What would you do if someone copied your baby's name that you had picked out and she had her baby before you?

Question

I don't know what to do... This one girl I know was expecting a couple months before me and she asked me what I was naming my baby. I told her and she told me what she was naming hers. It turns around that she had her baby and named it the same name I'm going to name mine. Now she's going around telling people that I copied off of her. What would you do if you were me? I don't want to change my baby's name.

Answer 1

Who cares?
Dont change your baby's name just because someone else has it. I must admit that what that girl did was pretty low but this is the baby's NAME. This is what people will call him/her, this is how people will know him/her! Dont change it!

Answer 2

First of all, I wouldn't share the name with many people -- especially those that are also expecting! LOL -- once it has been decided. But you already know that. ;)

That said, my reaction if someone did end up using the same exact name would depend on the choice in question. If it was something already very-common, such as Emily, Isabella, Addison or Nevaeh (just tossing a few out there LOL), it would be completely illogical to get very upset. After all, if I loved a popular name, I'd have to expect to come across it on others' children on a fairly regular basis -- at the park, pediatrician's office, grocery store, school, etc.

However, since I tend to prefer the more unusual types of names (whether an underused classic or simply one not that common in the states), I'd have to say it would get me rather upset. After all, when you're using a unique name, it tends to be pretty obvious where someone else got the same idea. Just not as likely a coincidence, know what I mean. So yeah, I'd be upset.

What I'd do about it would, again, depend on the actual name itself, my reasons for using it and how far along in the pregnancy I was. If, for example, it was a very common name it would be silly to change it, per the above comments. If, on the other hand, it was a more unusual choice and I had a few months to make it definite, I'd likely use that remaining time to look into other options and see if anything else appealed as much. If, however, I was very near my due date or had a special reason for using it (Clementine to honor a grandmother, for example), I'd likely just keep the name. After all, everyone that mattered would know there was no way I'd "stolen" the name from someone else, so the situation would be rather apparent. ;)

Good luck!

Answer 3

This is why you don't tell people what names you're even considering, let alone actually using.... but of course I don't understand having a name already picked out before the kid's even born, but I digress.....

That girl was a b**ch! As much as I may have liked the name, I would have to come up with a new one. I personally don't like common names, so it would make me nuts knowing there was someone I actually knew whose kid had the same name as mine when I spent all that time making sure it was a different name (like not on the top 1000 baby names list). It's one thing if it happens by accident...

I would say something to the witch!

In a related story - one of my friends was pregnant several years ago, and she did have a name picked out for a girl. She told a cousin's girlfriend, who then claimed the name for herself. BUT - the other girl was told she was having a girl, went out and bought everything pink, painted the room, and had pink carpet installed in the nursery (like a fool), and she wound up having a boy! Karma's a B*TCH!!!!

Answer 4

This actually happened to me - TWICE - i quickly learnt to keep my mouth shut after that and didn't even tell my very close friends what my choices consisted of. As it turned out both names that were stolen wern't that great anyway. I found a name that i now love and it really suits my little girl. If you are absolutuly possitive that this name is for you, keep it. Can you change the spelling? Explain the situation to friends who know you both. I do suggest that you lose the friend, you don't need people like that around you or your baby. Good luck i hope it all works out for you!

Answer 5

Next time tell NO ONE until the baby is named. Or make up some names, and then name your baby the original name and say you changed your mind.

Answer 6

There's nothing else you can do about it. I picked out my son's Chinese name while I got pregnant. My sister-in-law had a friend that gave birth before me and end up having the same Chinese name, except the last name. I didn't know she picked the same name until I asked my mother-in-law. I didn't want to change my son's Chinese name because my husband has an unusual last name where not much names sound right with it. Anyways, now, everyone thinks I've copied her. After I gave birth, she gave birth to another son a couple months later. We're forbid to use the same name if we have another son.

Answer 7

hey, she is the loser. Don't pay attention to her.
Being mature means that you won't let someone else control your emotions.

