Lucille Ball, the legendary actress and comedian, had her heart set on naming her firstborn child "Susan," according to a new book by biographer Todd S. Purdum.

Ball had long wanted to name her firstborn child "Susan" if the baby was a girl, after her good friend, the young actress Susan Peters, who had been paralyzed from the waist down in a duck-shooting accident.

However, when Ball gave birth to their first child via caesarean section on July 17, 1951, she was surprised to find that her husband, Desi Arnaz, had already named the child Lucie Desiree on the birth certificate, without consulting her.

According to Purdum's book, Ball was surprised but not upset by the decision, and the name was a compliment she could hardly resist.

The couple went on to have a second child, Desi Jr., in January 1953, who was incorporated into their popular TV show "I Love Lucy."

In a rare interview, Desi Jr. spoke about his parents' marriage, revealing that behind the scenes, Lucy and Desi were incredibly argumentative.

"It wasn't good for anyone," Desi Jr. told Purdum. "And we'll always remember when they sat us down and said, 'Look, you know, things aren't working.'"