Couple hits back at trolls who claim their kids' names are 'child cruelty'

The Mennell couple have hit back at trolls who targeted them over their kids names. Photo / Facebook

A British couple have clapped back after being mercilessly trolled online for choosing to call two of their children Jackdaniel and Tiamarie.

Sarah and Steven Mennell, from Kingston upon Hull, have five children together, most with peculiar names, but they won't be apologising for their choice anytime soon, news.com.au reports.

The couple made headlines this week after facing days of harsh criticism from strangers who argued naming children after alcoholic drinks was akin to "child cruelty".

The couple, who run a children's party company together, came under fire after Sarah was featured in a local newspaper, defending her decision to spend hundreds of dollars on her children's school uniforms.

People responded not to the story but to Jackdaniel and Tiamarie's names, slamming their mother online.

"Their dad Johnny Walker works long hours," one man wrote.

"He also Fosters two kids called Stella and Glen Fiddich. Lovely family."

Many accused the couple of "attention seeking" by choosing such "out there" names for their kids.

But most people turned their attention to Sarah, labelling her a "drunk sl*t" and claiming she must have had suffered from alcohol dependence issues to name her children after two types of liquor.

The couple's other children are Sydney, 10, Princess, 6, and Albert, 4.

In a long Facebook post, responding to the criticism on Friday, Sarah said her children's names were not related to alcohol in any way, explaining she was, in fact, an avid tea drinker.

"Jackdaniel is actually named after a world running coach for the Olympics," Sarah wrote.

She explained that during a pregnancy scan, Jackdaniel's "legs and arms was moving and kicking like he was running so he had the Jackdaniel fight".

Continuing, she said her daughter, Tiamarie, was named after a Spanish waitress the couple met and liked.

"So, yeah, no alcohol or drinks are behind the kids' names," Sarah said.

The devoted mother warned "negative comments don't bother us, don't worry folks".

Sarah and Steven Mennell have five children, all with very unusual names. Photo / Facebook

"Tiamarie and Jackdaniel are well used to any negativity on their names," Sarah said.

"After all, anyone who knows us and the kids know the names suit."

In a candid video posted to their Facebook pages on Friday, the couple spoke about the recent news coverage with their children, who were all gathered around their dining-room table.

The parents asked each child whether they liked their name and would they change it if given the chance.

All five of them said they would never change their name and spoke about how much they loved them.

"It's our name," Tiamarie said.

Jackdaniel, who wants to be a rugby player when he grows up, said his name would be perfect for a famous footballer.

"It's my life, stop being jealous of our names and you get on with your life," he said pointedly.

"You've got more things to do than pick on us."

The kids were then asked to be honest about their parents' drinking habits.

"While we're on the topic and we are live, how much alcohol does mummy and daddy drink?" Steve asks.

Jackdaniel helpfully jumped in to explain: "They drink hardly any."

"They get drunk every two months, three months actually," Jackdaniel said, eliciting giggles from his parents.

Steve clarified he and his wife went out once a month "before payday" for a quiet night out.

"We have one night, as a married couple, together, because we're not old yet," he laughed.

The video attracted hundreds of views and comments from people congratulating the family on sticking together and ignoring their trolls.

"Don't listen to anyone, what they say says more about them than it does about you," one woman wrote.

"Your kids are lovely, you were both born to be the fantastic parents you have turned out to be."

Another person sent support to the Mennell family, saying: "You are all such a lovely family, with such lovely kind kids. Ignore all the negativity."

A third said the whole-family response to the hate was "ace".

"Your beautiful kids have the right attitude f**k them," they said