"Re-using" the back-up name from a previous pregnancy

[strawberryprincess]

When I was pregnant with ds2, I was sure he was girl (we didn't find out before he was born), and I fell in love with a particular girl's name.  I was actually fairly sad that I wasn't able to use the name!  So, I'm pregnant again, and although I have no idea what this baby's gender is, and likely won't find out (not planning on an u/s), if it's a girl, I would still really like to use the name I love so much from the last pregnancy.

It seems to me, that most people choose brand-new names each time they are pregnant.  In fact, I don't think that I have ever met anyone who used a name for a new baby that they had picked out for a previous baby.  Do you think there is anything weird about re-using the name?  I kinda think that maybe that name was a just-in-case for my ds, and I should really come up with new name ideas, that are specially for this new baby.  yet, I really like that name! I really don't know what to do.  Am I making any sense?  I was just hoping for some other opinions. Thanks!

[no5no5]

We make a list of names we like, talk about our preferences, and agree on a top name (we find out the gender before birth).  We don't name the baby until birth.  I don't think there's anything weird at all about naming a later baby a name that was on the list for an earlier baby but didn't get used.  I think that's pretty common, actually.  Some couples have a very limited list of names that they can both agree on, and it'd be a shame, really, to limit it even further. 

[Mamatoabunch]

If our current baby is a girl we will be using the same name we were going to use if our last baby was a girl. We have done it before as well.

[Smokering]

Not weird at all; I know plenty of people who've re-used names. In fact, my little sister got the name I was nearly given - the only reason I didn't end up with it was because it was super-common in the country where I was born. (Little sis was born in a different country.)

That said, both SIL and I went off our "backup" names, so our new babies have different names altogether.

[treeoflife3]

I figure if you liked it enough the first time around, you just might next time. The name you like doesn't belong to your son... he has his own special name :)  If you still love the name best when this baby is born, and its a girl and suits her... then clearly it was the special name meant for her.

[othersomethings]

With the first, we didn't know gender so we had a boy and girl name picked out. This time we found out. Within about 30 minutes we both agreed that we still loved the boy name we'd picked and would still like to use it. 

If that's "re-using" then yes, I guess we are. 

[Squrrl]

We had every intention of "re-using" our boy name choice from last pregnancy and never thought anything of it.  Of course, a couple weeks ago I got a really strong feeling that it didn't actually suit this child and we've since pretty much settled on something else, but that had nothing to do with not wanting to re-use.  Actually it was downright upsetting letting go of a name I'd liked for so long.

[urbangoddess2]

I don't see anything wrong with reusing name ideas.  I've pretty much had all of my (future) children named since I was 13.  Now it's up to biology to come up with the gender

My best friend didn't have any names picked out, because she wanted to get to know her baby (after he was born) before he was named.  I think they chose a name after a month and a half!

[Twinklefae]

I don't even see it as reusing.  I see it as still loving a name.  We're doing it, if this baby is a girl.

[PAgreenmama]

i don't consider that re-using and i think it's pretty common!  

[TreeGoddess]

Considering a name for subsequent babies just fine!  IME we didn't end up "re"-using names that we had picked out for previous babies only because this one didn't "feel" like a ______ to us.  Congrats on your pregnancy and just go with whatever name feels right to call this baby.  :)

-Tracy-

[tzs]

Originally Posted by no5no5 

We make a list of names we like, talk about our preferences, and agree on a top name (we find out the gender before birth).  We don't name the baby until birth.  I don't think there's anything weird at all about naming a later baby a name that was on the list for an earlier baby but didn't get used.  I think that's pretty common, actually.  Some couples have a very limited list of names that they can both agree on, and it'd be a shame, really, to limit it even further. 

this is us. i have a running list but we wouldn't name a baby until it was born and we "met" him/her in person. so really none of the names we like "belong" to any specific kid. this time i'm 99% sure whatever name we pick will be one that we discussed last time too.

[Peony]

I was going to use a name for #2 if it was a girl that has been on our list for #1 but didn't use, but then #2 didn't feel like that name. Last baby was a boy and the girl names that were top contenders are still up there for this baby. 

[crazyms]

I don't see it as reusing. We find names that we like but like others said until baby gets here and the name suits baby it isn't really their name. I actually had a list of girl names with dd (never could find boys that I liked so good thing she came out girl lol!). One of the names on the list we decided to keep as a girl name for the second pregnancy but got a boy. We're still using that same girl name this time although we've decided on a different middle name than we liked with it before. I don't see it as reusing really. Each child gets their own name when they arrive.

[clutterbug]

I am with everyone else...this is pregnancy #3 and we have two boys, so our girl name for this baby is the same as it was with the previous two pregnancies.  We aren't finding out the sex but I am guessing we won't be using the girl name this time around, either :P

Boy names are slightly different...we allllmost named DS2 Seamus, as in, we told the first couple of people we called to announce the birth that we thought we were going with Seamus but weren't sure.  Then DH got iffy about it as the hours after birth progressed.  By the end of the day, we had decided on another name on our list.  So Seamus is pretty much out of the running again (DH still isn't fussy on it...but even if he were, I do feel like that particular name is used up for us :P).  We have a running list of boy names since pregnancy #1, and we just keep picking one off it for each kiddo (along with reviewing baby name sites a few times to add anything that might have grown on us since it was last considered and not included on the list!).

[donutmolly]

We have 3 girls, but have never known the gender before birth, so we always had a boy's name picked out. We planned to use the same first name each time if we had a boy, but did change up the middle name. Both Dh and I really love the first boy name we picked out, and it was hard for us to agree, so no reason not to use it!

Now, interestingly enough, we had our "short list" of girls' names starting with DD1, but have always chosen completely different names that we didn't even consider during previous pregnancies... but girls' names are wayyyyy easier for us to decide on.

[gummibears]

The name we have for our daughter is the same same we had picked out 8 years ago when I was pregnant with DS. It's not changed one bit and we still are in love with it. I just assumed many people used the unused names for the next child and it seems pretty normal to do that than starting all over when you have one that you've loved for so long.

[kawa kamuri]

If the babe I'm pregnant with was a girl I would have wanted to use the name I didn't choose for my previous daughter. It isn't re-using, it wasn't my second daughters name or it would have been given to her, you know? 

[memz]

I don't see it as reusing, more as giving our LO a name that is really dear to your heart!

[KittyKat]

When DH and I were engaged, we lived about 70 miles apart. It wasn't feasible for us to see each other during the week, so we talked on the phone a lot. One of the things we discussed was children (we both wanted a big family) and baby names. We picked out about 6 baby names, 3 boy names, 3 girl names.

When our first was conceived, we knew it was either going to be "C" or "L" and even though I got a bit nervous ('What if he's born and he just doesn't LOOK like a 'C'?") it turned out fine.

Our second child is a girl, and she is "L" and it fits her completely.

As it turned out, we used four out of the six baby names we picked out before we married. The third girl name my sister used, and DH was not happy about it AT ALL, which is part of the reason we have a new family policy: NO discussing baby names with anyone before the baby is born. The third boy name, I guess our tastes just changed, we aren't interested in using it now.

We are currently expecting baby #7, and we had both boy and girl names picked out for #6. The girl name came to me one night as I was lying in bed unable to sleep, and it turned out to be PERFECT for baby #6, but if she had been a boy and this baby a girl, that would be her name. The boy name we picked for #6 was used by another family we know (but they didn't know we ever liked it, see above about family policy)! Thankfully we've come up with a boy name we like. Girls names are proving to be problematic though.