The name game, WDYT?

[Cheesecake]

So two friends of mine, who are really close friends of each other, had their due dates really close together. They were both team green (at least to the rest of the world and each other) and hadn't told each other of names they were considering.

Friend 1 gave birth early october, she sent out a birth announcement with the full names of the baby about 2 weeks before friend 2 had her baby.

The 2 babies have the exact same first name. Exactly the same spelling (there are more options) even. The name isn't a family name for either of them. There's also really just 1 possible nickname you can make of it, so the chances of the babies having different names they go by are very very slim.

These kids will likely grow up as friends, especially since they're so dang close in age and their moms hang out all the time.

I give second mom the side-eye. I'm sure she'd figured out this name and decided on it before friend 1 announced, but still. I can't even ever imagine giving your 2-weeks-younger child the exact exact same name.

What do you think? Should friend 2 have just used a different name?

[Bumblebee]

I disagree.

Plenty of kids have the same name, so why should the second set of parents have to change their choice? I would not want to scramble at the eleventh hour trying to find a new name DH and I could agree upon. Furthermore, I would be afraid that we would regret not using our favorite name. Also, just because it isn't a family name doesn't mean that it isn't meaningful to the parents. They may have already connected to the name.

Just my two cents.

[Cheesecake]

Does it change if you know mom #2 threw a ginormous tantrum when another friend told her that she was thinking of using her 1st kid's name?

Forgot to include that tidbit in my first post.

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos

[demofea01]

I give the side eye to anyone who thinks a name "belongs" to them, for whatever reason.

[G22]

Nov 19, 2012 8:27:32 GMT -5 demofea01 said:

I give the side eye to anyone who thinks a name "belongs" to them, for whatever reason.

:Y: my exact thoughts. Its a name and I see no reason to change it last minute because someone else used it too.

[thoseareradishes]

Nov 19, 2012 8:16:12 GMT -5 Cheesecake said:

Does it change if you know mom #2 threw a ginormous tantrum when another friend told her that she was thinking of using her 1st kid's name?

Forgot to include that tidbit in my first post.

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos

Nope. Did Mom#1 use that name or not? I'd side-eye her if she changed her mind due to Mom #2 having a fit about it.

[Deleted]

I had the same name as my first cousin. She was much older than me (probably 20 years), but our last name is really uncommon so it was weird to share the name for a while.

It really doesn't matter, though. I named my kid by coincidence the exact same first and middle name as someone else I know (not well, the sister of a high school friend). It's just a common name combo.

[blindyswife]

I agree with everyone else- friend 2 shouldn't change their name choice just because friend 1's baby was born first. Lots of times, it takes so much discussion and compromise between the mom and dad to even decide on ONE name, that expecting them to change their choice is not realistic. Was the name something that's common and popular at the moment? I mean, if the name you're using is something like Emma, you shouldn't be surprised or upset that someone you know is also using it.

That said, I think it's dumb that friend 2 didn't want friend 1 to use the name of their existing kid. But that doesn't change my opinion of the problem.

[Cheesecake]

I know in my family a lot of cousins have the same name, all named after grandpa. That's different to me though, than a super close friend.

The reason I'm side eyeing is really that if you make a super big stink of a friend possibly, maybe using your kids' name, you shouldn't do it yourself. (Friend #3 didn't end up using the name btw, as the ultrasound turned out to be wrong.)

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos

[Cheesecake]

Oh, and blindy, nope, not a common name, not super unusual, but definitely not a top50 name.

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos

[winecheery]

I'd be pissed because I'd hate having the same name as one of my friend's kids, just cuz there are so many names in the world...idk.

That being said, if I was really really attached to a name, I'd go with it anyways. It's not like the two friends live together and there will be confusion under one roof.

[VillainV]

It's a little odd, but if it was the ONLY name the couple could agree on, then I can understand them not changing it at the last minute because someone else "took" it. The kids will get over it, I promise.

[glauren]

I'm kind of side-eyeing mom #2 as well. I'm sure it's crazy hard to decide on a name, but I wouldn't want my kid and one of my BFF's kids to have the same name. If I was mom #2, unless that name had some sort of special meaning to me, I think I'd go with another choice.
However, I've never tried to name a kid with my H so I'm talking completely out of my ass here, and reserve the right to change my answer if I'm ever in this position

[lauree1183]

I'm really curious what the name is, can you share?

[Cheesecake]

It's a Dutch name, no real English equivalent.

And re the not telling, that's the norm here. Hardly anyone shares what sexe the baby will be, let alone the name. Most people I know just have a short-list of names they like, and don't decide until they meet the baby. I know that's what friend#2 did with her first, I'm fairly certain she was team green all the way.

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos