums agreed the most important part was that her daughter likes her own name, and doesn't want to change it.
A user said: "She likes her name. That's all that matters. As someone who grew up hating their name (and changed it as soon as possible) please don't show your worry. She likes her name. That's a good thing."
Though few people told her to stop "overthinking" as most people aren't aware of the medical term - and doubt it could cause bullying.
"I think you're massively overreacting here. Fair enough if you'd called her Dyslexia or Chlamydia, but Alexia is a perfectly well-known and acceptable name," someone said.
Does your baby or pet have an unusual name? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
