R.E.
In my opinion, you shouldn't name a baby the same name as another family member that is a cousin. It's ok to name the baby after an aunt, uncle, grandparents, etc., but if they are in the same generation, you shouldn't use the same name. That being said, I see no problem using a name a friend has used. One of my friends has twin boys that are named the same things as my boys, in fact one of them even has the same middle name. It can get confusing at playgroups, but I don't see the big deal.