Man’s sister names her kid the same name as his dog, asks him to change the dog’s name and he refuses: ‘It’s not my fault they chose a name already in use in the family.’

Author image for Baiz Hoen
Baiz Hoen
Jan 21, 2025 10:00 PM EST

If you've got a common name, you're likely to have met someone who shares it with you. In a lot of cases, people will have to do something to help you distinguish yourself from one another. It could be that you and some other kid in your elementary school class are both named Ben, so from that day forward, you're known as "Ben S." while he's dubbed "Ben B." Maybe you decide to go by a new name, whether that be your last name or your middle name or a name of your own invention. Maybe you get dubbed an unfortunate nickname, like Stubby, because you had short legs growing up, and it haunts you well into adulthood, even after you shot up like a beanpole post-puberty.

Unless you're in a long line of successors of a family name, two family members will rarely share the same name. And it's especially rare for the same names to pop up across species. But when it does happen, it's sure to cause some family strife. Take this man, for example, whose beloved pup Charlie is suddenly put on the spot when a new baby in the family is also named Charlie. Charlie the dog was in the family first but is technically lower in the food chain. Should he give up his doghood for the sake of the newborn? Read on to decide.


 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10456098304
    via obi_wayne
  • 02

    "AITA for refusing to “demote” my dog after my sister gave her baby the same name?"

    I (26F) have a dog named Charlie. Charlie is a golden retriever I adopted four years ago, and he's my best buddy. My sister, Emily (29F), recently had her first child -a baby boy. She and her husband named him... Charlie.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 03
    At first, I thought it was funny and didn't really think much of it. But then Emily pulled me aside during a family gathering and said it was "confusing and disrespectful" for me to keep calling my dog Charlie now that her son has the same name. She asked me to rename my dog.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 04
    I told her no. Charlie has been his name for four years; he knows it, responds to it, and it's on all his paperwork. Changing it would be weird for him (and for me). She got really upset and said it's not fair for her son to "share" a name with a dog, especially in family settings. She thinks it'll lead to jokes and confusion as her son grows up.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 05
    My parents have weighed in, and while my dad says it's ridiculous to expect me to change my dog's name, my mom says I should "just consider it" to keep the peace. Now Emily's barely speaking to me, and a few family members think I'm being stubborn. I have no idea how I am in the wrong here. The worlds gone crazy.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 06
    I love my dog, and I didn't name him to spite anyone. I also think it's not my fault they chose a name already in use in the family. AITA?
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 07

    We ran to the comments to hear what people were thinking

    Cheezburger Image 10456098560
    via Forsaken Films
  • 08
    There was a post years ago about a guy who had a cat named Nigel and his sister (or roommate?) started dating someone named Nigel so they called the cat Nigel and the guy Human Nigel.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 09
    Your dog was Charlie first I'd never change the name, and if dear sis keeps on giving too much grief, I'd start telling people at gatherings that sis named nephew after your doggo
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 10
    Charlie the dog is already "Charlie". It shouldn't be a big deal. Baby Charlie doesn't care, only the parents do. If it was a problem, they could have easily prevented it. You NTA.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 11
    I would start calling her kid Charlie 2. Her request is absurd. No. rational person would ask that. NTA
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 12
    My parents had a dog named Sam. 5 years later my sister had a boy and named him Sam. We would joke about it. Sam chewed up the newspaper. Sam the dog or Sam the baby? Sam took his first steps. Sam the dog or Sam the baby? My nephew is in his 20's and I still call him Sam the baby.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 13
    The dog came before the baby and your sister can still name her son "Charles" and go by some other nickname. If she doesn't want her son to be confused with the dog she could just name him something else.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 14
    NTA. And I'm so sick of people burning family members for the golden child in the name of "keeping the peace." No. You didn't disrupt the peace so you get a pass. Tell Charlie (your precious pup) I said hi
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 15
    NTA. You didn't name your dog after the kid, so it's not 'disrespectful' to the kid at all. If anyone complains, tell them to go pester your sister, asking her why she named her kid after your dog.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 16

    Hard truths from one commenter

    Honestly, the dog may pass away before the kid gets old enough to be confused, and if the good boy is still around, the kid would probably think it's cool to have a dog that shares the same name.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 17
    NTA. Your dog has seniority ―your sister knew his name when she named her kid. It's not on you to rebrand Charlie.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 18
    You are not the ah le here. Naming your dog Charlie long before your sister's baby came along means you've already built a bond with the name, and changing it now would be disruptive and unnecessary. It's unreasonable for your sister to expect you to rename your dog just because she decided to name her son Charlie, especially since your dog has had that name for years and knows it well.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 19
    Your sister should understand that the name has sentimental value to you and that it's not your responsibility to cater to her discomfort. Naming a child "Charlie" when the family already has a dog with that name was her choice, and she should have thought about the potential confusion.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 20
    Your parents' differing opinions show how divided the situation is, but at the end of the day, you're not being disrespectful by keeping your dog's name. You're standing your ground and prioritizing your bond with Charlie, which is completely valid.
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 21
    NTA If your sister didn't want her son to be called the same name as a dog she probably shouldn't have given him the same name as the dog
    via diivinexxjuicy
  • 22

    And finally... well... sometimes some stories are too good to be true

    This is a fake post written by ΑΙ
    via diivinexxjuicy

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