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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

If a friend gave their baby YOUR name,

30 replies

LilyMarlene · 07/04/2013 09:57

would you find it odd? As in their actual name?
My DH and I want to name our DD Josephine, but it is the name of my good friend (was my bridesmaid, been friends since primary school).
She goes by Jo, but we would probably use Jojo (DH is a Beatles fan and is looking forward far too much to shouting 'Get back Jojo' in the park). I imagine Jojo would become Jo in time though.
There are no other Josephines in our social circle and I do think of my friend whenever I hear the name. I have a great great Aunt Josephine, so the name is in the family.
I do love my friend, but we're not super close. I don't want her to feel awkward, or feel that we have named the baby for her and feel like she has to reciprocate or something
How would you feel if you had a relatively uncommon name and a friend used it for their LO?

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Gingerandcocoa · 07/04/2013 09:59

I would be really flattered even if you're not naming the baby after her.

BobblyGussets · 07/04/2013 10:00

She will be flattered and pleased. It is a nice way of honoring someone you are fond of too. People won't call their child a name that belongs to someone they don't like. Not many Adolfs or Myras about nowadays.

ArabellaBeaumaris · 07/04/2013 10:02

A friend called her baby my name. She told me it wasn't after me but it was a lovely name & I hadn't put them off it! I feel no need to reciprocate.

VivaLeBeaver · 07/04/2013 10:02

Wouldn't find it odd at all. I have an unusual name which I love. If someone called their kid the same name I'd think they had good taste in names. I wouldn't think they'd named the kid after me unless they told me they had.

tickle33 · 07/04/2013 10:05

Both my daughters have the same name as two if my friends. This was not deliberate but when my DH and I drew up our list of names we liked these, and more importantly they went with our surname. I did mention it to my friends to see if they would find it weird but they were just flattered that we liked their names that much

thermalsinapril · 07/04/2013 10:31

I wouldn't find it odd, I would just think it must be a name they liked and it happened to be the same as mine.

Original poster

LilyMarlene · 07/04/2013 11:09

Ah that's really reassuring thank you. I think I might mention that we love the name and are thinking about using it if DD looks like a Joesephine

OP posts:

Original poster

LilyMarlene · 07/04/2013 11:11

Or even a Josephine!

OP posts:

iwouldgoouttonight · 07/04/2013 11:16

Our DS has the same name as one of DP's friends because we liked the name. He thought it was lovely and didn't think it was weird that we'd given our child the same name as him and didn't feel the need to reciprocate. The only (very minor) thing is that we often have to specify which one we're talking about so they sometimes get called big Geoff and little Geoff*

I love the name Josephine btw.

*not their real names!

neolara · 07/04/2013 11:17

I would be incredibly flattered.

DustingIsEasy · 07/04/2013 11:28

I would be amazed, honestly who would pick Jacqueline these days?

Original poster

LilyMarlene · 07/04/2013 12:29

Dusting, I reckon it's due a revival any day now!

OP posts:

MrsJohnDeere · 07/04/2013 17:03

I'd be thrilled.

thermalsinapril · 07/04/2013 17:17

I'd ask for it back But they could make a copy of the name if they wanted!

nooka · 07/04/2013 17:21

I have to admit I'd not be very happy, and if they hadn't asked me I would be seriously pissed off. However my name is very very unusual, I have never met another (although I know they exist via the internet) so I see the name as mine. I doubt that your friend feels the same way, as Josephine (which is lovely) whilst not at all common is not that unusual.

I still think it's important that you tell her that's what you are thinking about, and that the nn will be different so she doesn't feel she's going to become 'Big Jo' or similar. I'm guessing that's not too likely though as it's a friendship not a family relationship, so your family will be the only connection.

thegreylady · 07/04/2013 17:33

Josephine is a gorgeous name and I often wish I had used it instead of Joanna [which I also love] as Josephine was and is less common. Josie is a nice nn too.

fertilityFTW · 07/04/2013 17:38

I've had a friend and a family member give their DDs the same name as myself (not necessarily after me) and another friend named her dog the same name as well! I've been chuffed at all of it - clearly it's a great name.

spottyparrot · 07/04/2013 17:40

I called my dd the same as my cousin called her dd. her dd was absolutely thrilled, she was 8 when my dd was born. It is also the name of a close friend of mine who also thought it was lovely. More common name than Josephine but not in top 10 anyway.

Alisvolatpropiis · 07/04/2013 17:57

No it isn't odd. A relative gave her daughter my middle name as her first name when I was about 8/9 and I loved it.

If I friend used my name for their child I'd be most flattered!

StellaNova · 07/04/2013 18:03

One of my best friends used my name for her baby, I am delighted even though I know she wasn't named after me. I used my best male friend's name for my first son, again not actually named after and its a common name, but it didn't seem weird.

MolotovCocktail · 07/04/2013 18:06

I'd think that it was really nice and would be flattered that they thought my name was that nice :)

Original poster

LilyMarlene · 07/04/2013 21:11

thermal-
nooka- arf at Big Jo, she would be thrilled (not really).
greylady- Joanna is beautiful, though nowadays I do want to sing the song from Sweeney Todd when I hear it!
I am really glad to read these replies; they are overwhelmingly positive. Thanks for replying.

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Mibby · 07/04/2013 21:18

A friend of mine at work named his daughter after me. I thought it was lovely but did warn him he might regret it if she also had my, slightly wild, temperament. :)

SilentMammoth · 07/04/2013 21:20

This happened to me with a couple who are in our social circle whom we are reasonably close to. I do not think they named her after me but I cannot tell you how delighted and flattered I felt that they used my name.

On downside, I'm not awfully keen on being referred to as big mammoth, to distinguish nw from little mammoth!!

FayeKorgasm · 07/04/2013 21:25

A good friend named her DD the same name as me although a different spelling. I was so happy she had a healthy DD but I don't think she was named for me

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