‘I want to give my son the same name as my dog – but people say it’s unfair’

A mum-to-be is keen to give her son an ‘honour name’ that is the same as her dog’s, but people have told her it’s ‘unfair’ – to both her pet and her impending arrival

When it comes to thinking of a baby name, it’s not unusual for parents to look for inspiration in family members or other loved ones who have passed away that they want to honour and remember with their child’s name.

But one mum-to-be won’t be naming her son after a grandparent or close friend and is instead thinking of giving him a name that’s the same as a completely different type of family member – her pet dog.

The woman said she and her husband both adore their pet pooch Angus and also love the name they chose for their dog, so they want to use it again when they welcome their baby boy into the world, even though their dog is very much still alive.

In a post on Reddit, the woman said: “[What are other] names like Angus? Is it really that wrong to give the same name to a dog, and then a kid?

“My husband and I have a dog, named Angus. We love the name so much [as it has] so many nicknames (Gus, Angy etc). After four years of getting used to the name in our lives, we still love it for a son.

“Can you think of other names similar to Angus/Fergus? Would it really be so terrible if we had a kid and a dog named the same? Our dog is the love of our life and it would almost be an honour name.”

Commenters on the post told the mum-to-be that while Angus is a perfectly fine name for a child, she and her husband should come up with something else – especially since their dog is still alive and still part of the family, so it would mean trying to address their pet and their child by the same name.

Many claimed this would likely “confuse” their dog, and urged them to rethink their decision.

One person said: “In the same house and alive at the same time, you should not give the kid the same name as the dog. You could be to rename the dog to a sound-alike and name the kid Angus. I have friends who had a cat called Holly, and now they have a kid called Holly and a cat called Pudding.”

While another added: “Your poor dog would be so confused at why you are calling the kid by his name. It would be kinder to avoid this. If you have another son after Angus passes, then maybe it would be okay as an honour name.”

And a third wrote: “While weird, the name is a human name at least. It’s weirder if they are both alive at the same time. A similar name is likely the key to not having to clarify ‘the human, not the dog’ comments.”

Offering alternative names, some commenters suggested August or Augustus so they can keep the ‘Gus’ nickname, while Atticus, Gustav, and Hamish were also put forward as possible baby names.

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