I am not pregnant, but hope to be soon. For a long time, I have kept a wish list of names that I hope to someday use for my children. My friends and family have begun having kids, and my favorite girl’s name, which is not very popular, has already been used. I am TERRIFIED that my other favorite names will be used.
My names all fall into a pretty particular style, so there are only a few friends and family members who would potentially choose the same names. Is there any way to make some kind of agreement with them that I won’t use “their” names, and they won’t use “mine”?
Would love to hear other’s thoughts on this!
That definitely sucks that your favorite name was taken. I think all you can do is ask people not to use “your” names, but you really can’t make them.
Actually, if your favorite names aren’t common, I would recommend not telling them to anyone. Once you plant that seed, they may start liking your name more and more.
Personally, I’d start by discussing (favorite) baby names with them in a casual manner. This serves a dual purpose: to help weed out any potential (unintentionally) “name nabs” for both you & the other person/people, but also to at least alert them of your future intentions for your babes names! And really drive home your very favorites! 
I just wouldn’t discuss it at all and hope no one takes the ones you love best. They are not your names and someone else may just love them as much as you do… If they have kids earlier than you then its their right to use it!
It gets trickier if they know you love it but they also love it to. If they use it they’ll fear you will be mad (and you will if you have told them) but truthfully if they don’t use it then they’re unfairly giving up a name they love and want to use… And you may not even have a baby with that gender! Or later you may change your mind and not use it and then they have given it up for nothing.
My cousins all had babies before me and I was just sure one of them would use one of my favorite names… But I didn’t say a word to them about my list because its not fair to them! If they like a name and have the chance to use it first, that is theirs to use.