People are stealing baby names. Quick, someone alert the authorities.

I am currently in a similar situation yet mine leaves me far more offended. My husband and I tried for a child for more than 5 years with no success. When we discussed the possibility of children with family members, we always made it clear that if we were to have a daughter, her first name would be my mother's and her middle name would be his mother's middle name. No one else in either of our families has those names. Heartbreakingly, we then lost both of our mothers within just over a year of one another. Weeks after my mother's passing, my nephew died in an accident and his then 1 year old daughter was sent to live with us. Being the way that laws with interstate custody arrangements go, we have full permanent custody but it will be another year before we can file and complete a finalized adoption. Again, as we've talked to family, we've always said that due to her age changing her first name would not be an option but once the adoption was complete she would still carry his late mother's name. In all likelihood, our little girl will be the only grandchild for my husband's family. Several weeks ago, we found out about a cousin whose child was expecting and that it would be born within weeks. They announced that they are naming the little girl after my husband's mother. I was absolutely devastated. I am still not sure how to deal with it. There are multiple children, grandchildren, etc on their side and they took the name that we made no secret about using for our only child. I can't describe the hurt. I felt that my mother in law's only grandchild was being cheated out of what should be hers. Even worse, there is nothing I can do about it.

Yes, yes a million times yes. I am feeling the same way right now- mourning something I never really had. For years I have wanted to name my child Lucas James, something I made known to my sister when she was pregnant to which she indicated she wasn't even interested in those names so it was fine. Then she had her son and named him Liam James. Sounds an awful lot like Lucas James, which I now, cannot name my child. I liked the name James because it is the name of my husband's grandfather that I am very fond of, and she was aware of this. She has no family ties to the name. I think I would be alright if she had just stolen the James part, I would be fine with cousins with the same middle name. But Liam James and Lucas James are way too similar. People will accuse me of copying her now if I named my child Lucas James. I know I'm not entitled to call a name before I'm even pregnant, but it just felt like a slap in the face after she told me she wasn't interested and I can't help but feeling really down about it.