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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sister "stole" my baby name

44 replies

RoseWrites · 02/02/2020 20:05

I know, i know, you can't claim ownership over a baby name. But i have loved a boys and girls name for years and all my friends and sister knows it. My sister is booked for a c section tomorrow and I asked her if she has names. She said yes and said it was the two i have my heart on. I thought she was joking. But she is not. She now claims i have never mentioned them which is maddening!
I don't want to feel cross or upset as it's a new life..but i feel so hurt and upset - which seems ridiculous. I guess I'm upset she is blatantly lying about all the times we discussed them.
I was too stunned to say anything and i won't as it doesn't seem worth upsetting her.
Is this type of thing normal?
AIBU?

OP posts:
1forsorrow · 02/02/2020 21:07

I know a brother and sister who used the same name for their sons, so different surnames but the same first name. They use a different shortening so say if the name was James one is Jim and the other Jamie. Never bothered anyone. They are very close in age as well.

forrandomposts · 02/02/2020 21:09

It's not really about 'bagsying' a name though is it. It's about lying to your sister and being a bit of a dick about it. If the sister wanted to use the name knowing the OP had set her heart on it, then she should have told her and had a bloody grown up conversation!

AngelsOnHigh · 02/02/2020 21:15

I know it's a bit off track but when I was pregnant with my first DC I had names picked out for a DS and DC.

I'm so glad I had a DS as I now absolutely hate the name I had picked out for DD and I still love DS's name 20 odd years later.

I had DD 3 years later and still love the new name I gave her.

Thatnovembernight · 02/02/2020 21:19

I’m with the people who think it’s not on. If you are close to people who know a name is special to you (not a list of ten favourites, mind) then using it is a shitty thing to do. There are so many names to choose from that discounting just one is not that hard. I avoided about three names I really, really liked for this exact reason - I would never have used a name someone was looking forward to using. Even if they never became pregnant in the end.
I would also say that you will still be using the names as everyone knows they are your favourites already.

CurrynChips · 02/02/2020 21:28

When did you discuss the fact that you like these names? During the pregnancy or a few years ago? If it was before the pregnancy is highly unlikely she'd remember that they were the names you like, and just happens to also like the sake ones. Names are cyclical with complete strangers and often family members share similar taste. Quite a few of my siblings' children's names are names I could have used for children if I'd had children first.

Quite simply your thought processes and opinions are not nearly as unique as you'd like to think. She liked the same ones as you. Maybe subconsciously your prior endorsement of the names has had a favourable impact on her opinion of the names. Take it for the compliment it is to either your taste or her regards for your opinion and move on.

TechnicalSergeantGarp · 02/02/2020 21:40

One of my sisters made a massive fuss because our other (very pregnant) sister had unwittingly picked her mils name which she intended to use at some future point. Niece was called another name. A few years later, OS had a baby girl, she called it a completely new name - she was very unreasonable.

Your dsis is also unreasonable.

PepePig · 02/02/2020 21:40

I hate these threads. Not because of the OP, but all the users swanning in to kick someone while they're down about how supposedly "unreasonable" they are and how they don't own a name. It really grinds my gears.

If you've explicitly had a conversation with someone detailing that you have chosen x name, it is dickish for that person to use the name if they're still friends with you when they're due to give birth. It shows no respect for the friendship. If you like the name and it's also on your list, you say at the time "oh that's funny we love that name too!" This gives the other person time to get used to it or find another name.

Of course, if you haven't had a discussion but you love the name 'Molly', and your friend uses 'Molly', you can feel annoyed but you can't be annoyed at your friend. She didn't know.

It's even worse when it's a family member as said person will always be around the child called Molly. If it's a coworker, it's not as bad- chances are one of you will leave your job and not see/hear much from them.

Picking a name is personal. People should be more respectful. This is exactly why I only ever had one discussion with my friends about my baby name choices for DD. I thought it would be a nice thing to discuss once, so I said a few of my boys names. One of my friends immediately piped up saying she liked all of my boys names. I quickly learnt that some people do get weirdly competitive and if I wanted to pick a name myself and my partner loved without interference, I'd be better off not discussing it. It can work both ways, too.

I'm sorry OP had to learn this lesson the harsh way, but it really is better never discussing it. The less people know and the less you know, the lesser the chance anyone is upset.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 02/02/2020 21:42

Wait, are you even pregnant?

AnxietyDream · 02/02/2020 21:54

Years ago close friends of mine used my favourite girl's name for their daughter. I had told them my then partner and I wanted to use it, but before the pregnancy and I doubt they even remembered (because why would you?).

Then I broke up with that partner anyway, and DH didn't like that name when we had kids so I didn't even use it. Lots of people change their minds over time.

Unless you are pregnant and have chosen the name with your partner you can't even say for certain you would use it, so banning others from using it just seems selfish to me.

Duckydarling · 02/02/2020 21:57

I’m surprised that she doesn’t know the sex of the baby (it’s unusual not to know these days) and so is going to nick either your chosen boy or girl name. As they say on mumsnet ‘wow’.

tillytoodles1 · 02/02/2020 22:03

I come from Irish stock and most of my cousins share about six names and are always referred to by their name and surname. Not even their married names but the maiden names. I have a brothers and cousins all with the same first names as my mum and her sisters called us all after family members, who were called after family members and so it goes on.

busybarbara · 02/02/2020 22:03

At least she hasn’t given the name to a new pet or something!

Witsendagain · 02/02/2020 22:21

I have a similar story, I have loved a name since I was about 12 it's unisex but I want it particularly for a girl. My sister got pregnant first and said she would use the name I wanted whether she had a boy or a girl, in her words 'first come, first serve'. She has form for this kind of spiteful petty stuff with me. I was gutted but made it very clear that I would still use the name whether she did or not so to crack on. Funnily enough she didn't use it. Seems her desire to have a ooonique name trumped her desire to be a bitch.
I advise calling her bluff and making it clear you will still use the name, even if you don't mean it!

OlaEliza · 02/02/2020 22:22

What are the names op?

Can you get your mum to have a word with her?

gingerbiscuits · 02/02/2020 22:25

I know you can't 'own' a name, etc etc...but I'd be bloody FUMING at that!!!!! She's being a cow. On purpose.

Duckydarling · 02/02/2020 22:30

Did you not use the girl name for the daughter you had in 2018?

ParkheadParadise · 02/02/2020 22:31

@tillytoodles1
Same here. My sister and 7 cousin's all have the same first name. They are named after my granny. They are also refereed to my their maiden names.

BeanTownNancy · 02/02/2020 22:38

My brother has always wanted to name his kids "A&B" (unisex names), he's mentioned it several times in our lives. I had my kids first and didn't dream of using either of his names. I know I had every right to, but it would have just been mean, there are thousands of other names to choose from.

WingingItSince1973 · 02/02/2020 23:19

My sis in law kicked up a major stink about a name I had my heart set on for my 3rd dd. I had told family for years if I had another daughter she would be called this certain name after someone special. I was 8 months pregnant when sis in law turned up at my house so upset that I was going to use that name thay she claimed had wanted too. She wasnt even pregnant. So I didnt use it as she spoiled it for me. All these years later and shes had 2 girls and guess what? She didnt use that name after all. Wish I had just stuck to my guns but my daughters name really suits her anyway x

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