Ah, your poor daughter! There she was, all set with a creative, unusual name that put a smile on people's faces, when a celebrity came along and stole it right out from under her.

Names are my profession, and my obsession. So when I say this, I don't say it lightly: you're placing much too much importance on the children's names.

When your kids named their babies, they showed that family history and traditions were important to them. They spread around the family connections to be even-handed, not to divide up the territory! It would be a shame for a mere middle name to put distance between you and three of your grandchildren -- or between three siblings and the fourth.

There's no simple rule for how a place name plays to people from that place. Some city names sound silly on babies to the locals, whereas others sound extra-appealing. And still others just sound like, well, names.

I’m sorry for your loss. It sounds like you and your brother were close, and that having a child to carry on his name and his memory would be deeply meaningful for you.

I can understand why you'd be nervous about the middle name Jacob for a girl, though. Cross-gender names can be confusing and even controversial. (Ask any mom who named her son Ashley in the ‘70s what she thinks of girls taking over boys names.) And Jacob isn't even a common androgynous choice like Cameron or Peyton. Jacob is America's #1 boy's name, firmly in the snips-snails-puppy-dog-tails camp.

Don't give up hope, there may be something I can do after all. I can persuade you that a demonic child in a horror movie isn't a bad association for your grand-nephew's name.

Oh, what a happy problem! I know it doesn't look that way from where you sit, agonizing over a name that has held a special place in your heart for years. But trust me, this is the best kind of naming conflict you can have.

The baby naming process is a snapshot of how a couple makes decisions. My inbox overflows with sad examples of how badly it can go. I hear from many parents who were bullied or tricked into the name of their partner's choice, or whose partners refuse to participate in the naming process at all except to reject every suggestion they offer.

For all that folks complain about eye-popping, unpronounceable names, it's a more modest group of names that are the true mistake magnets. Names like Katheline, Johathan...and Garold. These are the "almost names," just a slim step away from something more common and familiar.

If a dog steals your grandma's name, you have the right to steal the dog's name, don't you think? Fair is fair.

Seriously, a name with genuine, deep personal significance should never be derailed by a pet. There's a pecking order when it comes to names being "taken," and the number one spot is occupied by parents honoring someone who was important in their lives. In fact, you could name your baby after your beloved grandmother even if the other Bella were your friend's daughter, not her puppy.

Dear Grandma,

Please pass on my condolences on the loss of your daughter's favorite name. I wish I had better news, but the original Grace Kelly will always keep at least partial ownership of her name. That means that it can never fully belong to your granddaughter.