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A man was left in stitches after discovering his girlfriend's real name two years into their relationship - and it's sparked a major debate about unusual baby names

While parents often spend months choosing the perfect baby name, not every child grows up loving the one they've been given. That's exactly why one woman decided to go by a nickname from an early age after her parents saddled her with what many would describe as an unusually spelt version of a very common name. She kept her real name so well hidden that even her boyfriend of two years had no idea what it actually was.

Sharing the story on Reddit, the man explained that he'd always known his girlfriend as "Loz", believing her full name was simply Lauren. That all changed when she received a new ID card. He said: "I've been dating my girlfriend for two years. I've always called her Loz but knew that her full name is Lauren. Today she got her new ID through and I saw a mighty eyesore before me - it's spelt 'Lawr'ryn'."

Unable to contain his laughter, he admitted he couldn't believe they had been together for so long without him ever discovering her real name.

When he asked why she'd never told him, she simply replied: "Can you blame me?" The surprises didn't stop there.

He revealed her parents had given all three of their children unusually spelt names.

Her younger sister, who everyone knows as Percy, is actually named Pur'see, while her older brother Danny has the full name Dhaniyel.

He added: "I've spent the night howling and absolutely grilling my girlfriend on why she's deprived me of this knowledge. I cannot stop chuckling."

The post quickly attracted hundreds of comments, with many people sympathising with the woman.

One person wrote: "Your poor girlfriend... no wonder she goes by a nickname."

Another said: "Don't make too much fun of it without showing her you sympathise. She's had a lifetime of this."

A third added: "My former roommate was La'Ren and she'd get so upset if you accidentally called her Lauren. I get it though."

Someone else shared their own experience, writing: "I had my Nicholle changed to Nicole when I got married. It was very freeing."

Banned baby names

While there aren't many strict rules about baby names in the UK, some stretch this limit and have made their way onto a 'banned' list.

According to the UK Deed Poll Office, a parent has 42 days to register their newborn after birth - whether with or without a name.

Names that are restricted include:

• Are impossible to pronounce
• Include numbers, symbols, or punctuation marks (not including hyphens or apostrophes)
• Are considered offensive, vulgar, or blasphemous by the deed poll service
• Fraudulent (inferring the child has a rank, title, or inherited honour)
• Names that do not include at least one first name and one surname will not be accepted

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