Tennessee mom refuses to change baby's name from Messiah to Martin after judge rules 'only Jesus Christ earned that title' Magistrate ordered a baby's name changed from Messiah to Martin The parents were in court to decide a different matter - the child's surname - when judge announced 'only Jesus Chris earned that title' Mother plans to appeal in December and said: 'I refuse to call my child Martin. His name is Messiah A Tennessee mother is refusing to change her seven-month-old baby's name from Messiah to Martin after a judge ordered her to. I refuse to call my child Martin. His name is Messiah. If I have to do what I have to do for my child and my rights, then I will', Jaleesa Martin said. The mother and father had attended a child support hearing for a dispute over their child's surname - however the judge had a problem with the baby's first name. Name changer: A judge in eastern Tennessee ordered for the baby boy's first name to Martin from Messiah Naming rights: Mother Jaleesa Martin is refusing to change her child's name While at Cocke County Chancery Court, Child Support Magistrat Lu Ann Ballew ruled that baby Messiah DeShawn Martin be renamed Martin DeShawn McCullough, WBIR reported. According to the judge, only one person earned the name Messiah, 'and that one person is Jesus Christ'. The mother's two other children are called Micah and Mason and she argued that she wanted to name her third child with an M too. Messiah is ranked 387th most popular baby name according to the Social Security Administration's 2012 list of names. Martin intends to continue fighting Ballew's decision. The U.S. does not currently legislate baby name choices, therefore Jaleesa Martin has not changed her baby's name yet.