Is it ever okay to use ‘someone else’s’ baby name?

Posted in Baby Names.
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Is it ever okay to use ‘someone else’s’ baby name? One poor mum-to-be reckons the answer is a hard no.

The baby name game

A mum has popped up on Reddit’s Am I The Assh*ole to ask other forum users if ‘nicking’ someone else’s baby name is really the done thing.

“A person who I used to work with and I were expecting babies around the same time. She’s just had hers and I’m still waiting (due date in 9 days),” this mum-to-be explained.

“Months ago we discussed baby names and she asked if I had any. I told her me and my husband had decided to call our little girl Evelyn. She said some of hers and that was that.”

So far so good. Just a friendly conversation between workmates except … there was a major plot twist. *insert Law and Order theme here*

“Wake up today to see she’s had her baby and has made an announcement,” this mum-to-be continued. Was she excited there was a new baby in her midst? Not really. 

“I’m sure you can all guess that she named her little girl Evelyn,” the pregnant mum went on. “Am I the asshole for being pissed off about that?!”

You don’t have a monopoly

The responses from others were surprisingly varied. Some people thought that names were fair game, unless it was someone in your immediate family ‘nicking’ the baby name you were going to use.

“It’s pretty unfair to behave like you have a monopoly on certain names,” one such person wrote. “There are only a finite number of names, so people are going to have the same name as your kid.”

“Evelyn is in the top 10 of most popular baby names right now,” another commenter noted.

“I know 7 Evelyns born in the last 3 years,” another Redditor agreed. “It’s very popular right now. Also, she may have already considered the name but felt uncomfortable bringing it up to you in the moment.”

“Cut her some slack”

Some people thought letting others know your baby name ahead of the birth was a mistake.

“NEVER disclose baby names before you’ve given birth!” one secretive proponent urged.

“Seriously, why have people not figured this out yet ?? I purposely tell people baby names I dislike now,” someone else wrote.

But others thought this mum’s irritation was understandable.

“She’s 9 months pregnant. Cut her some slack. She’s asking for validation for being quietly mad, not for slashing the other lady’s tyres.”

“I’m not even pregnant and I might burst into tears if the yogurt shop was out of my favourite flavour,” another kind type agreed.

“In the end it should not really matter what name your acquaintance chose for her child,” someone sensible posted. “She is not close family and does not sound like a close friend either, so the girls will mostly be growing up in different circles.”

Reddit thread baby names

 


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