What names can't I use?

[MissClimpsonsTypingBureau]

I have 2 boy and 2 girl names I really like and I'm not convinced I can use either. Would these reasons stop you?

Boy 1: name of one of DH's close friends
Boy 2: 3yo of (not very close) friend; name of colleague's stillborn baby (not in last 10 years)

Girl 1: DH's aunt's name (though would use different shortening); friend's name
Girl 2: my aunt's name.

Please tell me I'm being oversensitive about at least one of these

Boy 1: If I was your DH I would veto it.
Boy 2: Yes, I would use it.

Girl 1 and 2: Depends how close you are to the aunt, I suppose.

The only one I wouldn't use is boy name number 2

The rest go for itn

I would use them.

I don't see why any of those is a problem. I'd try to be a bit sensitive with the colleague who had a stillborn baby if you use that and mention it to her before a general announcement - but can't see anything wrong with the others. Presumably the friends/aunts would be flattered?

The only one I would hesitate over is colleague's stillborn baby. Even then, if he was called Ben/Josh/George/James etc - fine. If he was called something very obscure, I'd have a bit more of a think and/or chat to them about it.

I'd hesitate over the second boys name, but not the others.

OK, thanks - will have a bit more of a think! I'm sure the friends and relatives would be flattered, but I don't really want to look as if we're naming after them IYSWIM.

I would be very wary of using the name of a colleague's dead child. A decade is nothing in that type of bereavement.

The others are probably OK, assuming they are fairly frequently used names. No-one would raise an eyebrow at, for example, another Matthew or Emily; though they might think it odd (and rather pointed) if you had another Cuthbert or Salome

Oh see my favourite girl's name was OH's aunt's name and I didn't have on short list for that reason (anyway we had a boy). I didn't want the awkwardness of explaining that no the baby was NOT named after her!!

I'd use any of them.

I would use any of them. DS1's name is the same as one of my friend's, although we call him by a derivative, I'm sure he didn't think we named him because of that. It is also DH's uncle's name, although he goes by yet another derivative, the name of one of DH’s friends and my nephew’s middle name. None of this was a reason for choosing it. I tell people we named him after a famous 60s TV character.

Of the two girls names I would have used one is the name of one good friend and the nickname of another, and the other is the name of the daughter of a good friend, it wouldn’t have thrown me at all.

I wouldn't knowingly use the name of someone's stillborn baby. I can't imagine how that would feel whenever your baby is mentioned in that person's company.

If name 2 was not an unusual one, I would think it probably OK. If I was able to, I would ask the colleague beforehand though.

I would use all/any of them.

The only one that I would even think twice about would be 'boy 2' and that would only be because such a sad connotation would put me off the name in the name in the first place. Unless, you are particularly close to this colleague/work in very close proximity and it's a very unusual name, in which case I'd avoid using that name.

I think it does depend if it's a name like 'Thomas' or 'Daniel' or 'Joshua' which is the name of so many people, or if it is something 'unique' or even highly unusual, in which case ot puts a different slant on it.

My dh and his exw list s child at 3 days old, he never gets upset when the name is used by others, it's not a traditional/normal/common name either. He's happy for it to be used, it makes him smile.

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