I am convinced we can use this name

[SophieBarringtonWard]

If DC3 is a boy we are considering calling him John, to be known as Johnny. This is after DH's elderly & unwell father.

We have friends who have a son called Jonathan known as Jonny.

We see these friends once or twice a year, and will never live in the same place as them. We have one very close mutual friend & some more acquaintance type mutual friends.

I think we can use the name we want to, perhaps giving a polite heads up about it. DH worries. AIBU?

Nah, I think you're fine. If you saw them every week it'd be different, but as it is I think you'll be ok.

My dad is called David.. he has a cousin called David too. His mums sister moved to NZ and had a boy and called him the same as her sisters son.. I always thought that was strange? There is 26 years between them though..

I wouldn't worry about it one bit!

John/Jonathan/Jo(h)nny isn't an unusual name - although lesser used now I admit - so I don't think you could be accused of stealing "their" name. And besides, they use Jonathan/Jonny, and you want John/Johnny.

Tell DH he's overthinking things

Thank you for agreeing with me, haha.

youngestisapyscho you've reminded me that one of the other names we like, Sam, is also the name of my cousin's youngest son. I'm currently weighing up whether that is distant enough. Haven't seen my cousin since the mid 1990s.

We are thinking about a name that is close to the name of my friend's child. We see them about once or twice a year, do not live close and have no 'shared' friends, so we will go with it.