'My friend stole my baby's name, and we no longer speak'

When is comes to stressful situations, choosing a baby’s name is right up there with putting together IKEA flatpack.

So imagine after finally coming up with both the first and middle names for your bub, your mate decides to use the names for his own baby, which is due before yours. Savage.

A dad-to-be has shared his predicament, after one of his best mates pinched his daughter’s name. Not just any friend – the man he’d chosen to be his future daughter’s godfather.

“My girlfriend became pregnant with my first daughter a few months back,” the expecting dad explained on reddit. “We were so happy because we both have wanted a daughter and thought for a long time about what to name her. We decided on a name which we both loved and wanted to keep it a secret. We decided to tell one of our mutual friends as he was to be the godfather of our daughter.”

Everything seemed pretty hunky dory. Until the dad-to-be discovered the other couple is also pregnant, and due a little earlier.

“He came forward and said that they were going to name her the same first and middle name that me and my girlfriend had come up with. His logic was that his daughter was going to be born first so he should have the name. Me and my girlfriend thought for days and weeks to come up with a name that was special to us and suited her. I politely asked him to please change the name as we had come up with it and had set a name far before him. He said that I was being unreasonable and that I was in the wrong.”

The confused future daddy says his mate has since told him that they are going ahead with using the name, and he’ll just have to find a different one, as he doesn’t want the girls to have the same names.

“We are no longer speaking and he is no longer a godfather. And it turns out we’re having twins. A boy and a girl.”

What would you do in this situation? Would you still use the names you fell in love with?

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49 Comments

- - mom466923 said
  - 05 Sep 2022
    2:41 pm
It’s just a name. But I understand if my friend did that I wouldn’t be happy.

- - mom489365 said
  - 05 Sep 2022
    7:47 am
Not a nice person at all. It’s tough choosing a name but then to have it taken away by your supposed best friend is a kick in the guts. I’d personally find another name as I wouldn’t want my daughter to share a name with that ex friends child.

- - Mad Bean said
  - 04 Sep 2022
    11:13 pm
What a jerk. What kind of a person doesn’t that.

- - mom101628 said
  - 16 Apr 2022
    2:30 pm
If you still like the names, then use them as it won’t mean much anymore now that you and your past best mate are no longer on speaking terms. But I would rub it in to him that you are honoured he has chosen the same names that you thought of. And then say Bye.

- - alyise_ said
  - 15 Apr 2022
    2:21 pm
I never told anyone my baby’s name I was so nervous, why are friends so cruel sometimes

- - Forgetful Mumma said
  - 12 Apr 2022
    2:43 pm
I’m not so sure the name would be as special now, and it may leave a sour taste in your mouth every time you used it. Having said that, when I was a kid my next door neighbour and my best friend had the same first and last names but weren’t related. My neighbour had a daughter and when we were out there was a competition, the winner had the exact same name as their daughter! Except that their daughter’s second middle name was the other girl’s last name! So as it happens, it’s not that uncommon

- - tessie said
  - 01 Nov 2021
    11:48 am
I wouldn’t want to be associated with them anymore and, yes, I’d stick with the names that I had chosen even if the other person uses it too. If you do see him again I’d tell him it’s an honour they’ve decided to use the names that you and your partner chose a while ago and, yes you are still going to name your daughter the name you’d chosen first.

- - ~Loui~ said
  - 24 Oct 2021
    11:02 pm
It sounds wise not to associate with these people anymore. They don’t respect each other or care about the other couple.

- - shanika said
  - 22 Oct 2021
    11:20 am
Yes i would use the same name.It is ok to have same name but different children.At school you will find same name kids in one class.

- - mummabear said
  - 18 Oct 2021
    9:25 pm
This is exactly why you don’t tell anyone unless you know you’re not having anymore kids and the person you tell while you are pregnant isn’t pregnant

- - rovermum said
  - 18 Oct 2021
    11:54 am
Ooh, this is why you don’t tell anyone. This is a common situation and as a result we chose not to tell anyone.

- - mom468034 said
  - 18 Oct 2021
    10:08 am
Not mate-like behaviour.
In his shoes I’d feel similar…i think i’d still use the names I picked – unless on meeting my babies they didnt suit them.
But a ‘mate’ taking both names and then saying I couldnt use them…that’s no mate in my eyes, better off without him.

- - BellaB said
  - 17 Oct 2021
    6:46 pm
I have a friend who hadn’t told anyone her baby name, and another friend inadvertently used it a month before she could… she eventually decided to use it anyway, and no-one has any problems.

- - joanne said
  - 17 Oct 2021
    7:58 am
That’s so unfair of him to do that to you, best keep every name a secret because there are nasty people in the world who do this

- - pjohnw said
  - 16 Oct 2021
    9:24 pm
Don’t see any problem, many people have the same names, as long as you do not have the same surname then just use the names you chose.