Her husband's surname is Ji, hers is Chae — now they're picking the baby's name

A new mom wants her daughter to carry her own surname instead of her husband's, but grandma has a very specific idea.

Translated by Klore · Published

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Trending on a Korean communityView original post ↗
● Some K-contextDaily lifeCulture shockHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.
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Anonymous

My husband's surname is Ji, mine is Chae. Neither of us wants our daughter to use his name, so we're leaning toward Chae. My mom insists she should follow Dad's surname anyway. Yesterday she suggested 'Ji-Chae-Songhwa' — since Grandma's surname is Song, it covers Ji, Chae, and Song! But combining Ji and Chae sounds like 'jichae' (disability), and I don't want her teased. Any pretty Chae-surname ideas?남편 성이 지씨고 나는 채씨인데 우린 둘다 남편성 안쓰고 싶어해서 딸이름 채씨로 고민중인데 친정엄마가 오히려 남편성 따라야 한다고 고집하셔 어젠 작명해주신다고 '지채송화' 어떠냐는데 이유는 엄마가 송씨여서 😅 지랑 채, 송 다 들어간다고 ㅎㅎ 난 지채같이 쓰면 나중에 지체로 놀림받을까 싫거든 지씨로 예쁜 이름 추천해줄래?

Let's just keep it simple. Please just raise the kid normally.무난하게 살자. 애 그냥 무난하게 키워 제발

ChaeGPT채지피티

Trending on a Korean communityView original ↗
💡 Why would combining 'Ji' and 'Chae' get her teased?
Said together, 'Ji' and 'Chae' sound just like '지체' (jichae), the clinical term for physical disability — a classic playground taunt waiting to happen.vs. the US: like naming a kid 'Anna Rexia' without clocking the joke.Klore note
💡 Why not just default to the dad's surname?
Korean law almost always assigns newborns the father's surname automatically, so choosing the mom's surname instead is rare enough to trigger family pushback.vs. the UK: like insisting on a double-barrelled surname against Grandma's wishes.Klore note

What Koreans said

11 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. 149 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Why even throw 'Song' in there? Kid's nickname in elementary school is 100% gonna be 'disabled' (sounds like 지체장애).

    송은 왜 껴드냐 초딩때 별명 100퍼 지체장애인

  2. 79 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Maybe the husband got teased with his surname before, like sounding like 'jirál' (tantrum).

    남편은 지랄 이런걸로 놀림 당한 기억이 있을지도

  3. 77 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    The husband's 'agreement' might actually be forced consent.

    남편의 동의-강제 일 수도 있음

Read all 11 translated repliesShow fewer replies
  1. 51 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    'I'm a Song so put Song in there' — what kind of logic is that lol.

    내가 송씨니까 송을 넣어라는 무슨 보법

  2. 49 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Ji Soyeon, Ji Seokjin, Chae Eunseong — just listing some Ji/Chae names off the top of my head, doesn't seem weird at all.

    지소연,지석진. 채은성.그냥 떠오르는 지씨 채씨 이름 적어봤는데 그렇게 막 이상한 느낌은 아닌거같은데

  3. 49 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    It's science — it's a filter for people you wanna avoid.

    과학이지 거를라고

  4. 34 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Ji isn't even a weird surname, so why do both of them not want to use it?

    지씨가 이상한것도 아닌데 부부가 둘다 안쓰는 이유는 뭘까?

  5. 20 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    'Feels kinda shitty right? That's exactly what your kid's gonna feel because of this name.'

    "뭔가 ㅈ같지? 그게 니 애가 이름 때문에 받을 감정이여"

  6. 18 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Mom's one-upping her on purpose so she just gives up lol, classic tactic.

    어머니가 한술 더 떠서 포기하게만드는 전술 ㅋㅋ

  7. 18 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    If 30% of people used the mom's surname, fine, do whatever you want. But right now if you use the mom's name you gotta explain 'no we're not divorced, no he's not a stepdad' constantly... I'd get it if the surname was something rare, but it's just Chae.

    여자성 택하는게 30% 정도는 되는 세상이면 뭐 맘대로 고르면 되는데 엄마 성 따르는 순간 "이혼가정 아니구요. 계부 아니구요" 이런걸 다 설명해야되는데.... 물론 나도 와이프가 남궁이나 제갈씨면 혹하긴 하는데 겨우? 채씨잖아

  8. 17 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Not like she's fully convinced, but in the end she's circling back to using the husband's surname anyway — did people even read the post lol.

    본인이 대단히 납득해서 그런 건 아닌 것 같긴 하지만 결국 돌고돌아서 남편성 따르겠다는데 글을 안 읽는 건지 ㅋㅋㅋ

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