Would you use the same name as a friend's child?

I would - no one owns a name! Growing up, lots of us kids had the same names of each other despite our parents being friends. We don't even see each other any more.

I don't understand why people would be put out by this. I don't believe that anyone would choose the same name as their friend to spite the friend. You're naming your child and will choose the best name you can possibly think of. No one's name is unique, so that argument doesn't stand. The kids will grow up and live separate lives. It will only matter for a tiny number of years in the grand scheme of things. You're not kids at school, copying each other's answer sheets. Hopefully your friend is a big enough not to get offended.

I wouldn't - she is your best friend, you see each other often and you want to name your child excactly the same as her child?

Names exist so people can be identified and for that reason I would work a little harder to find a name for your child rather than just copying your friend's choice. There are so many lovely names to choose one!

I think it's surprising how homogeneous people in the same area can be. I know loads of kids who have the same name.

I say, if it is Matilda then fair enough. If it Octavia then think again.

Talk to them about it first. Don't just surprise them with it. That's a bit cruel.

I wouldn't use it.

I used the same name for DS1 as one of my friends - her DS is older than mine by several years, and we don't see each other frequently, but it never even crossed my mind that it would be an issue. When we're talking we just say "My X" and "your X" to differentiate which X we're talking about.

I really don't get the issue - I was given the same name as my parents best friends' dd. it's not a common name, either now or 60yrs ago when we were born. It never bothered either of us. Ironically there was only one other person in my school with the name and we were in the same class . It's still my name no matter how many other people have it. My uniqueness as a person isn't located in the name my parents gave me

An old friend did use DDs very uncommon name & even the NN we used when she was tiny, for her second DD. She always said she loved the name & DD too & wish she had thought of it for her DD1 - at the time we were very flattered, friend was moving away so it wasn't a big issue in that way, but she was famous & there was a worry it would start a trend.

Thankfully she dropped out of the limelight & that didn't happen. DD now prefers to use her longer name & doesn't remember her NN at
all & old friends DD still uses NN - we rarely see them these days anyway - but DD loves that she has a namesake & we really don't mind at all, it's rather a compliment :)

Another couple we used to see when out with DD also named their baby after DD too & again it's a compliment

I might not have felt that if it suddenly became very common as a result though

I'm guessing you only thought of the name because your friend has a child of that name? I wouldn't use it. There are enough names out there and for all those saying why run it past the friend to see if she minds - do you honestly think that is a fair position to put her in. She can hardly refuse regardless of how much she may be seething inwardly. Don't do it OP. There are plenty of other names. Pick one of those instead.

Unless you actually invent the name yourself, no name is unique.

I'd say go for it op but I feel your friend might be upset (imo would be unreasonable but anyway) so maybe talk to her before you do.

Can you look the name up and find other versions?

Probably yes.
If you called your child same as my-unusual-child's-name, my response would be "What fantastic taste you have!"

I would be really really annoyed tbh whether that is reasonable or not it would be how I would feel.

There are so many names out there it is really unnecessary to use the same name.

No I wouldn't. If you're hanging out with her and others fairly often it will look like you've named your kid after hers especially as it's unusual. It might be one thing if it was a v common name (in the top 10) but if this is the only child of this name you know it does look a bit copying.

I also would be pissed off. If that makes me shallow I don't care. I worked hard to fine normal but uncommon names and a friend picking the same would feel v weird to me.

My best friend used a name I loved, and I felt I couldn't use it for DS1 ( born 3 years later) but by the time DS3 was born (12 years younger than her DS) it was OK.

I asked a friend this with DC3, if I could use her DS3s name as I'd always liked it. She didn't have a problem with it. I would have been if she had, as her DS1 has the same name as our DS1! (her DS1 is the younger)

Always best to talk about it, and if they say no, then don't use it!

My DD1 has a fairly rarely used but well known name. 3 months after she was born friends of ours who we see regularly through my oh's sports team said they hadn't thought if the name till we named DD1 it but they loved it and wanted to use it too. I was flattered she had asked and honestly couldn't care less, they have both just turned 5 and I have only ever met 1 other with the name.

We did. It was our favourite name, but we kept others on the list so that we could decide when DS was born. After the trauma of his difficult arrival, we couldn't imagine calling him anything else. Our friends were made up and congratulated us on our good taste.

I say if you love the name, go for it.

No I wouldn't, personally. Yes no one owns a name granted but surely all children should have their unique names. There are lots of names out there. I'm certain you can think of something else.

Hmm. My DD has quite an unusual name and I think I would feel a bit weird if a close friend used it. But I would certainly never say anything. On the flip side, if it was a new name I hadn't thought of before, I wouldn't use an unusual name that a friend used, I think the fact that I already knew a child with that name would make it less.special for me, if that makes sense! But that's just me. I totally agree nobody owns a name! And actually, I was so set on DD's name, that even if my sister, best friend and entire nct group had used it, I still would have!

I think it depends on whether it was a name you had always had in mind to use anyway, before she named her dc? Or do you just like it since she has chosen it? If youve always liked it, then just be honest and tell her. (I personally wouldn't 'ask' if I could use it if I'd chosen it independently of her using it).

I really do want to know what this name is though

My dad had 2 cousins with the same unusual name with same unusual spelling. There was a bit of a falling out between the two mothers who were sisters and a barney about who chose the name first. Be warned.

I wouldn't I've ruled out Names as friends/family have used them. If it was something really popular and you didn't see friend often then it would be ok but if its not in top 50 I wouldn't do it.

I would, but check first. My mum's friend named her son the same as my brother, they just got 'big' and 'little' before their names, which is quite nice in family/friend circles.
I wouldn't mind if a friend used the same name, unless they would be in the same class at the same school.