Woman Wants to Put Her Name First in Baby’s Hyphenated Last Name. Her In-Law’s ‘Flipped’ When They Found Out

A 23-year-old woman says she and her in-laws are fighting over her baby’s last name — because she wants her own name included.

In a post shared to Reddit, the woman explained that she and her husband are expecting a baby in early 2026.

“For some background, my husband comes from a culture where it is normal for children to only carry the father’s last name. In mine, children take both parents’ last names,” she wrote. “I told my husband I want my last name to come first for our baby, for personal reasons. My husband agreed — but his family did not.”

She added that her in-laws live with the couple in the home she owns: “My in-laws, who live with us, kept asking us to reveal the baby’s name. We refused many times, but eventually gave in because they wouldn’t stop asking.”

When the couple explained that the baby’s last name would list the woman’s first, followed by her husband’s in a hyphenated form, the in-laws became upset.

“They started criticizing us, especially me, asking how I could expect them to accept this,” she said. “They accused me of ending their family’s lineage. I never thought it would be a serious issue, since it’s something only between my husband and me.”

Other Reddit users responded, with many siding with the couple.

One commenter wrote: “It isn’t their baby. If you and your husband have agreed on the name, the in-laws can deal with it. The challenge will be making sure your husband doesn’t get pressured into changing his mind.”