You know the truth, and that is what counts. If people talk to you about it.....just say something like....."there isn't anything to talk about, In the scheem of life it really doesn't matter.
Or say "Oh cool, she made a good decision, my decision was made long ago, I can't speak for her. It is no big deal"\

If you let it roll off your back then people will stop making a deal out of it.

My best friend for many many years. .Had her son 6 weeks before I had mine. They named him Erik. Well, I wanted to name for first son Erik sinse I was in elementry school.
So, we both have Erik's. We now live many miles from each other. We only lived in the same place for eight years. And there as NO big deal with the name. They made their choice we made our. Their Erik was in my Eriks wedding.

It will only be a big deal if you make it a big deal. No reason to prove to anyone that this person. Don't waste your energy on this, You have a wonderful child. Honor that child.
If others want to discuss this. Just say...we both like the same name.....so what. Then leave it at that.
Even though others try to say you are lying. Just brush it off. Because you know your own truth. No reason for you to prove that the other person is lying.
Be true to yourself. And if you let this woman upset your life .......well that is just silly. YOU are NOT going to let her take away your joy. Let it go. If she is mean spirited--Karma will take care of her.

If you have the attitude that it does't matter and it is ok for the babyies to have the same name. Gosh. Life is too short for you to even ask this question, let alone change a babys name.

Let it go. Be happy in your life. You have nothing to prove and nothing to gain by proving anything. Don't even mention that she took the name from you. Just say, you had the name chosen a very long time ago & it has nothing to do with the other family. If you choose to NOT make it a deal, it won't be a big deal. Gosh you could make this a big deal all your child's life. What sort of life is that?

Tell people that you had chosen the name long ago. And there is nothing to talk about concerning this other family.
Let it go please.

You will mature and when you look back you will say ......geesh why was this such a big deal.

Answer 8

Don't change your baby's name, just give it a really cool middle name too.

Your true friends will believe you. A girl who steals baby's names is the type of girl to probably steal other things. People will realize. If you are an honest girl, you have nothing to worry about, just get some distance from this other girl and move on.

Try to feel better by realizing this is a part of karma. Somewhere, maybe another life, you did something like this to another. You are more spiritually grown now and need to be the bigger person here. Make your amends, try to forgive this girl and hopefully you'll feel and be lot lighter!

Answer 9

This actually happened to me. I babysat for a woman who at the time obviously only had one child. Well she got pregnant and being that we still kept in touch we threw baby names and such at eachother. Well her and her husband had decided on Roxanne. Well about a month before she was due she asked me what I was naming our child. Keep in mind that she obviously already knew considering we talked all the time..so I told her Abigail Mae...she turned around and changed her childs name from Roxanne to Abygayle Marie...I was POed!!! But I got over it and still named our daughter Abigail. I wasn't going to let her spoil it for me. She was due 3 weeks before I was. Now her 10 year old daughter asks me why I copied her sisters name and tells me that I need to change my childs name. She asked me once and I just explained to her that I didn't copy her name and it's spelled differently so it's ok. I wasn't so nice to her mother however. But we do still talk occassionally and luckily I'm having a boy this time around and she's not having any more children!! So just suck it up and keep what you had chosen! It'll be ok!

Answer 10

.you should not change the name of your baby because of that. If this girl goes to school with you then you only have to deal with it for a short while. If you are out of school then you can choose not to be friends with her. I would just come up with a really cool middle name. If people tell you that you copied just tell them that all great minds think alike, or you can tell them that your baby is cuter and she defiantly cannot copy that. good luck

Answer 11

Call her out on it. Tell her that it was sort of childish to do that behind your back. ALSO NAME YOUR BABY WHAT YOU ALREADY PLANNED! Who cares if people think you copied her, what matters is that you like your baby's name! Take it as a compliment and ignore the gossipers. Like there isn't something better to do than to go around saying "oh, she copied so and so's baby's name". DO IT ANYWAYS! You say she is a girl you know, so it implies you aren't around her much by choice....do it anyways! I would!