A mother has sparked controversy after letting her young son choose the name of her newborn, opting for “Baby Jesus.”
Lois Meads, 41, and her partner Rhisiart Griffith, 36, welcomed their youngest son in 2022. Wanting to include their eldest son, Drago, in the decision, they asked him what he thought they should name the baby. Drago, who was 6 at the time, suggested “Baby Jesus,” which Lois and Rhisiart decided to honor.
Despite not being religious, the couple agreed to name the child Iesu, the Welsh version of Jesus. “I asked Drago what we should call the baby, and he said, ‘I think we should call him baby Jesus.’ I wasn’t sure, but we wanted him to feel included,” Lois explained. “In Welsh, it’s Iesu. I had never heard anyone named that, but we went with it.”
The name surprised their family and friends. “Everyone thought we were insane,” Lois said, though she and Rhisiart were fond of the name. “Rhisiart really liked it straight away. He enjoys shocking people.”
Iesu, now 2, also has the middle name Maahes, after the Greek god of war. The couple revealed that while their family was initially shocked, they grew to appreciate the name after his birth on March 9, 2022.
Lois noted that in their Welsh-speaking town, “Iesu” is sometimes used as a profanity, often heard when someone is frustrated. “People say ‘Iesu’ when they stub their toe,” she said. “It will be interesting for him to hear that as he gets older.”
Despite the mixed reactions, Lois has grown accustomed to the surprised looks when others learn her son’s name. “At first, people are shocked. Then they process it and say, ‘I’ve never heard that before.’”
The name choice, she said, is part of a family tradition of unique names.
