Expecting US couple slammed after announcing baby will be named after major Australian city

Screenshots of the couple from their baby name reveal video
One of the three names has proved particularly controversial. Photo credit: @jordanflom, @flompartyof6 / Instagram

Another day, another baby name that's gone viral for all the wrong reasons: this time, a name inspired by one Australia's biggest cities.

The latest expecting couple to cop heat for their name of choice are American parenting influencers Jordan and Rachel Flom, who last week revealed the forenames of their unborn triplets, who are expected to arrive early next year.

In a video shared to their social media platforms, the Nashville-based Floms - who are already parents to two-year-old daughter Emerson - announced the names they had picked out for the triplets, all of whom are boys.

'Baby A' will be Locklan James, a tribute to father Jordan's home state. Explaining the meaning of the name to the camera, he said: "Locklan actually means 'from the land of lakes', and I'm from Minnesota."  

Baby B will be christened Wilder Scott, a name the couple said they already loved, but became more meaningful when they discovered Jordan's grandmother had grown up in Wilder, Minnesota. Scott, meanwhile, is the name of Jordan's father, as well as the maiden name of Rachel's grandmother.

"There's sentimentality on both sides," she added.  

While babies Locklan and Wilder have been identified as identical twins, Baby C is fraternal, the parents noted, before revealing the final - and most controversial - moniker.

"The name of Baby C is Brisbane Leigh," Jordan announced. "We might say 'Bris' for short."  

The original version of the name reveal - which has since been deleted from the couple's TikTok - went on to explain the meaning of the third moniker, with Jordan sharing that Leigh is his middle name, and that he had briefly lived in Brisbane, Australia for a six-month stint.

"It just meant a lot to me, and I jokingly said the name 'Brisbane' once. I don't think it is a name, but we're making it one," he went on, according to media who viewed the original video.  

"The meaning of Brisbane... we looked it up after we locked in the name, and the meaning of Brisbane is 'breaking of bones'. Which means he might be a sports player."  

However, the existing video on Jordan's Instagram mysteriously cuts off after the third and final name is announced, leaving out any mention of why the couple chose to name their son after the Queensland city.

"You guys can let us know in the comments what you think of the names or what your favourite is. If you make fun of the names, we aren't changing them, so don't do that," Jordan added in the clip, with Rachel joking: "It's locked in, we made banners."  

The deleted video on TikTok attracted a barrage of mocking comments from viewers, with many Australians in particular weighing in with their thoughts on Baby C's "terrible" name.

"You should name your next kid Ipswich," one deadpanned, with a second musing: "Imagine someone named after Perth though."  

"These are my kids, Brisbane, Caboolture and Mackay," a third joked, adding: "But seriously, Brisbane is a terrible name."  

Unfortunately for the Floms, the criticism didn't stop at TikTok: despite the Instagram video cutting off before Jordan's explanation, the couple continued to receive an influx of negative opinions.

"What kind of names are those," one viewer commented, with a second adding: "None of us Aussies call our babies Brisbane! What are they thinking?"  

After receiving a number of questions about the name, Jordan later clarified the meaning in a reply to one confused commenter, writing: "I lived there for six months and it was an important time of my life, so we said it as a joke… and then kind of fell in love with it."

Some fans were more positive, with one Brisbane local commenting: "I live in Brisbane, Australia and it's the first time I've heard it as someone's name. Love it! Love all three."  

At the time of writing, Jordan has over 237,000 followers on the platform, while Rachel - who goes by the username @flompartyof6 - has amassed more than 111,000.

In September, Australian journalist and TV presenter Kirsten Drysdale went viral for naming her newborn baby 'Methamphetamine Rules' as part of a report for the ABC's WTFAQ programme, which aims to investigate viewers' burning questions.  

The story in question had been looking into the process of having names approved, with Drysdale telling news.com.au: "We thought, what is the most outrageous name we can think of that will definitely not be accepted?"  

Unfortunately for Drysdale, who assumed 'Methamphetamine Rules' would never be approved by the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the name slipped through the system's cracks during the submission process - meaning it is now legally her son's given name.  

Weeks later, Drysdale was shocked when her son's official birth certificate arrived in the mail emblazoned with 'Methamphetamine Rules'.  

"I'm not sure if someone was overworked, or if it was automated somewhere," she told the outlet. "Or possibly, maybe they thought Methamphetamine was a Greek name. They haven't really given us a clear answer.  

"It was really just a lighthearted, curious attempt to get an answer to this question."  

The Registrar quickly admitted a rare oversight was to blame, with her son's real name - which she has chosen not to share - since being approved.