Woman Storms In And Accuses Cousin Of Baby Name Theft: “I Used It For A Dog…”

Baby lying in hospital crib with a pink ID band around its ankle.

Image credits:rawpixel.com (not the actual image)

Woman discusses accidentally naming her dog Pearl, her cousin’s baby’s name, in a cozy room setting.

Woman discusses “accidentally” naming dog Pearl in cozy room setting, wearing a light sweater.

I should know better, but let me—in my defense, she’s not currently pregnant. Will she be in the near future? Yeah, probably.

Woman with a dog named Pearl on a couch, discussing the name in a cozy living room.

I have to admit though, I used it for a dog… But not just any dog.

Look at this princess. I named her Pearl. Her name had to be Pearl. She joined sister Olive.

Woman discussing baby name Pearl for her dog in a casual indoor setting.

Olive and Pearl, are you kidding me? It honestly didn’t dawn on me until my cousin walked in and made direct eye contact with me, and then it all came flooding back and I was like, ‘Oh no…’

Woman talking about accidentally using baby’s name, Pearl, for her dog.

Like, that would have been a lot worse. Dogs don’t even live this long…’ It honestly just like slipped my mind.

Pregnant woman discussing the name Pearl for her cousin’s baby, wearing a cozy sweater in a warmly-lit room.

Woman in a cozy sweater, discussing accidentally naming her dog Pearl with the baby’s name on screen.

But on the bright side, I have a whole other example for my ‘dog names or not dog names’ debate. But I must admit I do feel bad.

Woman discussing accidentally choosing baby’s name, Pearl, for her dog in a cozy room setting.

Check out her video below

Etiquette expertDiane Gottsmanshared a similar sentiment, adding that the attachment may stem from wanting to honor a family member or someone they idolize.

“A name is not intellectual property,” Gottsman toldHuffPost. “Anybody can use a name, and while you have an emotional reaction to it, you can’t reallysteal a name. But it feels like a stab.”

So, what is the best way to avoid potential conflicts, especially among family members? Etiquette expertJacqueline Whitmoreadvises coming clean.

It’s unclear whether Jessie’s cousin knew about thename “theft”before the TikTok video went up, but it may have been better if she had told her first instead of posting about it. If the damage had been done, she could still offer a sincere apology.

Text comment about naming conflict, relating to a woman accidentally using a favored name.