Stolen name

[freezingbreeze]

Has anyone ever stolen your name? Whether it was intentional or just absolutely bad luck and their baby just happened to be born before yours and used the name?

There's a boy's name I absolutely adored, always pictured myself with a DS named this. Yet a couple years ago one of my cousins used it and I will admit it did hurt a little even if I'm not having DC for the next 5-8 years or so.

Did you still use the name or found a new one? Please share your stories!

My brother has unknowingly named his DD the name I've always imagined naming my daughter. My ex hated it though so when I was pg it never made it onto the short list.

I had 2 boys and am unlikely to have any more DC so this is the next best thing. The name I love belongs to a little girl I adore

And apparently my ds2s name is what my step sister has always wanted to call her son. I didnt know that until she told me recently. But she had a dd and doesn't want any more DC so wouldn't have used it anyway as it happens.

@bridgetreilly in that case I really wouldn't worry about it 😆 If you'd asked me what I would call a child 5-8 years ago I doubt I'd have been considering any of the same names that I am now when actually naming a child.

Two of my best friends and I were all due the same month. If one of them had used our name I would have changed my name I think. It turned out that our girl's name (which we used as I was the first in our friendship group to have a girl) was one of my friend's favourite names too. She didn't use it as she felt it would have been weird.

My cousin named her first born son the same name as one of her own brothers

If you really like a name I would just use it regardless of who has it

Unless you've bought it, it hasn't been stolen. And if the user didn't even know you'd chosen it 🤦‍♀️

I was accused of stealing a name when my daughter was born. The person in question was the daughter of one of my mum's friends and didn't have a child (and when she did it was a boy) for about another 6 years.
I didn't even waste my time arguing the toss with the idiot.

Unless you've bought it, it hasn't been stolen. And if the user didn't even know you'd chosen it 🤦‍♀️

You would need to own it, but not necessarily have bought it.

Why are people talking about names like they are possessions? "Someone stole MY boys name". Unless you create a made up name, you are not going to be the only person with it.

I had a very short but intense relationship widen I was in my late teens. We parted amicably (well I thought we did!). But one night in the middle of our passion we discussed baby names. My favourite at the time was Alessandra. Not exactly a well used name here.

Anyway fast forward over 10 years and we happen to be working at the same place. He ended up in a relationship with another work colleague and they had a daughter that they named Alessandra!!

If you pick a name that's quite unusual for your baby and mention it to someone else who is pregnant, there is a likelihood that they will use it.
Similarly, if you give your child a name, someone in your circle may use the same name for their child.

If you see a name on tv and like it, chances are someone else will.

If you name your child something like Harry or Emily, you don't expect it to be hardly used, but if you named your child Atticus or Aurora and thought he or she would be the only one in her peer group, you'll be miffed if you find 3 or 4 in the Reception class.

@itstrue

I had a very short but intense relationship widen I was in my late teens. We parted amicably (well I thought we did!). But one night in the middle of our passion we discussed baby names. My favourite at the time was Alessandra. Not exactly a well used name here.

Anyway fast forward over 10 years and we happen to be working at the same place. He ended up in a relationship with another work colleague and they had a daughter that they named Alessandra!!

He heard the name - he liked it. Thats how naming works.

I think it's one of the pitfalls of choosing a name well in advance. When I was a little girl in the 80s I loved the very uncommon name Sophia, and now you've all stolen "my" name and made it naff. :)

I love the Dennis anecdote...

I like the name Dennis.

I like the name Dennis. It's a perfectly good name, and ripe for revival once the Beano character is forgotten. Same goes for Walter!

I think I would be slightly gutted if someone had chosen our names but theres not alot you can do. I love my male cousins first name but I wouldn't use it as it's his so to me it's almost automatically in the no list. Some people it wouldn't bother. All these names have to come from someone.

We chose a name we liked for our daughter, my sister then got upset as it was the ONLY name they could ever agree on if they have a girl, as they are a mixed heritage family and it suits both cultures. I felt mean to use it and chose another name that I didn't like as much (my daughter remained nameless for 5weeks after birth and I called her by the name I liked throughout the pregnancy) . My sister went on to have 3 boys. Her hubby had a vasectomy

Not quite stolen but the boys name we had chosen for our now 4 month old was the same as my husband's new boss after a restructure at work... with a week until due date. He didn't have a name for a week or so while we agreed another one!

Oh and because we told my MIL when I was pregnant what we were going to call the baby, she pre-ordered personalised items for the baby (bib, baby book etc) with the the name we didn't use, because of my sister ! I still have them

Just use the name OP, it's fine. The only time I wouldn't is if a sibling had used it for theirs. And even then I might if I could use a different nickname.

But what if you in 5 or so years time you have a baby and name it the name someone close to you was going for name their baby in 6or 6 years time. You will have stolen their name!!! They will be hurt, but won't say anything and you'll never know.

No one stole anything names I like, but I chose not to use a name I really like because it's my cousins name. My uncle and aunt didn't steal my name, though.