to think that it will seem weird

[qazxc]

My boyfriend and i are picking out baby names. He likes the name Daniel. The problem is that my ex has just had a baby and called it Daniel. I don't have contact with my ex but we do live in a small community and people in our social circle would be friends of his. I just think we should move on and pick another name as it will seem weird, that out of the thousands of names out there i pick the name my ex has picked for his child. My boyfriend thinks that i'm overeacting. What do you think?

I like the name Daniel

A name is for life not just for pissing off exes

He's not the one with that association. Choose a nice name which he hates for some reason (snobbery or an unpleasant person of that name), and tell him he is overreacting, then see him suddenly understand!

Yes that would come across as some weird stalking type thing

I think Daniel is a nice name, but agree with you that it seems a bit weird to use the name your ex has chosen for his child.

As previously mentioned, it's the name association which isn't good for you - so similar to you knowing someone of that name you don't like, therefore making it unlikely you'd use it for your DC. Good suggestion to offer a name your DH associates with something/one he doesn't like!

I am with your bf. I think that it would be weird if it was your ex's name, but I really don't think that it is that big a deal. It's not like it is an unusual name (if he was called Zebediah that would be a bit weird and stalkerish).

I remember when I had DD my DH suggested a name that was the same as my (ages ago) ex's dog. At first I thought that I couldn't use that name, and then I realised that I was being ridiculous and we went ahead and used it. This is literally the first time that I have thought about the dog (and ex) since then.

YANBU. I used to be a primary teacher and some names are firmly off my list for all eternity because I taught..ahem...difficult children with those names. If you have a certain association with a name it can really ruin it for you. It's important that you genuinely like your son's name and don't have any reservations about it.

MIL says the same as Cailin... we used to tease her in each pregnancy by anouncing it as our favourite name. Mind you she had a form with 8 Daiels and a Danny in. She said all except one was "a handful".

That's Daniels not Daiels.

I think if you don't want to use it for whatever reason then that should be good enough for him tbh.

But if you have picked the name because you and your DP like it, then what does it matter what name your ex has picked?

If it feels a bit too close for comfort for you, then choose something else. But by the time the children are at school/adults, no one will care.

Cailin is right. Unfortunately, I did my teacher training when DD was 1. In hindsight, I wouldn't have chosen her name!