Grand Theft of the Worst Kind

The one thing every mama dreams of as soon as she sees the telltale + sign on the pregnancy test - what will we name him or her? It's usually a deeply personal process, one that takes much research, discussion and compromise to come to the PERFECT name. It's also one of the first things people ask you - "What are you going to name the baby?" I've always told people freely, because I didn't know many people that were prego at the same time I was so there wasn't a big fear that the name would be swiped.

I recently read an article on BabyCenter.com titled, "Someone Stole My Baby Name" that made me start to think about what I would do if someone did indeed steal my baby name. The article discusses the different ways baby names are "stolen" - either purposefully or inadvertently - and how to deal with the situation. The bottom line is this - if someone steals your baby name, there is really squat you can do about it. The article suggests telling the person that you are upset, but honestly - what good is that going to do besides make things super awkward? I guess it's a risk every mama takes when she starts sharing the names she has chosen.

But I do know a few slick mamas who knew their prego friends had sticky fingers when it came to names, and lied about what the baby's name would be : ) That's pretty hilarious, IMO. My sister didn't reveal her baby's name to anyone (even me!) until he was born just a few days ago. She didn't do it because she was afraid of someone stealing it, but rather that she wanted to make it a big surprise. For the same reason, I didn't reveal Miss Paige's name on the blog until she was born - I was excited to surprise everyone! I think I'll do the same for this baby - although I will tell you that his name will start with "D". : )

I do think there are some occasions when Grand Theft of the Naming Kind is acceptable - like if you are a third-party connection to a name (i..e. a friend of a friend of a friend). I came up with Paige's name after being on a conference call with a woman who I rarely worked with, whose name was Paige. Celebrity baby names are also up for grabs - although it might be kind of obvious if you choose one of the wacky ones like Apple or Scout. Some mamas-to-be throw out multiple name options before they decide on "the one." I say any of the names she didn't use are also up for grabs. All is fair in love and baby naming!

So with this said, I'll go ahead and share the two names we were deciding between had this baby been a Girl instead of a Boy... feel free to steal : ) It's kind of like I'm putting them out by the curb with a "Free" sign on them, in hopes someone else can benefit for something I can no longer use. The two names (first and middle) were: Stella Quinn OR Naomi Danielle. We liked Stella Quinn right of the bat, but Naomi Danielle was definitely rising up the ranks in the weeks prior to finding out the gender. Maybe these will help inspire your name!

Have you ever had a baby name stolen? If so, tell us all about it in the comment section below!! It'll be a good place to vent, minus the awkward confrontation.