A mum has defended her unusual name choice for her daughter after she was told it sounded like a slang term for cannabis and told her the little one would struggle to get a job when she's older.
Tenille Bain, 33, and her partner Michael, 29, decided to name their daughter Chree after the dad initially suggested the moniker - which is pronounced 'tree' - as a joke.
Despite it starting out as a joke when Tenille was pregnant, the beauty technician loved the name and chose to use it, even picking out the unique spelling to honour her own mum, Cheryl.
But not everyone has been supportive of the couple's choice, as members of Tenille's family were "horrified" at first, as they thought the little one was named after a slang term for cannabis that is common in North America - tree.
Tenille, from Ontario, Canada, has defended her decision, as she said people are just "so afraid of change" when it comes to moving away from traditional baby names.
She said: "Multiple people have blatantly asked me why I'd choose to name my daughter Chree.
"People are just so afraid of change - they say they're afraid she won't get hired for jobs in the future, or she'll be bullied in class. But in the same breath, she'll go to school with a River, or a Brooke, or a Forrest.
"A lot of the comments try and find meaning in her name that isn't there - Chree is not named after marijuana. I think her name is beautiful."
The mum-of-two said her family have since warmed to the name and they no longer make comments about it, but they "went ballistic" when she first announced the moniker at the tot's gender reveal party in 2018.
She added: "They went ballistic. They told us that we were being crazy and that we couldn't do it. Thankfully as soon as Chree was born, they learnt to accept it. She's just our little baby Chree now, even at four-years-old."
Chree's full name is Chree Mary Jane, and although her middle name is also a slang term for marijuana, Tenille insisted that Mary Jane actually pays homage to her grandmother who had the same name.
The beauty technician is also mother to her eight-year-old son Tevye, who was named after a character from Fiddler on the Roof, as it was one of Tenille's favourite films growing up.
The mum has fielded vile comments online about her son's name too, as she said the internet can be a "hugely judgemental" place - especially when people can comment anonymously.
"I had one person say they'd rip up an application if they saw Chree's name on it," she said, "some of the comments can be really loaded - someone said no one would be able to pronounce it.
"I feel protective of my kids - but I also see it as an opportunity to teach them not to be prejudiced or judgemental."
Despite receiving nasty comments online, Tenille insisted the offline experience has largely been positive, with many people telling her they love her kids' unique names.
She explained: "People always say Chree's personality perfectly compliments her name. She's very over-the-top, she sings and she dances. She's just such a Chree.
"Fans of Fiddler on the Roof also recognise the reference in Tevye's name and he's often complimented on that.
"If I could say one thing to the TikTok haters about my kids' names, it would be this - they're names. They're beautiful, and you need to be mindful when talking about children."
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