A mom who gave all four of her daughters the same name has furiously slammed critics after her decision went viral online. 

Mary Heffernan, 47, from Fort Jones, California, left many people scratching their heads when she revealed in a social media post that she and her husband, Brian, had named their four children Mary.

In the caption of the now-viral post, Heffernan explained that their family had a ‘long history of strong Catholic women named Mary on both sides’ so when she and her husband started having kids they decided they ‘wanted to carry on the tradition.’

‘We honestly never thought about the fact we might have ALL girls, but once we started there was no going back!’ she wrote.

Her admission raised many questions amongst other social media users, as many wondered how she avoids confusing her daughters.

In addition, some people worried about how it might affect them down the line and worried it might limit their independence.

But Heffernan is unfazed by the scrutiny and she’s extremely proud of her decision to name all four of her daughters Mary.

‘The internet always has opinions,’ she said in response to the hate while chatting with the Daily Mail recently.

Brian and Mary Heffernan, from Fort Jones, California, named all four of their daughters Mary

‘I don’t spend much time worrying about it. If anything it makes people remember us and our family cattle brand, [called Five Marys]. 

‘Our family doesn’t need outside approval. The girls love their names, and that’s what matters.’ 

Heffernan explained that she had so many relatives named Mary who were ‘strong, confident inspiring women.’

So when they had their first daughter they knew immediately that they wanted to give her the name. 

‘I’m honored to carry the name myself, and naming our first daughter Mary felt like a natural way to honor one of our grandmothers and continue that tradition,’ she dished. ‘It felt timeless and meaningful.’

Then when they had their second daughter, Heffernan said they decided to also name her Mary to ‘honor another grandmother.’ 

And after that, it felt like they had to continue on with the trend. 

‘We couldn’t really have Mary, Mary and Sally! By that time we had to stick with it,’ she shared.

Heffernan, 47, explained to the Daily Mail that she had so many relatives named Mary who were ‘strong, confident inspiring women’

‘We honestly didn’t think we’d have four daughters – but fortunately, we had a lot more strong Marys to name them after.

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‘Over time, the name Mary became a thread in our family and something that really unifies our family culture, which I appreciate even more now as we’re raising teenagers in today’s world.

‘Mary is a strong name. To me, it represents humility, steadiness and strength. It’s a name that has endured for generations, and I love what it stands for as a foundation for our family.’

Heffernan admitted that some of their friends and family members were ‘surprised’ by their decision at first.

‘A few thought it was unconventional. But the people closest to us understood it came from tradition and meaning, not novelty,’ she added.

‘But by [baby] number four – a few were questioning us! I got a lot of George Foreman comments.’

Heffernan admitted that some of their friends and family members were ‘surprised’ by their decision at first. Pictured are her four daughters

To avoid confusion, Heffernan explained that she has given each daughter a nickname that she uses. Her eldest, MaryFrances, goes by Francie, her second, MaryMarjorie, goes by Maisie, her third, MaryJane, goes by JJ, and her youngest, MaryTeresa, goes by Tessa.

‘It’s rarely confusing in everyday life… really only when we’re trying to clear TSA as a family,’ joked Hefferman. 

In regards to those who worry it might affect her daughters’ independence down the line, she vowed: ‘Each of them has a strong sense of self and very different personalities. 

‘The shared name hasn’t defined them, if anything, it’s grounded them in family tradition,’ she concluded.