Luke or Max?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2003
Luke or Max?
10
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 10:21am

Help! I'm due in 3 weeks and we don't have a name yet! We like both Luke and Max, or Maxwell, but here's the rub. My parents' dog is named Luke and we see him (and them) quite often. Plus, there's lots of other dogs named Max. All the good names are going to the dogs -- and girls! Any thoughts or ideas? TIA!!!!

--Cindy, due 3/23

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 10:28am

Well I would have mentioned that Max is the most popular name for dogs, but I guess you already know that! It's so funny your parents then have a dog named Luke (I swear I have never heard that one on a dog!). That is quite a dilemma!

I don't know if it will help or not, but I don't automatically think "dog name" when I hear Luke at all (I can't help it as much with Max, knowning how popular it is with the furry little guys), so really it just depends on if it will bother you if he shares his name with your parents' dog. ;) Also, Max seems to be pretty popular with humans lately as well, while Luke is a bit less common (but obviously perfectly traditional and familiar), so that would all sway me towards Luke.

I do like Luke a lot, btw, and would vote for that in a second if it weren't your parents' pet's name. ;)

HTH (somehow! LOL)

~Kelli


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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2006
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 12:01pm

I understand you not wanting to name your baby after our canine friends. At least both Max and Luke sound like big dogs instead of poodles... J/K :) You could be worse and choosing between Duke or Spike...I don't think people will associate your son to a dog no matter which name you choose Max or Luke, though (aside from your family). And actually, not to be morbid, I don't know how old your parent's dog is now, but dogs really only have a life span of around 13 years.

Anyway, they are both nice names, but personally I prefer the name Max over the name Luke.

But if you are open for suggestions, here are some other somewhat similar names that you might consider.
Dax
Alex
Nate
Todd
Ty

Good Luck! :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2006
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 12:03pm

I think Luke is a great name! I like it far better than I like Max.

As for the dog issue, here're my thoughts: I had a friend growing up who was named the same thing as her cousin's dog. She spent almost every afternoon at her cousin's house after school, so this could have been a big issue. But strangely, in the real world, it isn't as bad as in your imagination. Her aunt and uncle called her "sweetie" or "hon" most of the time (unintentionally, just 'cause they're nice like that) and the dog was often just called "the dog," as in "take the dog for a walk before you eat your snack," or "get the dog off the counter!" The confusion that could have been rampant never really materialized. And she *liked* having the same name as the dog, incidentally. It's not so bad to share with a dog when you're a little kid who loves the dog.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2003
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 1:37pm
I like Max best.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-03-2006
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 2:36pm
i know dogs/animals named Phoebe, Annie, Jasmine..so i wouldnt worry about it.
your parents dog wont be around forever, and if you love Luke, go for it! if would like different do you like Lucas nn Luke?
also, when i was little, my grandma had a black poodle named GiGi, im Gina (family nn for Regina..i go by Regina) and i loved that our names were almost the same. didnt bother me at all.
afterall, a dog's our best friend, right?
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-28-2005
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 5:16pm

Having had dogs all my life, I could not imagine naming my son the same name as one of our pets. In my head, Max to me always sounds like a dog's name, but that could be because a good friend has a dog named Max. I have never heard of Luke as a dog's name though, that's a new one for me! I am not sure what to tell ya, but are there any other names you can both agree on???

Theresa

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-30-2006
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 6:04pm

i agree with pp. i like luke best. my friends dogs name is max.

like pp said if u are open to suggestions here are quite a few that maybe yall havent seen :)

Mark
Miles/Myles
Marvin
Matthew
Martin
Marcus
Maurice
Malcomb
Mickey

Mitchell
Mason
Lance
Larry
Landon
Lawrence
Leo
Leonardo

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2003
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 8:48pm

Thanks, everyone for your replies and opinions. Maybe my parents can rename their dog (Duke? Kook?) without undue duress! This is a second name, anyway -- his original name was Lou, but that's a long story.
I guess we still have a couple weeks to ponder.

Cindy -- due 3/23

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2005
In reply to: indeep2002
Thu, 03-02-2006 - 11:16pm
Don't let it bother you! My cousin was named after my cat Michelle. My Aunt and Uncle happened to love the name. Go with the name. I'm sure your parents will be tickled that you picked a name they obviously liked! (obviously, you can tell I like Luke a tad better than Max, but I like both names!).
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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-11-2005
In reply to: indeep2002
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 9:03am

My son's name is Max, and I absolutely love it. Plus, I don't know any other Max's. My MIL runs a dog kennel, with HUNDREDS of customers, and there are only a very few Max's. I think it's a great name!

Michelle