I give-up, after 9 months and hundreds of these threads, we settled on a name only for a close friend to call her baby the same thing.

[artichokes]

She announced it yesterday.
The name was Nina.
My DD2 is due in 2 days. We have no names, it took ages to settle on Nina, and now I am so bored with name hunting.

Someone just tell me what to name her. Pretty please?

It should be classic but not boring and I tend to like short names.

Sorry OP, not just hijacking. Just trying to think of names. I never quite know what people mean by "classic" other than Catherine or Elizabeth which are obviously not what you're after.

What about Petra?

NewsMongrel I have only one DD, born this year and her name is Grace.

Only joking (not slagging the name BTW, it's lovely). The name we picked was nowhere in the top hundreds, although it's not unheard of, just not especially popular.

your feelings. OMG

And your children. WTF am I doing?

LOL @ FallenMadonna - step away from that apostrophe key with your hands above head

Right, I guess it's beery time again.

skidoodle says it all in her post at 19:48 imo.

Nancy
OR
Kitty

Totally agree with Beachcomber

Explain the situation to your friend.

Unless she is a genuine life long pal the chances are that a couple of years down the line you will have lost touch/moved to different continents in which case it won't matter.

If, on the other hand, you are bosom buddies then it's quite touching you both went for the same name.

The key to this is honesty and to bring your dh/partner in as back up to confirm that you have been thinking about this for ages. Then go ahead regardless of the reaction - bearing in mind that when you look at your new baby (or your friend looks at hers) both of you may change your mind and go for something else completely.

In twenty years time is your future dd going to be best mates with her dd? Unlikely.

Nellie
Nettie
jemima ('mima for short)
Hattie

Helen/ Helena
Anna
Juliet

In what way is it "touching" that you would have a friend so utterly unconcerned with your feelings that they would do this to you? I wouldn't consider it at all touching.

My dd is Nina [she is nearly 2] - it's a fab name, pretty, unpretentious, user-friendly and spellable. Though there is the

We also liked Anna, Hebe, Flora.

Will it break your heart not to call her Nina? Because whilst your friend might think its odd, your feelings matter too.

She may also not look like a Nina when you meet her!

mala
anna
Edith
Rose

I love Nina but not sure I would use it a close friend had. Other ideas are:

Eliza
Vita (see my thread in this section)
Polly
Bess
Tess
Esther
Anne
Jane
Ruth
Carmen
Una
Nancy
Libby
Clara
Wilma
Bell a
Honor

I also like:

Harriet
Lucille
Felicity
Verity
Mathilde
Emerald

Diana?

But I also reckon just go with Nina if that's THE name for you. Your friend will understand/get over it

Pippa?

I like Hester with Hettie for short.
also;
Rose
Annie
Polly
Grace
Cecily
and Mary!

I agree wit Skidoodle. Step away from Nina. Your dd might not even look like a nina when she is born.

I reckon is always a good idea to have a couple of names in reserve.

Nancy is lovely. Lena. Lara. Tara. Philippa (Pip). Lucy. Elena.

Correction:

Your friend MAY understand/get over it

Or she may think you're incredibly selfish and mean as I would

How about Maya?

I would love to use it, but we have good friends with a Mia and DH thinks Maya is too close, so am happy to give it away

"In what way is it "touching" that you would have a friend so utterly unconcerned with your feelings that they would do this to you? I wouldn't consider it at all touching."

My best friend was touched when I was considering the same name as her son. So seems that not everyone feels the need to claim a name for ever.

Arti - I think you could just tell her. She may be pleased. If she's not then it's still up to you.

thanks for the correction skidoodle - but I stand by my original post! She WILL get over it - what other choice would she have?!!

It's hardly claiming a name forever, is it?

This child was named yesterday and the OP is due in two days.

These children will be exactly the same age and presumably will spend a lot of time together, at least when they are young.

Anyway it's clear that some people would be touched and others would be furious and it's hard to know without asking, although I think it would be truly dreadful to ask and then go ahead if she did say it would upset her. And if I was asked, that's what I'd say.

Lia?

I can't imagine having a friend that princess like tbh.

Both ds2 and ds3 have the same name as friend's kids. And every alternative name we came up with was 'owned' by some friend or another. Unless you call your baby something made up it's going to happen that they'll share names. Would think it awkward if they were cousins so close in age (although actually I have a large family so have several cousins who share first names), bit not kids of friends.