Choosing a baby name is a different experience for every parent, and while some will struggle to find a name they love, others have had their heart set on one name for years.
But one woman has risked causing a major fallout with her sister after she said she plans on pinching the moniker her sibling has "always liked", as she wants to use it for her daughter's middle name.
The mum-to-be has been told by her parents that the move will "hurt" her sister, but insisted it shouldn't be an issue because her sister isn't likely to be pregnant any time soon, so won't need to use the name herself.
In a post on Mumsnet, she said: "My sister has always liked a particular name for her 'future child'. I love the name as a middle name for my daughter due next month. I mentioned it to our parents and they immediately said my sister would be so so hurt It's the only middle name I like with the first name we're using, and I have racked my brain for months over this.
"If it's relevant, I do not care if my sister uses it in the future but in my opinion, her 'future child' is a hypothetical thing especially as she has expressed she's not even sure she wants children in the first place. I feel so silly posting this but would like to know if I'm being unreasonable here.
"Also no, I won't be saying the name as it's outing."
Commenters on the post were largely on the sister's side though, as while some acknowledged that no one "owns" a baby name, they also said it seemed "unnecessarily cruel" and "selfish" to do something that the woman knows will hurt her relationship with her sister.
One person said: "I wouldn't. I don't think there's an issue with, for instance, cousins or friends sharing a name - lots of people like similar names. But suddenly deciding that the name your sister has 'always loved' is the 'only one you like' sounds a bit selfish."
While another added: "No one needs a middle name, so I think it would be an unnecessary cruelty to use it."
And a third wrote: "I know no one owns a name but it's so not worth the family upset for a middle name that will almost never get said. Find another name, literally anything goes as a middle name as long the initials don't spell something rude. And if you really can't then don't have one at all, they're not a requirement."
But others were on the woman's side, as they said it was unreasonable of her sister to gatekeep a baby name when she isn't pregnant, doesn't know if she wants children, and if she does have kids, could have a son instead.
Someone pointed out: "So, let me get this straight. Your sister doesn't really want kids, but if sometime in the future she changes her mind, she has earmarked a name for a yet-to-be-conceived daughter, which you want to call your actual real daughter.
"What if she has a son? What if she changes her mind and decides on a totally different name? If you like the name, use it and sod what anyone else thinks!"
As someone else agreed, stating: "It's a b***dy name. Loads of people share the same one, sometimes even within families and I really can't see what is so dreadful about using a name someone else likes as a middle name. I'm clearly in the minority but I cannot see what is cruel or hurtful about this."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@trinitymirror.com.
