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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

If you and your DH used to have a dog called Maddy would you call your daughter Madeleine/Maddy?

28 replies

KerryMaid · 12/05/2009 21:10

Or would that be weird???

The other fly in the ointment is that it is DH's gran's name on his Dad's side and his Mum really doesn't get on with her...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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katz · 12/05/2009 21:13

nope - sorry.

Although rather i did name one of our gerbils Thomas based on the fact that if we ever have a 3rd child and its a boy then i could veto the name!

tummytickler · 12/05/2009 21:14

Both of those reasons together would really put me off - the strained family relations being the main one.
Is there really no other names you like?

Steaknife · 12/05/2009 21:15

I had a cat called Spartacus, don't know why DH didn't want that as a possible boys name.

Or Agamemnon.

Funny old world.

HeinzSight · 12/05/2009 21:15

A RL friend of mine had a dog called Isabella, when they had their DD they called her Isabella and changed the dogs name. I have to confess to finding it a bit funny.

Plonker · 12/05/2009 21:15

We had a dog called Zac ...it is a name we considered for dc3 (although in the end she didn't look like a Zac )

On the other hand, we also had a dog called Shep ...

Original poster

KerryMaid · 12/05/2009 21:18

We never named the dog ourselves - she was a rescue. She's since long gone

So it's not like there would be two Maddy's in the house.

We've never had any involvement in the family thing - it's not a feud, they just don't like each other much.

OP posts:

ohdearwhatamess · 12/05/2009 21:21

LOL. We have a dog called Freddie. Dh genuinely couldn't see the problem in calling ds1, and later ds2, Freddie too.

cktwo · 12/05/2009 21:21

If the orginal Maddy is not around, why not?

We had a dilemma when I was pregnant. The only boys name DH and I could agree on was Harry. The bloody cat's named Harry, and there was no way on earth I would have named a child that.

Original poster

KerryMaid · 12/05/2009 21:23

Hmmm....so most some people WILL think it's weird (thanks though cktwo!)

Does anyone know a decent replacement? I like kinda, ponceyish sounding names with cute nicknames - DH has vetoed Matilda/Tilly Eleanor/Ellie and many others.

OP posts:

screamingabdab · 12/05/2009 21:23

Probably not

My SIL was apparently a bit disappointed when we called our cat Molly, as that was her favourite name for planned dd

Fennel · 12/05/2009 21:28

It's surprisingly common to want to do this.

We had a cat called Esme, then with dd2 we wanted to call her Esme, cat was 7 at that point. So we did, call dd2 Esme, and cat's name was changed to Wasme - was-esme. It sounded a bit weird initiaully but the cat got used to it and dd2 got a name we liked.

Plonker · 12/05/2009 21:39

Ok - what about
Cordelia nn Cora
Constance nn Connie
Cassandra/Catherine nn Cassie
Millicent nn Millie
Elizabeth nn Betsy, Betty, Beth, Eliza ...the list is endless

Mung · 12/05/2009 21:42

It wouldn't bother me if I knew someone else with an animal with the name I was thinking of, but not if it was my own pet. It may be worth sticking to non-human names for your pets in future so the problem doesn't arise again. Pretty name though.

Original poster

KerryMaid · 12/05/2009 22:28

Thanks Mung, we didn't name the dog, she was a rescue and already had that name.

Plonker, don't like any of those except for Elizabeth which is our DD's middle name. I prefer less austere, prettier names, if that makes any sense.

OP posts:

Plonker · 12/05/2009 22:43

Ok, let's try again
Isabelle/Isabella nn Issy/Bella
Annabel nn Annie
Dorothea nn Thea
Katherine nn Kitty

wotulookinat · 12/05/2009 22:55

You go for it if you like the name. When we got a cat, I deliberately gave it a name that DH wanted to call any future son that we might have. At the time I hated the name. Now I like it and it is number one on our list for boys. We might have to change the cat's name though if the situation arises!
And my son's middle name is the name of a dog that I used to have. (Jacob, btw, not Rover or anything!)

thell · 13/05/2009 01:15

I think if the dog is no longer around, then go for it! The family relations are a different issue though, which I think you will have to work out yourselves. Personally I reckon if you aren't naming the child after the relation then it should be ok - as long as you make it clear that that is the case.

We are in a similar situation RE: the cat, who was inherited, so we didn't name her. We are hoping she will expire before the situation arises...

nooka · 13/05/2009 03:40

No I couldn't do it. Nor could I call all my dogs/cats the same name (I know people who have had three or four Sadies and I just think that's weird). But I guess it depends on how important the dog was to you or how much of a character they had. Our dogs and cats were their names, it would be very strange to use the name for a child because the associations would travel over for me (along with the strange nicknames my dh likes to bestow on our poor pets).

bebespain · 13/05/2009 10:26

I LOVE the name Leo but it´s our dog´s name.

I am expecting DS2 very soon and still have no name for him and I am soooo tempted to call him Leo although deep down I know it would be wrong. However my dog is still very much alive. I think I would go ahead if he was no longer with us.

gladders · 13/05/2009 10:46

i know someone who called her daughter poppy after her childhood dog (no longer around)...

interestingly we had a cat called maddie - that wouldn't have put me off calling dd that if i'd loved the name? and dh was all for calling ds thomas despite having had a cat called that...

go for it!

malenagrrl · 15/05/2009 16:28

NO!!

MarmadukeScarlet · 15/05/2009 16:32

My first two suggestions for DS were vetoed due to 2/3 of his mother's dachshunds were named thus.

I insisted on my third choice.

I discovered 8 weeks later, that yes that was indeed the name of the third dog.

Pingpong · 15/05/2009 23:03

A friend at school had a dog called Max, she then called her first son Max many years later which I thought was weird BUT how many people that she mixes with now will know that? Not many so it probably doesn't matter.
If you like the name then use it IMO.

GrimmaTheNome · 15/05/2009 23:07

Our dog was 10 months old when we got him, and had the same name as one of my brothers. Even that seemed a little weird, though we've got used to it and use a diminutive that DB doesn't. [are dachshunds particularly liable to have family names, reading the post two above...]

Caitni · 15/05/2009 23:10

I'd say it's a bit odd..and you might have your DD all grown up and moaning to friends that she was named after a dog

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