baby name advice

[HerdOHuds]

Keep your name! I was told by a former co-worker that the name of my little girl was 'their' name if they had a girl. They didn't but I got the vibe that she thought of it as 'hers'. I was also told by my mother, and if you knew her this wouldn't surprise you, that I couldn't use a boy name because it was the same name as one of her good friend's daughter's boys. I laughed because we didn't live in the same town and I hadn't seen the girl since HS. Now we are in the same playgroup and see each other every week!!! We laugh about it! And when she had a baby, she used another of my boy names. Everybody changes jobs and homes all the time so I wouldn't let it bother you at all. Believe me, once your little Courtney comes, you won't care if everyone has that name! She will be so precious and special to you! Congratulations!

 

[_queenie_]

My BIL's DD was born two weeks after my DD13, his (then) wife told me what she wanted to use as a name when she had a DD at my DS17's baby shower, Alexzandria (J is the middle initial), but obviously four years later I had completely forgotten. Anyway, after my DD was born (she mistakenly has the same initials), she had to make a big scene over the fact that "I puposefully gave my DD the same intials she was going to use for her DD" when in reality I just picked the names I liked. It didn't even matter in the end though because since my niece's birth they've always called her "Lexz" (Lexie).

I say pick what you like. Back when I was born in the sixties and before nobody really cared if their friend picked the same name, especially with boys. I have two cousin Johns and I think every house on our block growing up had a Tom. Because now so many different names are widely used, many of us find it easy and want to make our children feel "unique", but even still, it's very likely you child will meet lots of other Courtneys in school and throughout her life, not just your co-worker's.

 

[TheDizMom]

No way!!! You picked it out and are happy with it, who cares what your co-worker did. It would be different if it was a family member or someone else close to you, but a co-worker I wouldn't care.

 

[TheDizMom]

My BIL's DD was born two weeks after my DD13, his (then) wife told me what she wanted to use as a name when she had a DD at my DS17's baby shower, Alexzandria (J is the middle initial), but obviously four years later I had completely forgotten. Anyway, after my DD was born (she mistakenly has the same initials), she had to make a big scene over the fact that "I puposefully gave my DD the same intials she was going to use for her DD" when in reality I just picked the names I liked. It didn't even matter in the end though because since my niece's birth they've always called her "Lexz" (Lexie).

I say pick what you like. Back when I was born in the sixties and before nobody really cared if their friend picked the same name, especially with boys. I have two cousin Johns and I think every house on our block growing up had a Tom. Because now so many different names are widely used, many of us find it easy and want to make our children feel "unique", but even still, it's very likely you child will meet lots of other Courtneys in school and throughout her life, not just your co-worker's.

I had a similar situation. When my first child was stillborn at full term my husband and I picked a new name for her, because I couldn't bear to use the name we had picked out, for a daughter I was going to bury. We decided to name her after my DH's grandfather Laurel and my grandfather Joseph because we felt they were both in heaven with her and would be taking care of her for us for now. We named her Laurel Josephine. Well my aunt who was there visiting at the time got the strangest look on her face when she heard the name. What I didn't realize at the time (I wasn't exactly thinking clearly) was that my cousins daughter ( and my aunt's granddaughter) was Lauren Josephine. Everyone was confused at first because they thought we had used the exact same name. Talk about awkward. As for the name we were supposed to use and I couldn't? Well my DD is now named that instead, which I am sure a lot of people think is weird, but I just loved the name so much and wanted to use it still. The funny thing is that though no one will ever replace the child I lost in my heart and soul, DD #2 is just like what I thought her older sister would be like if she had lived.

 

[bzzymom]

I say use the name you picked out. You have had it picked out for awile, who cares what your co-worker might say. If she liked that you were going to use that name too, she should have told you. Chances are that they wouldn't go to the same school or anything like that.

I thought that the name I chose for DD was rare in this area because I never heard anyone use it. Then, after she was born, I kept running into little Chloe's. We have encountered 2 different ones in daycare, and I in her preschool.

 

[zoemurr]

I had never met a Nathan anywhere.. but when we went to gymboree there were 4 of them!! He has had another one in almost every class he has had.

Anyway, I had always wanted to name my son Alex. When I had DD that would have been her name. However, 3 relatively close friends had an "Alex" between the time we had our DD and our DS. So we went with "Nathan" which honestly neither of us loved. Now he's almost 7, there are a lot less Alexs out there (where we live anyway) and I wish we hadn't changed our minds.

My feelings would be hurt too.. but I promise you in a year or two it won't matter at all.

 

[becky_AK]

That happened to me when I was pregnant with my son. I was sooo upset, but used the name anyways. I don't even keep in touch with the old friend who used the same name, so it worked out.

