For many new parents looking for baby names, inspiration can be found in the names of parents, grandparents, and other important family members that you might want to honour.
But would you ever name your baby after your pet?
That's what one man is trying to do after he told his girlfriend that he wants to name their son Max, which just so happens to be the name of the cat he shared with his former fiancée before they split up.
In a post on Reddit, the mum-to-be explained she initially thought Max was just an average name and had agreed to consider it since she couldn't see a reason not to.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here.
But after the man's sister told her the origins of the name, she changed her mind - as the idea of naming her baby after a cat "felt really off" to her.
She wrote: "My partner and I are expecting our first baby together. We recently found out it's a boy and we're trying to decide on a nice boy's name. My partner suggested Max as he really loves the name. I don't like the name but agreed to consider it as I couldn't really think of another name.
"We were talking to his sister about baby names and I mentioned that he suggested Max. She brought up that it was the name of a cat he shared with his ex-fiancée. When they broke up, she took the cat and he never saw it again.
"When we got home I told my partner I'm not comfortable naming our first baby after the cat he had with his ex. It felt kind of gross to me. He told me I'm overreacting. It's just a name and it's not like the cat and the baby will ever meet."
The woman admitted that because he shared the cat with his ex, it feels as though the pet was "their baby" and now that they're starting a family of their own, it feels wrong to give their baby the same name.
But her boyfriend doesn't see things the same way, and thinks his partner is just being "sensitive".
She added: "He shared that cat with his ex, it was like their baby and it feels really off to me to be naming our baby after their cat. He told me I'm being overly hormonal and I need to stop being so sensitive about it.
"He also said that I didn't like the name in the first place so I'm looking for excuses not to name our baby Max. It ended it a bit of an argument with me basically saying I'm refusing to consider it anymore and him calling me an a**hole."
Commenters on the Reddit post were equally baffled by the boyfriend's choice of baby name, with many saying that the name shouldn't be chosen lightly as it will stick with the child forever.
One person said: "It's not just a name, it will be the name of your kid and it will stay with them their whole life. It's weird he wanted to name the baby after a cat and didn't tell you."
While another wrote: "Naming a baby after a pet you shared with an ex is weird and makes it sound like the person doing so isn't over their ex."
And a third stated: "Realistically, it's not that big of a deal that he used his favourite name for his cat and wants to use it for his child. He is however an a**hole for how he's reacting to you and your opinions.
"You both need to like the name, if you don't (and the reason does not matter, you do not need an excuse) then you find something else."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@trinitymirror.com .
