OK - a dilemma. Which would you choose?

[thereisalightanditnevergoesout]

So far, after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing at home and here, on MN, we might've whittled it down to a shortlist of two.

Patrick or Angus

There really aren't any other contenders.

Here's the problem:

(I've mentioned this before - apologies to those of you who've already responded) DH has a nephew in his 20s called Patrick. If we use this name the surname will also be the same.

Angus is the name that my DH picked straightaway but I discounted initially, but it is a name I really like. The reason I discounted it is that it's also the name of our cat.

In DH's family - names repeat themselves and while this obviously isn't a problem within his family, I'd quite like our new DS to have his own name (DS1 has the same name as Grandfather, but as they are of different generations, I don't think this matters so much).

Any thoughts?

You're thinking about giving your kid the same name as your cat?

I really wouldn't. It's just ... not very ... if my parents had done that I'd have been a bit offended, I think.

Better to name him after a person.

I like Angus. It's a bit more unusual than Patrick. Only you can decide whether having a cat with the same name is a problem.

Yes - that's exactly what we're thinking of doing. I'm not naming him after the cat, though, and I have just as many reservations about giving him the same name as a person who already has exactly the same name.

Do you have any nicknames in mind for either name? Or does DH's nephew have a nickname? (I guess the cat doesn't )

Sorry, can't help smirking. What a funny dilemma.

You wouldn't consider Fergus as an alternative?

I can't quite see how living in a two-Angus household will work, though I love the name. Sorry to be blunt, but how much longer do you think the cat is likely to be around? Would you consider renaming it? And how old is DS1? How would he find the "new Angus" scenario?

Hope you find a happy solution :)

Patrick. It's a nicer name and calling your kid after a cat is weird.

I'd go for Angus and rename the cat!

Patrick's great too, by the way, and I don't see that the nephew is a problem. Your DS will make the name his own, I'm sure, and there are several possible shortenings of Patrick. But I sense you really want to go for Angus?

I know - it is funny - I never would have thought I'd be in this position.

But we're not naming the baby after the cat... The cat happens to have one of the names we like.

I can just picture the cat running in everytime the child is called.

DH's nephew is known as Paddy. Which I like but possibly couldn't use. I also like Patch but DH says it's a dog's name (he obviously doesn't get the irony, there).

Strangely, the cat is mostly called 'Gus' unless he's doing something naughty and then I shout his name in full which could just be comical if we went for it as the name of the baby.

I'm not sure renaming the cat would work - he's 13 so pretty used to it by now. But then, is he likely to be around much longer anyway?

DS1 is only 2 so not sure he'd see the humour in it. DD1 and DD2 are 5 and 3 and a half - so they probably would.

Fergus I have thought about, but our surname begins with 'F' and I'm not keen on alliterative names.

No - I don't really want to go for Angus. I like both of them. I suppose I had talked myself out of the Patrick option though.

I feel a bit pathetic to be honest. Of all the names in the world, why these two?

Okay, so the cat is really quite old, which does (sorry) perhaps make things a bit simpler. Maybe you can announce to the DCs that the cat is going to be Gus from now on, and that you like the name Angus sooo much that it's going to be DS2's name...

You see, fanofpeamum, when you put it like that, I realise just how silly it sounds.

Go for Angus.

Sorry...

They're both lovely names. I'd be pissed off too in your situation!

Are you looking for something Celtic?

See what he looks like (assuming you haven't dropped yet).
Both are lovely, cat will be getting on a bit so wouldn't worry about that.
Love Patch as well.

i would name your child after his cousin rather than his cat
personally
and i prefer Patrick to Angus too.
i realise you aren't really naming your DS after your cat, but it does sound funny!

I would choose the nephew not the cat.

I agree with deliakate, sorry but I couldn't name my baby the same or even similar to the cat. Or maybe you need to take a fresh look with a better baby name book?

if the cat's usually called Gus and is 13 then I think you can go with Angus. (possibly combined with a formal name change to Gus for the cat).

On other hand my brother has the same name as my dad (first name and surname) and the same initials (from middle name). tbh he has virtually the same name as my mum. He also has the same first name (though not the same surname) as our cousin, second cousin, and step grandfather...

I think Patrick is a nicer name but I can see your point about wanting your son to have his own name.

So I'd go for Angus.

To think, when the cat was a kitten - I nearly called him 'Badger'...

I would 'rename' the cat Gus officially (have a little cat party and deed poll cert if needs be) and then choose between the two names you like without worrying. I don't think a cat would stop me using a name I liked.

And no, not really looking for something Celtic deliberately, though surname is Irish and DH's father is Scottish and my grandfther was Scottish, too - so I suppose it's what goes with our surname.

hatwoman - that sounds almost like DH's family. Does anyone get confused?

sedgiebaby - I've looked at one with over 40,000 names in it, one with over 4,000 and on the ONS website not to mention spending 5 months so far on MN...

I like the idea of a cat party and cat deed poll, Rockbird.

oh no it makes things easy. if in doubt the person in question is probably called John.