When I was little, my grandma had a cat named [name]Oliver[/name] and dogs named [name]Chloe[/name] and [name]Lucy[/name]. Now it’s hard for me to picture those names on people simply because my first exposure to them was as animal names. 
Has this ever happened to you?
Luckily, no. I may sound cold-hearted for this, but I have never been exceptionally attached to animals and even though I had a dog named [name]Ruby[/name] growing up, I would still use it for a child, it doesn’t bother me at all.
We named out cat [name]Olivia[/name] because I loved the name so much… Wanted it as a baby girl name choice and hubby said no way, cause of the cat. Never really bothered me 
We used [name]Keira[/name] on a dog, and would no longer use it for a daughter. It doesn’t help that the dog died tragically, and the name makes me sad. I have considered [name]Kieran[/name] for a son though. We also have a cat named [name]Gwenevere[/name] ([name]Gwen[/name]) and I am still unsure whether I would use one of my favorites, [name]Gwendolen[/name], on a daughter. Two Gwens in one house? I don’t even really the nickname [name]Gwen[/name]… lol.
My mum and dad used [name]Gemma[/name] for our cat and she was born a long time before me, lol. [name]Gemma[/name] was my mums favourite name but they decided they couldn’t name me after the cat.
I don’t think they’ve been ruined for me. However, I would NEVER use a past pet name on a child. To me that’s like having two children with the same name. [name]Zoe[/name] is an amazing name, but no child will ever be graced with the name of my first, orange and furry baby.
We just got a new puppy, and since we are TTC, I had to be very careful when choosing a name - don’t want to give my #1 to the dog! I actually did that and named my older dog [name]Hazel[/name]. Now that eliminates that option for a possible future baby girl. Too bad - I love that name! Our new puppy is [name]Ernie[/name]. [name]Love[/name] the name, but it isn’t on the short list for a baby boy.
Yes. After having a seven year break from having children, we went ahead and named our sweet little Persian kitty [name]Pippa[/name] last summer. Now I can’t think of any related names for an actual child. No [name]Pippa[/name], [name]Poppy[/name], Pippen, etc.
Actually, my daughter’s name is the same name as a childhood dog of mine. We had the dog a short time, and the association was quickly replaced (for myself and my family) when my daughter started wearing the name. So I think it depends. We also had a dog named [name]Nellie[/name], which I love and considered as a nickname for [name]Anneliese[/name], but I couldn’t get past the association to our dog. The difference there is she was a wonderful dog, one of our favorites…very memorable. And she was in our family for 8 years.
So an exposure wouldn’t deter me at all, but if it was a loved and memorable pet, I would have a hard time using the name.
I had a cat called [name]Samson[/name] when I was younger and he lived a long time - we got him when I was 8 and he died only a few years ago, so I don’t think I could get away with any [name]Sam[/name]- variation because he had a lot of nicknames. ([name]Sammy[/name], [name]Sam[/name]…ect.)
My mum & dad still have our family dog, who we called [name]Bonnie[/name]. So I couldn’t get away with that, she’s such a presence in the family. I do like the name [name]Ebony[/name] but I feel its too close.
I had a guinea pig called [name]Poppy[/name], I love the name but could never use it on a future daughter.
In saying that though, my middle name is [name]Kate[/name] after my great gran who was named [name]Katherine[/name] and she was named after her parents cat, she told my mum NEVER name your kids after me, I was named after the cat, so therefore I got [name]Kate[/name] to honor her instead.
I don’t think a name of a pet would ever ruin a name for me, but I certainly couldn’t imagine using a pet’s name on a child - it’s like having two children with the same name!
I had a rabbit called [name]Peter[/name] when I was a child. Thankfully, it’s not a name I would ever choose to use for a son so that dilemma’s solved. However, I’ve never had a name ruined because of a pet. My aunt had a dog named [name]Bella[/name] in the 90s, way before the name exploded, but I don’t think ‘dog’s name’ every time I hear a [name]Bella[/name] being called in the street, and it wouldn’t put me off the name if I liked it enough to use it, which I don’t (-[name]Bella[/name] names aren’t my tea). I think if it’s your pet, it would be weird, like naming two of your children the same name, but if it’s something a friend or relative called their animal while you were growing up, I’d go ahead and use it if I loved the name that much.
