'I've chosen the perfect baby name and I know my sister wants to steal it'
A mom took to Reddit to ask if she was in the right for not sharing her baby's name with her sister because her sister is known for stealing people's beloved baby names.
Have you ever withheld sharing a baby’s name from others in fear they might steal it from you?
The famous scene from Sex and the City, when Charlotte said, “She stole my baby name!” went down in history, depicting the feelings of betrayal a person can have when they realize a friend stole their chosen baby name.
This is actually a more common experience than you might think. According to a BabyCenter poll, 15% of parents say they were forced to consider different name options after having a beloved name stolen by someone they know. And one woman on Reddit shares a time that happened to her.
In the AITA subreddit, a woman asked the thread, “AITA for not telling my sister the name chosen for my unborn son because she used her BBFs baby name for her daughter?”
The original poster (OP) explained that she and her sister are both pregnant with boys. However, the OP is on her first pregnancy, and her sister is on her second.
When her sister was pregnant the first time, she couldn’t think of a baby name for her daughter for eight months; however, when it came time to name the baby, she pulled a name out of thin air for her daughter.
“After my niece was born and her name was announced, my sister and her BFF started fighting,” the OP explained. “The BFF said that was the name she'd chosen for her baby girl and my sister used the same first and middle name for my niece and she couldn't believe she'd do that.”
The sister's explanation for stealing the baby name was that it was “first come first serve,” and “she needed a name badly.” The sister rationalized that her friend had more time to come up with a new name.
Why the mom refuses to share her baby's name
As a result of this baby-name-stealing history, the OP is concerned her sister will do the same to her.
“Nobody knows we're having a boy except me and my husband and we plan to keep it that way,” the OP stated.
“She asked a few more times, she even asked in front of our family,” the OP explained. “It was our brother who joked that nobody should tell the baby name thief the name they've chosen. My sister got upset and asked if that's why I wouldn't tell her.”
The family even said she could share the name, and if the sister stole it, they would all know. But this mom isn’t budging on her stance not to tell her sister.
Should she share the baby's name?
The verdict is in: she should keep the name a secret.
“They’d all know she did it, but she’d have still done it,” one user wrote. “Don’t tell anyone. Not until that kid’s name is on the birth certificate.”
Someone else agreed, saying, “A lot of couples don’t share the chosen name, even without the risk of theft. It would also give away the sex of the baby.”
One Redditor commented, “It's so obvious to me that your sister is trying to do the same thing again. Asking the same question but in front of your family after you already said you didn't want to say is a clear attempt to manipulate the situation and force it out of you.”
“This is all so true. Standing my ground will at least save the headache of being pressured to change the name when she decides to use it for her son,” the OP responded.