Ok, during the waiting to find out what the sex of our baby was, we had boy and girl names. For a boy, his family has the tradition of naming the first boy [name]James[/name]. Well, right now there are a ton of [name]James[/name], so we thought we’d put it in the middle spot. Then, for fun, we thought, my husband is from [name]Tennessee[/name], so we’d name him [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name]. This started as a joke, but then we fell in love with the name.
And then [name]Reese[/name] Witherspoon named her son [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name]! [name]How[/name] on earth did she come up with the same random name that we did?! It is just unusable now. We were stunned! and bitter. I think we are still bitter.
[name]Just[/name] use it anyway. I didn’t even know her son’s name, and not many people will remember it for that long. It’s not like her using the name takes anything away from your son. Or you could make it a double middle. ____ [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name] could work.
Meh, I don’t think it’s unusable now just because some celeb named their kid [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name]…Unless the name was something way out there like [name]Moon[/name] Unit or [name]Moxie[/name] Crimefighter, most people are not going to make the connection at all that a celebrity used it. It’s very rare to come up with a name that no one else has used or will use around the same time.
I feel your pain, [name]Vivienne[/name] [name]Marceline[/name] was the baby name I had picked out for a future daughter for years, then [name]Angelina[/name] [name]Jolie[/name] used [name]Vivienne[/name] [name]Marcheline[/name] which is was too close for me. If you no longer feel comfortable using the combo then I hope you can one to work your beloved name into or a new name you love just as much.
[name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name] is very cool! I would use it anyways, and for the people who actually follow pop culture and ask, I would tell them that you thought of it first. I doubt anyone would challenge that. good luck!
You can use it! I honestly don’t think a lot of people know what [name]Reese[/name] Witherspoon’s kid is called… It’s different with the [name]Jolie[/name]-Pitts, Beckhams, [name]Suri[/name] & [name]Blue[/name] [name]Ivy[/name] - EVERYONE know their names. It sounds like Tennesse has meaning to you, so I’d go for it. (It isn’t that random by the way, [name]James[/name] is a very common middle name, and [name]Reese[/name] is from Tennesse! Sounds like your brains think alike.)
Use [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name]. 99% of the population won’t remember the name of [name]Reese[/name] Witherspoon’s son by the time your son is born.
lol i dont even know the same of all those jolie-pitt kids and i still get [name]Suri[/name] and [name]Shiloh[/name] mixed up! That being said on the occasion i flick through woman’s magazines i do always take note of the kiddies names (usually used in the captions with a picture of the kid and a sand castle or something similar). I understand your feelings though… it was such a special unique name to you and then BAM its gone. So unfair!
I would also be mixed over whether to go with it too. Especially now it has been tainted by your bitterness and feelings with [name]Reese[/name] naming her bubs the same name.
I think it depends on what you truly feel comfortable with. If you can grow to feel happy and confident with your name choice then go with it but if there is any hint of doubt or second guessing dont! give it a good long think, come up with some other combos and see how they feel to you.
[name]Add[/name] me to the “you can still use it” camp. If the kid himself were a celebrity, or famous for some reason, I’d hesitate to use it. But he’s just some actress’ kid. I’m guessing the only people that would know it are people who are huge fans of hers, and they’d probably be excited about the name. I think [name]Tennessee[/name] [name]James[/name] is a great name.
I understand your feelings. It’s bizarre and irritating when that happens, and you fear everyone will assume you’re copying her. But they won’t. I decided in high school in the early 90’s what I wanted to name my daughter, and a couple of years ago a very prominent celebrity couple used that name shortly before my daughter was born. I thought everyone would think I copied the celeb to be trendy, but I named her that anyway and am always glad that I did. Most people who ask me what her name is have never even heard of it before. It suits her perfectly and is the name I cherish. I hope this helps…
Still usable…don’t let them stop you…they don’t own the name. And they’re not even in your life, so forget about it. My friend named her son [name]Ryder[/name] right before [name]Kate[/name] [name]Hudson[/name] had her son, and then she was mad that they had the same name. But my friend chose it first…and what are you going to do about it? Now there are lots of Ryders out there anyway…
I think it’s completely usable. I see that you ended up having a girl this time around! By the time you have a son, most people (of the small group that actually know) will have forgotten [name]Reese[/name] Witherspoon’s son’s name. Plus, [name]Reese[/name] is a class act!
I kind of disagree with those who say you can still use it. I definitely would not. You would inevitably get people saying, “Oh! Like [name]Reese[/name] Witherspoon!” whenever you said his name. What a bizarre coincidence that you thought of this (pretty unique!) name first and then a celeb ended up using it!
But it doesn’t matter because your baby ended up being a girl, right? Or maybe you are considering having more children and the potential to use it could still be there?