A mum is dealing with a huge dilemma after she found out she’s expecting a baby boy with her husband. The woman told how she loves a specific baby name – but her brother decided to go for the exact same for his boy.
Although the boys would go by different nicknames, she fears it’ll get too much for the family to handle. And she simply doesn’t want to budge as the name is a tribute to her husband’s late grandfather. Taking to social media, she began: “My brother and sister-in-law recently had their third baby boy and named him Harold, calling him Hal.
“My husband and I are expecting our first baby later this year and we’re planning to name him Harold, calling him Harry. We have had this name picked out for years, but my brother and sister-in-law didn’t know that and, of course, it’s their right to name their baby anything they want.
“We are thrilled with our new nephew, but are certainly bummed our baby’s name was used. We’ve been calling our baby Harry for months since we found out he’s a boy, but this isn’t something they knew.”
Despite the awkward clash, the woman pointed out in the Reddit post that the kids would have different surnames and nicknames, and would grow up in other areas so it wouldn’t be too much of an issue all the time.
She turned to the social media platform to seek advice, as she asked: “Is it totally weird to give our son the same first legal name as his cousin? Do I need to run this by my brother and sister-in-law?
“Funny enough, we could consider naming him my husband’s grandpa’s middle name, Edward, but this same brother has another son named Edward, nicknamed Eddie. Our best option to honour my husband’s grandpa is the name Harold.”
Many social media users encouraged her and her husband to keep to the name they love. Others argued that no one can claim ownership of it either.
One said: “I actually think it could be really nice and something the cousins could bond over as they grow up, as long as all of the adults can be normal about it.
“Just call your brother and sister-in-law and tell them what you said here, and that you hope they are equally understanding and happy for you.”
Another added: “As someone with a shared first name in the family, it does get annoying at family get togethers trying to figure out which of us they mean, or getting called a nickname I don’t like to differentiate.”
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A third chimed in: “I would talk to your brother and let him know you’re planning on using the name. I wouldn’t ask for permission if you’re tied to it, just explain the significance. I think it’s totally fine, considering the different nicknames and living in different states. I’d make sure to pick a different middle name though.”