'our' name just been used by friend 😞

[Turneeps]

We have had a favourite girl's name for years. Never told anyone else this name. My friend (friends since uni, she lives in a different city now but we are still great friends, see each other a few times a year). Well she had her baby yesterday and used our name.
Does this mean we have to choose a new name for our baby due in a month?? Don't want to use it if it will be awkward. ???

Use it but tell her now in a 'congratulations & omg we've been planning to use that name for years!' way - don't just use it and say nothing, that would be odd :)

Use the first name, but make sure that the middle name(s) is different. Add an extra family middle name to yours if it's the same combination.

I wouldn't tell her now that you are going to use in case she kicks off. Once your baby is named she can't say anything g but she can if you're not even pregnant.

Use the name but call her up to congratulate her on the birth of her baby and tell her that that is the name you had chosen for your baby too...don't just announce on the day!

Not at all. Someone named their baby the same as DS, purely because they like the way it sounded! DS loves the fact that there's a baby named after "him" 😂

Use it.

But tell her in advance. Explain the situation.

If she's a real friend she'll understand.

Just use it!

Well. As a lone voice I think it would be really odd to use it.

I'd still use it if you love it. One of my DDs has the same name as one of my best friend's daughter. I asked her if she minded and she said of course not. We don't even see each other much these days, life moves on and you could come across anyone with the same name.
We got a puppy a few years ago and named him, when my SIL was pregnant she said that the dog's name was one letter different from her favourite boys name. She still used the name- eg. Balonz and Baloonz.
I say the wrong one sometimes but it's mostly fine!

Thank you everyone. Seems pretty clear it is ok to use the name.
I have text my friend what an awesome name it is and that it is our 1st choice name too.

Thank you everyone. Seems pretty clear it is ok to use the name.
I have text my friend what an awesome name it is and that it is our 1st choice name too.

Ooh, let us know how it goes. FWIW I'd use the name, even if you ensure that middle name is different.

Good luck, Turneeps - hope your friend is chilled out about it (if this thread's any indication, she probably will be).

TakeASip, Balonz is just one of those classic names, really, isn't it.

I remember idly chatting to another pregnant woman at the GP surgery and told her what we were planning on calling our child if it was a girl, a slightly unusual name. She said what a lovely name, and called her daughter 'my' name when she was born, 6 weeks before my DD arrived.

I still called DD by the chosen name, but it irked me that some people assumed I had copied the other woman. Fortunately, although we lived in the same small town, the girls went to different schools, briefly met up at Brownies, and that was it.

Reading that back, I sound really pathetic to have been annoyed.

She has replied saying 'how cute they will share names'!!
Yay, she does not sound pissed off at all.

It is of course one of those things that even if she was pisssd off she couldn't possibly say. I'd still not use it.

Hooray, that's a relief Turneeps.

hardcore I think it could be the new Oliver or Jack in popularity, it's just a matter of time

I would use it without question.

Silly not to use a name when you aren't even in the same city.

Defo use it but maybe give your friend a heads up?
I had two cousins with the same name as two separate aunties liked it and both stuck to using it. It happens, your friend won't mind.

Use it! But you need to tell her that it was what you had always planned to use otherwise it will look like you've copied.

just use it. Really wont matter.

I want to know the name!