I have an acquaintance at church who is due with twin girls in August. We're not very close so I feel like I can't ask her what names she's considering, but I'm so afraid that she'll use the name Grace. I know that's selfish, but DH and I are so in love with that name for a girl, whether or not this one is a girl. Is there any way to ask and not sound tacky and desperate about names? I know she's not tied to answer, but I'd love to satisfy my own curiousity.
ETA: I forgot to mention that our church is very small and close knit, the children will likely grow up and be together a lot. And we have last names starting with the same letter, there couldn't even be a Grace A and a Grace B. Yes, if she were to use it first, I would have to come up with something else. I suppose I'd just like to be prepared. I also didn't mention that one of the reasons I can't ask her is because I live 4,000 miles away right now (until August) and she's on bedrest, the babies will likely be taken from her in a few weeks. Ugh, I have a problem with putting too much information in posts so I tried to make it shorter. Totally failed. I know, flame away, there's no way I can ask her about the names, I'll just have to wait. Just didn't know if I was the only one concerned that someone the child would be in contact with often would have the same name. She's the only other girl I know who is still pregnant (a few others already born). The reason why I'm not close to her is because she's newish to the church (last 3 years) and I basically was not able to attend a single social function due to work and school during that time. I'm a SAHW now, just in the wrong state, and will soon be a SAHM living just a few mintues from her. See- this is why I didn't try to explain it all. Sorry to even ask.
Re: Anyone else afraid their name will be taken?
Baby Name Popularity by State
This!
A+S | Met 8/24/06 | Married 9/27/08
Started TTC 12/2008 | dx PCOS 5/2009
6 failed clomid/femara/TI cycles, 1 failed clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle
Successful Cycle: 5/12/11 - 1000mg Metformin + 100mg Clomid(late response) + TI = BFP
2/13/12 - We proudly welcomed our daughter, Hadley Teresa!
Lots of Luck to all of 3T/IF
Wow, I seriously must have missed something. Everyone's posts were quite reasonable, and you seem to be freaking out a tad... Some PM's, I take it?
This. I would consider it normal to ask someone what they were thinking of naming their unborn. Especially if she is a friend of yours. Also, Grace is a very common name. I would understand your predicament a little more if your favorite name were super different or uncommon.
Grace is a top girl name right now so you just have to decide if you want your child to have a name that lots of other children will have or not. If that lady doesnt name her child Grace, chances are someone you know will.
My DH loves Grace and wants to name our child this too. I dont want to choose a popular name.
I'm not worried about this happening at all. We know what names we like, and when our baby is born, we'll use one of them, regardless of who else has/hasn't. My brother-in-law and his wife and expecting a baby less than a month before us. I don't know what names they're considering, but TBH, even if they choose the name we chose, we're still using it.
FWIW - I think it's stupid to try to "claim" a name. We're keeping our choices to ourselves IRL because we're not looking for input.
As pp have said, once you choose a fairly popular name, you pretty much have to be okay with the fact that other people will use it. That's how it got so popular...
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
I only tell my names to a FEW choice people now. Not to long ago my fiance's cousin was at our house for a get together and my stupid ass had a couple glasses of wine...This made me blurt out my fav boy name to her because she was having a hard time thinking of names. (She was about 14 weeks preg. then) Well next thing I new her fb status was that she was naming her baby the exact name I told her was my fav.
Obviously I was a little disappointed but couldn't get mad because it was my fault that I had told her and I know I don't have claims to names. So, don't tell and they won't have the chance to steal...
you could always just start calling your baby grace and making it publicly known that youa re probably going to use that name...
then you arent asking her...
I think you should just name your child what you want to name it, it doesn't matter if it the same name that an acquaintance has chosen either, in my opinion.