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Only if it's a name you have a serious interest in. To be honest I think it is best to be open about names, especially with people you trust. My SIL has a secret little list of names set aside for whenever they have babies: she won't tell anyone, so she has only herself to blame if someone ends up using them and she's not happy about it.

I hate when people who aren't even pregnant or married claim names. :T

I don't think that it's okay to call dibs, per se, but if a friend says that they are planning on using a name that has family connections or whatnot, it's fair to tell them that you are planning on using the name too, but also explain why. Maybe, "Oh, you're going to use Samantha? So are we! It's hubs' grandmother's name and we're excited to honor her that way. It'll be fun to have two Samanthas!" But in this scenario, I'd imagine both parties to be pregnant, not just TTC.

I think name claiming is tricky business. My husband and I talk about names constantly (at my insistent, haha) and have ones picked out that we like. However, we know we don't really have claim to any names when we aren't even pregnant.

For the most part, we do not talk about names with anyone else. If someone else chooses "our" names before we have the opportunity, we'll get over it. The only exception is my sister who flat out said "this is our girl name" and I said "ok, this is ours." Our taste in names DO NOT overlap so I think we're safe.

Thi is why sometimes it's easier to just have fewer friends!

I think it's fine, as long as it's definitely a name they're set on. One of my childhood friends has always had a name set, and she's years away from TTC. I kind of always knew about it and appreciate her coming out with it - it'll make our process easier by eliminating it offhand.

If it's a name one of my close friends is really attached to, I think it's better being open and honest about it instead of being put in a tricky situation if another one of us just randomly picks it (without the same significance).

My cousin is having twin girls and although I don't know my LO's gender yet, I wish I knew her names to avoid possible heartache. I'm a little afraid to fall in love with a girl name if my cousin is naming one of her girls the same name (and they'll only be a few months apart).

So yeh, for me, calling dibs would be much easier than having to wait a few months until she gives birth before we can really narrow down our names.

nope. no dibs unless the baby is born and you've already named them!

I dont think it matters unless its like Family. For example my Bro and I are at the "baby" time in our lives, they just had one and we hope to soon. My SIL actually asked me what names we want to use to "make sure" we have different names. With family I guess I can see making sure you dont take a family name that someone else wanted to or something, but with friends I dont think it matters and you can name your baby whatever. First one born gets it! Haha!

Hubby and I have names picked out and we are only TTC not pregnant. I don't think we have dibs on these names, I do have a fear someone with use them but that's the chance we take. In most cases unless it is close friend/family we will probably use it anyways because we like them that much, however it's just the chance you take. I don't go advertising them either, however if someone ask I do say what we are thinking.

No- you can't "lick a name and call it mine". You can't guarantee when a child will actually arrive or what gender it will be. I think all names are fair game until the child actually shows up.

We refused to play that game with family and friends, so we just avoided discussing naming with everyone.

I don't really think you can have dibs on a name until you're at least pregnant, and here's why:

I've always always always loved the name Kathryn. I was convinced that I would name my first daughter Kathryn. I told people left and right my future daughter's name was Kathryn. And I'd been holding onto Kathryn for YEARS (like 10+). When I started getting serious with my now-husband, I told him we'd be naming our daughter Kathryn, end of discussion!

Fast-forward to now when we're TTC and Kathryn is OFF the table! My husband has a close cousin who's name is Katherine and I just don't feel comfortable giving our daughter the same name as his cousin. So no more Kathryn for me!

Things change. People change. Anything is possible. So unless you're actively TTC (or even better, pregnant), you can't really call dibs on a name.

But if you are pregnant, I think it's okay to call dibs.

I don't think it's fair to call dibs on names. If someone happens to name their kid the same name as ours, big deal!

@pastemoo: oh that's good! First to have a girl gets the name!

I don't think you can call dibs. But I will be the first to admit I'm annoyed that a distant cousin decided to middle name their baby after our immediate family member who passed away about a year ago. I know it makes no rational sense...but I just keep thinking that they are full of it! (We barely see them and had been considering it for our own future kid.)

I think it's childish to claim names. If my best friend said she wanted to name her baby what we're naming our lo, whatever, I'm not going to NOT name her that. I love a name, I'm going to use it. On that note, I will not name my child any name that is in our family - cousins, their kids, our aunts and uncles.

I told a group of my DHs family a name I wanted to use (my great granfathers name mind you) and one of them used it for their dog. FAIL.