Use the name Courtney if it is what you really love. I think it is a beautiful name & best of luck to you

 

[tarcc]

Hi, just wanted to let you know i have a Courteney too but she's almost 13! If you really love the name - keep it, she will be your special little girl anyway. DH & I chose Courteney because it was the only name we could agree on, he liked Samantha & i liked Jasmine (can't believe he would'nt let me name her after a Disney Princess )
Lots of luck with your little princess

 

[EltonJohn]

I've never understood this phenomenom. No person owns rights to a baby name-name your child whatever you want. If your colleague has a problem then that's her problem, not your's.

 

[ppan77]

Thanks yall. This has made me feel better. I have atleast been very vocal about my name and it hasnt been a secret. Atleast my close friends and family know I had picked this out long ago. It was also the same name for my son had he been a girl first. I really love the name and it has significance for both sides of my family and my husbands, so I would never change it.

 

[pednurse]

All of this has amused me and brought back lots of memories.....my brother & his best friend growing up (our families were friends from the time they were babies) have the same first & middle names. The other boy was born a month before my brother, but they didn't mind when my parents used the same name (my parents had already picked out the name before knowing what the other family was going to use if their baby was a boy). My brother & his friend grew up greatly enjoying sharing their name (and greatly enjoying the confusion they could cause when they were roommates in college as well! LOL) and were probably closer friends because of it. Use whatever name you've picked out....your daughter is unique in just being your daughter, regardless of her name.

 

[AmyBWV99]

I feel your pain literally. We got really burned not once but twice, i had 3 firends pregnant at the same time, i was not, however we were all hashing out baby names and i said that we had wanted to name a girl Emma (Emmaline, Emma for short). 2 were expecting boys 1 a girl but she had said forever it was going to be an Ava. Well were we gone when the baby came and got a message that the baby had been born and low and behold she named her Emma, then says oh i hope you don't mind snce you weren't pregnant i didn't think you'd care. It wasn't a big deal especially since we don't speak anymore, but one of the others who was pregnant w/a boy got me too. I had told them that since i had given up my last name when i got married i had always intended to hyphenate my first son's middle name w/my maiden name. One of the other girls stole that. That one really got me b/c then people we knew would say, oh like her child , oh the fumes.

I sooo learned my lesson and never told anyone our 2 boys names when we were expecting them and people started kidding about us naming thier children. When the girl expecting the boy last time stole my middle name combo was expecting her 2nd son when i was also expecting our 2nd son she was on me like stink in you know what badgering me for our names. Her husband tells us all the time he loves our first son's name which doesn't include my maiden name for various reasons. So they didn't get any help from us on their 2nd son's name but we did get hit from someone in our church. Our 2 DS's announcment was in the church bulletin and low and behold 2 months later there's a kid born w/his middle name as his first. It's not common at all I mean how many Beckett's have you run across lately and there's a baby born 2 months later that happens to have that name as his first.

I know you don't get 'rights' on a name but it'd be nice to have a name for a bit that everyone didn't imitate. I was always 1 of 20 in my class that stunk! We have had so many people around us on the Aiden, Aedan, Caden, Kaden, Kaiedn, Braden, Brayden run i feel for those kids being one of 20 after i was, you always have to go thru school first name last inital.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

Use the name you want.

I personally have never cared about if I know someone with the name or not. No matter if it's an acquaintance, family, or friend. Basically unless that person with the same name lives with you it won't affect your daily life if you have the same name. Everyone leads their own life and it won't matter at all if you know or knew someone with the same name. At least that is how I look at it.

 

[allison443]

Use the name you want.

I personally have never cared about if I know someone with the name or not. No matter if it's an acquaintance, family, or friend. Basically unless that person with the same name lives with you it won't affect your daily life if you have the same name. Everyone leads their own life and it won't matter at all if you know or knew someone with the same name. At least that is how I look at it.

I agree with the above. I mean there is a whole world out there of babies who will probably have the same name...OP you said the other mom is only an acquaintance, don't let it bother you, how often will you even see her kid?

The name you picked is beautiful, by the way

 

[rt2dz]

I had told them that since i had given up my last name when i got married i had always intended to hyphenate my first son's middle name w/my maiden name. One of the other girls stole that. That one really got me b/c then people we knew would say, oh like her child , oh the fumes.

I don't think that it is that uncommon anymore. ALL my kids have a hyphenated middle name; the second part is my maiden name. And I didn't even give up my maiden name!! You shouldn't let others dictate what you want to do. If you have another, do what you want!!

 

[AmyBWV99]

I didn't think i had an exactly original idea using my maiden name it was just kind of cruddy to have her do that at the time. It didn't dictate our sons' names outside of making us never share till they are taking in outside air again.