When Ronni Lilly, 27, and her partner, Brad, welcomed their son into the world this January, they had the perfect name already picked out.
Having watched the Netflix series, Lucifer, while she was pregnant, Ronnie suggested the unusual moniker to Brad and they ‘both agreed it was a pretty cool name.’
‘Of course we are aware of a certain connotation,’ she says. ‘But we are not religious.’
While Lucifer means ‘bearer of light’ or ‘morning star’, it’s more commonly known as the name of the devil and is banned in some countries.
Yet even though the name isn’t illegal in the UK, it’s certainly raised a few eyebrows for the couple, who live in Birmingham, West Midlands, with Lucifer and their three older children; Lola, six, Lincoln, three and Lilac, two.
Ronni has faced trolling, with some claiming the name should be outlawed, but she’s certain she made the right choice for little Lucifer Ashley, who was born on January 20, 2024.
After deciding 16 weeks into the pregnancy, no other names swayed her or Brad throughout the nine months, and Ronni says: ‘We both loved it from the start and still do.’
However, the couple have been met with a strong mix of opinions from loved ones.
Ronni says: ‘One family member didn’t hold back. Not only did she tell us she absolutely hated it, she actually said it was an “abomination” to call a baby that name.
‘She still won’t use his full name but she calls him Luci.
‘[But] my dad loved it straight away, he said it was really different and bold and to stick with it.’
When Ronni announced her son’s arrival and name in a mum’s group online, she was also met with fierce criticism.
Concerned strangers warned the mum her son would be bullied, while horrified parents said it was ‘illegal’ and ‘cruel’.
Ronni, a trained teaching assistant, disagrees and argues children are more concerned by branded trainers than unusual names these days.
She explains: ‘If a kid is a bully, they will find something to pick on. I teach all my children positive affirmations and to be confident and headstrong.
‘I’m not concerned his name will cause him problems at school or later in life.
‘On Facebook, people said they hoped it was only a nickname and told me I wouldn’t be legally allowed to register him with that name.
‘Other parents said I’ve named him after the devil, so he will be like the devil. That’s just stupid, you can’t negatively label a child.’
The mum-of-four is thankfully able to ignore troll comments, adding: ‘His name is unusual but strong… positive comments outweigh any negative comments and most importantly, we love it.’
Ronni also claims other mums have told her they’re secretly jealous they haven’t used the name themselves as they ‘let their worries get the better of them.’
‘I’m sad that so many parents admitted online that they loved the name, but decided against it due to peer pressure and outdated views,’ Ronni says.
‘When he was born, midwives told us they loved the name and encouraged us not to change it.’
The controversial moniker was banned in New Zealand in 2013, but Ronni insists she had no issues officially registering Lucifer Ashley in the UK.
She recalls: ‘No raised eyebrows or gasps of disgust. The registrar simply confirmed the spelling and that was it. I’m sure they hear far worse names every day.’
Just to be safe, though, Ronni did Google where his name was banned before he was born.
However, she adds: ‘I don’t know if that means he can’t live or travel there or if it’s only illegal to be registered with that name in that country. And I haven’t given any thought to if he could get married in church, if he ever wanted to.
‘I really don’t think there will be any long-term problems, but he has a common middle name he can use if he ever wants or needs to.’
When introducing Lucifer to strangers in real life, Ronni has been met with mostly positivity – although there have been some shocked reactions.
She says: ‘Generally people love it, but a few have given me a nervous laugh.
‘Sometimes when people ask I warn them first and say “it’s quite unusual” or controversial. That’s just to give them a moment to know that I’m not going to care what they say.
‘Ultimately, people either like It or don’t, but their opinion isn’t relevant.’
Lucifer is described by his parents as a ‘cheeky chap’, but they say there’s nothing ‘devilish’ about his behaviour or personality.
‘He is Lucifer, the legend,’ says Ronni. ‘There is nothing negative about his name.’
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