This Mom Says Her Best Friend Stole Her Baby Name

A parent-to-be took to Reddit to share that their desired baby name was taken by a best friend—and commenters had plenty to say about it.

The Redditor explains how both they and their best friend were expecting babies, though the friend was due to give birth earlier. It was all well and good until they discovered they were both having girls.  

“I was getting my hair done (she’s my stylist) and we were discussing my baby name picks for this round cause she was struggling with name ideas. I simply said that our pick for a girl was Evelyn Mae,” the poster shares. “Fast forward to her giving birth and she not only took Evelyn but she took Mae as well.”

While the Redditor also says “I adore my best friend and typically wouldn’t have found myself upset with it or about it,” they are asking for other name suggestions that incorporates Mae.

“I’ve tried looking everywhere at names and I do love Florence but it isn’t a winner in our house,” explains the poster. 

Advice for the Baby Name Controversy

Commenters were quick to offer some alternative baby name options, but many had the same advice for the poster: just use the original name choice.

“I had a similar situation. Not in the fact that a friend ‘stole’ my name idea, but she and I had the same name in mind, and she happened to have a baby before I did. For the longest time, I couldn’t get over the fact that the name was taken and I felt silly using it, also because there was a third person we both knew who had used that name as well,” the commenter explains. “All through my pregnancy I felt really stressed and awkward about it. But we stuck with it, also because my partner told me: you never know how long she’ll be in your life for. And it doesn’t matter what other people think.”

That commenter went on to explain that about a year in, they don’t even think about that situation and have also lost touch with the friend. 

Another shares, “Personally I would still use it. It sounds like you have an emotional attachment to it so you might regret not using it. It might be weird at first but it will level out!”

While some commenters gave the benefit of the doubt to the best friend, saying that it’s a common name, others went as far as to say that the poster should cut her off. 

“I’d tell her about how you feel and never talk to her again and name the baby Evelyn Mae regardless,” one writes. 

Another says, “Keep the name and ditch the friend.” Similar wording was shared by several other people as well.

Baby Name Alternatives

Many commenters did give some alternatives to Evelyn Mae, as the poster asked. Some popular ones that were recommended more than once include: 

Some more unique baby name suggestions include:

• Zoe Mae
• Coral Mae
• Etta Mae
• Della Mae
• Estee Mae
• Ivy Mae
• Liliana Mae

Baby name conflicts are far from unusual, and some people even try to call dibs on a moniker. It can be tricky to navigate when the issues arise with someone close to you.

Is it really worth cutting someone off for taking a baby name? There’s no simple answer to that. But always remember, you shouldn’t feel pressured to share your baby’s name (or possible options) before birth if you prefer to keep that private.