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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Is it weird to use a family pet's name for a baby??

70 replies

BettyButterknife · 08/12/2009 19:06

One of our cats had a great name which would work as a nn for one of the names on our list.

But is that too weird? Cat in question died about 10 years ago - would only really be friends from school that would make the connection

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

stealthsquiggle · 09/12/2009 20:47

My DB1 is named after a pet duck - but my DM insists that the duck was named before him, as it were - it is a normal 'person'-type name, if a slightly strange choice for a duck.

jollyma · 09/12/2009 20:52

My Nan had a Dog called Pollyanna, aged 9 I was horrified when my Mum chose the same name for my baby sister. She's 22 now and I'm still not comfortable with the name. I'm just grateful I came before Pollyanna the spaniel!

spiderlight · 09/12/2009 21:03

I fully intended to name DS after my adored, bleoved childhood dog, but unfortunately OH's brother and sister-in-law nabbed the name first (without realising), so I couldn't.

tethersend · 09/12/2009 21:12

I don't think it's weird, and neither does my DS, Rover.

fruitsticksinyourstocking · 09/12/2009 21:13

My DH named DS1, after his granddad.

However, a friend from middle school did remind me a few years later that it was the same name I gave to every fish I ever owned.

I had completely forgotten this.

GracieGirl · 09/12/2009 21:18

My Dad is called Rex - he says don't do it!!!!

His parents also had a Great Dane called Rex - how odd?? My Mum reckons that when she shouted Rex neither of them used to come!

pranma · 09/12/2009 21:27

My dd wanted Maisie for a girl but that was our labrador so it was off the list[she had a boy anyway]
Other pets: Sukey and Polly-cats
Oscar-dog
Hugo-pony
Jasmine and Mandy-Siamese cats
Bertie-cat
Charlie and Peter-dogs

CornishKK · 09/12/2009 22:57

My cat is called Dorothy, she is 12 and I named her during my Bridget Jones years - I was never going to meet Mr Right and have children so used one of my favourite names on the cat.

If my next baby is a DD then she'll be Dorothy. The cat is more often referred to by the nicknames Perkins or Blackanose anyway.

Do it, if people think you're odd then who cares?!

Mimi1977 · 10/12/2009 11:09

My Grandpa Jack was named after his dog - our dog Jack is named after my Grandpa!!! Works both ways and I think it's fine.

Muon · 10/12/2009 11:53

I like the hamster named Bollocks {grin}

Does it make any difference if the pet died a nasty death? I had a kitten called Tommy who ran out in front of a van and was squished, so although I really like the name am I being too superstitious to avoid it?

christina1971 · 10/12/2009 13:20

My parents have a lovely old labrador called Lucy, and if I ever have a dd, she will be her namesake!

cityangel · 10/12/2009 13:21

My childhood cat ginger tom cat was called Nelson is a maybe and the MIL's dog that passed away was called Skanky now that's a definite no!

Rachiesparrow · 10/12/2009 13:50

Our cat is called Dolores, and I LOVE that name. Our daughter is due on Tuesday and I still haven't quite given up the idea of calling her Dolores and changing the cat's name.

feralgirl · 10/12/2009 20:30

My son and my SiLs cat are both named after my late FiL.

It can be a tad confusing round at their house.

noonar · 10/12/2009 20:33

my dd1 has the same name as a kitten i used to have and her middle name is the name of mum's dog, as we wanted a family name . and no, i'm not joking. however, they are sensible human names, i would add.

nannynobnobs · 11/12/2009 11:06

I seriously considered the name Bonnie for DD2. Bonnie was my uncle's dog when I was growing up, she died years ago but I don't think I would have heard the end of it if I'd called her it. I didn't have a particular love of the dog- she was a pretty stoic old thing by the time we invaded her peace- but I always liked the name.

Original poster

BettyButterknife · 11/12/2009 17:14

Cor, that's a relief. I really didn't expect that!

The name I'm thinking of is Cleo, as a nn for Clementine. I will keep it on the list

OP posts:

HinnyPet · 11/12/2009 17:15

Ooh I like Bonnie!!

nannynobnobs · 11/12/2009 17:24

Dolores reminds me of Lolita

nooka · 12/12/2009 06:23

I don't like the idea at all.Our family dogs were great characters and an important part of my life. It would seem very peculiar to me to call a child their names, because those names already have an owner and a meaning to me. In the same way I wouldn't call a child after a living relative. My dd is named after two of her great-grandmothers, but as dh and I never called them by those names (we used their grandmother type names, and dh's parents both called dh's Nan "Mum" so her name was never used in our immediate family) there is no confusion. But then I think that pets should have names that you wouldn't call a child anyway, as to me that's half the fun of naming a pet. Renaming a pet because you want their name seems totally wrong to me, and very confusing for the poor pet (unless in practice you have always called them something else).

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