For me yes. As a child we had a dog named [name]Thor[/name] and I love that name. I also love [name]Thora[/name] and [name]Thorin[/name] but I could never get away with it…
Depends on the name.
I’ve never owned a pet named [name]Bailey[/name], [name]Coco[/name], [name]Lulu[/name], [name]Rudy[/name], or [name]Heidi[/name], but I associate all those names with pets and wouldn’t use them for a child.
I associate [name]Sabrina[/name] and [name]Tabitha[/name] with pets but WOULD use them as aside from a mental image of a slim catlike girl I have no other real connection. I don’t even strictly speaking remember if I’ve ever known a cat named [name]Sabrina[/name] or [name]Tabitha[/name] in real life, I definitely didn’t own one.
I have lived with a pet named [name]Jack[/name] (O’Lantern) but would consider using [name]Jack[/name] as a NN for [name]John[/name] or [name]Jacob[/name] or [name]Jacqueline[/name] in any case as the association goes well beyond the cat for me and no one I know would even know about the cat as he died 17 years ago in another country and its not like I’ll call out “[name]JACK[/name]!” and they’ll both turn around or something.
Actually, the complete opposite! My childhood cat was named [name]Emma[/name] and I’d definitely consider the name for a girl. My parents also have a dog named [name]Darcy[/name], which I’m considering if I have a boy (although their dog is a girl). I also know a dog named [name]Henry[/name], but that’s still top of my list, too!
I know someone who got a cat about 20 years ago and named it their favourite name, [name]Sophie[/name]. Five years down the line, they had a baby girl, and still totally in love with the name - so the cat’s name was changed and their daughter is [name]Sophie[/name].
As for me, I probably wouldn’t go that far, but I don’t think a name is ruined forever just because it was used on a pet. I have a cat named [name]Leo[/name], which I love. If I was having a child now, I definitely wouldn’t use it, but 20-odd years into the future, I might. It’s a great name, and I don’t see the point in ruling it out just because I had a cat with the name.
It doesn’t bother me. I mean I knew a dog named [name]Lucy[/name] but I still think it’s suitable on a person. I also knew a dog named [name]Sarah[/name], but I had 3 friends growing up that were named [name]Sarah[/name] and I know a [name]Sara[/name], so it didn’t phase me, though I definitely won’t be naming my kid [name]Sarah[/name] since there are already too many!
However it obviously bothers some people since my favorite girl name is [name]Luna[/name] and every time I mention it on here, there is always one person who says “save it for a pet” or “it’s a pet name” [name]Just[/name] because it’s been used on a pet, does not mean it can’t be a person’s name.
And now for another HOWEVER, when I name my pets I tend to give them names I, personally, don’t find suitable on a person. [name]Hence[/name] why my adorable cats are named Calcifer (from Howl’s Moving Castle - book/movie) and Mittzy (originally Mittens so it’s spelled wrong, correct spelling is [name]Mitzi[/name]). So I would never use one of my pet’s names on a person.
I don’t think I would be able to name a child anything like [name]Milo[/name] or [name]Felix[/name] because I know a lot of dogs and cats with that name. In the future, I’d probably name my pets my guilty pleasure names - that way I’d have them in the family but no one would be introduced to my child and think “God she’s ruined the kid’s future with that name”!
Also, I’ve had two fish ([name]Finley[/name] and [name]Nemo[/name]) and two guinea pigs ([name]Monty[/name] and [name]Hazel[/name]) so far and I wouldn’t have a problem naming my children this if I really liked the names. My dogs (who I love so much more and are still happy members of my family) are called [name]Scully[/name] (after [name]Dana[/name] [name]Scully[/name] from the X Files tv show), [name]Jaffa[/name] (because she had the colouring of a jaffa cake when she was a pup) and [name]Mysti[/name] (after another tv show) so I wouldn’t consider them for children anyway
Yes, I did it to myself with my cats [name]Stella[/name] and [name]Zadie[/name]!