[name_m]Just[/name_m] that really. I’ve just at discovered that a relatively well-known (though not particularly current) person has a son with the exact name we’ve picked out for DS due in [name_u]June[/name_u].
It’s a very carefully and lovingly chosen combo for us, which honours two important family members who sadly we have recently lost.
[name_m]Reading[/name_m] this back, I don’t think I’m really considering changing the name as it feels like him now, so I suppose I’m just wondering what your personal reaction to this would be? I can’t pretend I’m not feeling a little deflated, trivial though it is in the grand scheme of things.
It would not bother me at all. [name_f]Imagine[/name_f] everyone, that we do not know about, that as your children’s names, your name, your spouses name, etc. Reality is their are billions of people and, yes, there are people with your own name out there. I was shocked the amount of people that popped up when I checked my name years ago. My first name has not been high on the charts for decades, middle name not popular either, married surname is known but not highly popular.
I would be disappointed too, but I think you shouldn’t let it dissuade you unless it’s both an unusual name and a well-known celebrity so that people will think you got the name from him/her. In that case, maybe switch first and middle around?
I think I’m probably just being a bit sensitive and hormonal! I highly doubt that 99% of people will even know that this person has a son called this, let alone what his middle name is. It’s hardly a famous celeb baby nane or anything.
I guess it’s just disappointing to discover that the special name you’ve so carefully chosen has already been “done”. But it’s still special to us for so many reasons so I guess that’s that.
Honestly, I wouldn’t care. Some of the names on my list are on there because I got the idea from a celebrity baby name, haha. Unless it was like [name_f]Suri[/name_f] [name_f]Cruise[/name_f] _____ that I was picking, it wouldn’t bother me whatsoever, and most other people won’t even notice/care about a celebrity baby with the same name when they meet your son.
I would probably feel disappointed, but I don’t think it matters all that much, unless the celebrity parent is a megastar like Beyoncé or [name_u]Kim[/name_u] Kardashian. To me personal meaning and family significance are more important than finding a unique combination.
@tanaquil pointed out to me today that Dr. Seuss had an imaginary child named [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], and [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is our top contender for our fall babe if she’s a girl. While these names aren’t identical, Dr. Seuss’ wife was also coincidentally named [name_f]Helen[/name_f].
This discovery has made me feel 3 things:
Happiness that somebody as cool as Dr. Seuss thinks [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f] and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] go together.
Awkwardness at the realization that perhaps ONLY someone as cooky as Dr. Seuss would like this name.
Sadness. He and his wife made up [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] to deal with their own grief that [name_f]Helen[/name_f] couldn’t have children. They bragged about her imaginary achievements, included her in the family [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] card, and Dr. Seuss dedicated several books to her. The whole thing feels simultaneously sweet in its nostalgia of unrequited fantasy and also very psychologically unhinged.
I doubt that many people would know of this association offhand. It certainly doesn’t turn me away from the name I know I love, but I do understand the mix of emotions that flood you when you find out your unique combination is perhaps not very unique at all.
This has happened to me five(!) times. Of course, I hadn’t been considering the name for an impending pregnancy, but I, too, felt deflated. Most of those names jumped high in popularity over the next couple of years when they were previously relatively rare, which was disappointing, but it didn’t necessarily make me dislike the names, I just had a new factor to consider.
The ultimate disappointment was when ONE couple used TWO of my absolute favorite names for their children. I don’t want to copy a set of siblings… though I have to say, I’m still considering both names.
If you really love the name, and it’s been carefully and thoughtfully chosen, then that’s really what’s important. I mentioned that some of my favorites were used by celebrities and my sister didn’t know who half of them were. It’s more in my head than an actual issue in reality.
