Baby name expert shares you 'can't' name baby same as family or friends

Daily Mirror

03-07-2025

A baby name expert has shared some alternative names to ones you really want to use but 'can't' – as she believes breaking this key rule is really poor etiquette
A baby name expert has shared the baby name faux pas you should try to avoid. However, some disagreed and urged others to "use the name you love".
Colleen Slagen, who posts on Instagram as @namingbebe, shared that sometimes parents feel as though "the grass is greener," and they want "the one name" that they "can't have". But why can't you have the name you want? Awkwardness can often occur if monikers clash with others around you.
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Colleen said you may ditch names if they've been used by other family members – joking "your mother-in-law's dog or your best friend already used it". She then asked people what the names are they "love but can't use".
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After feedback from her followers, Colleen then shared alternative names to Charlotte, Ava, August, Maxwell, and Riley.
Charlotte
If you like Charlotte, which is "classic, elegant and nicknamable," but feel like you can't use it, she recommended Margot, saying she thinks it's "the new Charlotte".
She also said you could try Collette, Juliet, or even Lisette. She then recommended Cecilia, because "it's classic, but not overdone and still has a spunky nickname option in Cece".
Colleen continued: "I would also put Eloise and Vivienne in the Charlotte bucket".
Ava
Next, if Ava isn't a name you can use, she said Vera, Veda, Isla and Mila can work too as they "have a very similar vibe".
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"For some vintage options, I love Ada and Etta, and if you wanna go less common, I love Neve, Tova, and Pia," she recommended.
August
Colleen shared that August is a "gentle heartthrob" name, which has similarities to options like Ellis, Callum, Sawyer, Milo, and Everett.
She added: "I also like Jasper as an alternative."
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Maxwell
Maxwell was next on her list, which the expert describes as having a "classic but cool" vibe. She believes Malcom has a similar energy as you can shorten it to Malc.
"Beckham, call him Beck, Calvin, call him Cal," she mused, also sharing Casey and Frederick could work as an alternative for Maxwell.
Riley
Lastly, Riley "for a girl" was on the list of names that have become very common in recent years.
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Should you avoid baby names if they've already been used by friends or family?
If you have your heart set on a name, we think you should go for it! In the comments, people said you should be able to use whichever name you prefer.
One wrote: "USE. THE. NAME. YOU. LOVE!!!! Who cares if your friend or cousin named their baby that. There are trillions of people on the planet, there are bound to be multiples of the same name".
Another mum-to-be said: "I'm having a Charlotte Mae this summer. I decided I don't care if Charlotte is popular. I've wanted a daughter named that since I was little. I'm 40 now, so... Her nickname is Lottie."
Somebody else penned: "This is so fascinating to hear about having names you 'can't use'. I love hearing different perspectives! My sister-in-law and I both have the same name in the number one spot for a boy, and our mother-in-law is pretty elated at thinking that she might have two grandsons with the same name someday.
"It's really not a big deal at all for either me or the sister-in-law, nor for anyone else in the family. Love these new recommendations in general as alternatives though!"