Is it just too weird or do you think it’s not a big deal. I had a pet rat when I was in high school and gave her one of my favorite names. I haven’t thought about the name in ages but recently I found out that it’s a common nickname for the #1 name on our list. Would it be too weird to use it as the baby’s nickname?
(It was a really cute rat and my family all liked her if that makes a difference. lol.)
I think it is fine! Before I got married, I had two beloved pet birds. In naming them, I could not resist using two of my favorite boy names at the time: The first bird was a gorgeous, tame, violet blue parakeet named [name]Peter[/name]; and the second was a tame conure named [name]Jeffrey[/name] (which later had to be changed to Jeffrietta). It did not stop me one bit from wanting to name one of my sons [name]Peter[/name], but my husband did not want to use the name.
If my son had been named [name]Peter[/name] - and if he had learned about my former pet - I would have explained that it was because I just always loved the name SO much! I would NOT see it as naming him after the bird at all.
It would be weird to name your child after a rat. =P. But since it’s just a name you love that you happened to use for a pet, I don’t see a problem with it.
This just got me to thinking. What does everyone think of naming children AFTER animals? Like I said, a rat would be weird, but what about animals that are very socially accepted and become a part of the family? I’m thinking along the lines of a beloved dog. Maybe even a horse, for horse lovers.
One of my best friends in high school was named after his mother’'s childhood pet dog. It didn’t really bother him and it gave him a good story to tell about where he got his name C:
I think naming a child AFTER an animal (as in, to honor the animal) is really awkward. I don’t know how the child would feel about that type of namesake. But, if you just happen to like the name so much, or you even named the animal that just to be able to practice using the name, then I think it makes a cute story. There’s a big difference between “I named you after my beloved rat that died” and “I’ve always loved your name so much that I couldn’t help but call anything by your name - even my silly pet rat - but now I’m so lucky to have you to give the name to.”