My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Should I ask SIL permission for use of middle name?

17 replies

roweeena · 23/08/2013 11:55

Myself and sister in law are both pregnant - I am 4 weeks ahead. I would quite like to use my DHs grandmothers name as a middle name. It is quite a different unusual middle name and my DH is keen to use it as well. (don't wannt to say the name itself so lets pretend its Vita)

SIL knows she is having a girl and I know the name she has picked for the baby (it is not her grandmothers). FIL has told me they were considering the name (Vita) but that SILs husband veto'd as he was worried about the girl being picked on at school etc.

Anyway I don't know if she wants to use Vita as a middle name, but I do. I imagine SIL DHs has veto'd it outright but I'm not sure. We don't know the sex of our baby so this might not matter anyway but if it is a girl I really think I would like to use the name. I also think I am likely to give birth first (although not definite as I could be late and she could be early).

Anyway what do you think is the etiquette in this situation, do i need to ask SIL if she is planning on using it?

ps SIL and myself are not particularly close, wouldn't phone her up for a chat and I suppose part of me is a bit worried that if I ask her she will just say she wants to use it anyway - although that sounds really petty now I've written it down!

OP posts:
Report
Kaluki · 23/08/2013 11:59

Myself and a few of my cousins have my Grans name as our middle name. Its a family name, although not unusual, so I don't think anyone asked anyone else's 'permission' first.
Maybe you should tell her out of courtesy rather than asking her which gives her the option to say no.

Report
MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 23/08/2013 12:03

I think you don't need to ask. You shouldn't ask.

Use it if you want. As far as you know, she has considered it and ruled it out. So it's up for grabs.

But if her baby arrives first and she does use it, I would use something else instead, so have a plan B.

Once your baby arrives you just say here is our baby, she's called Esmerelda Vita, as a done deal. Show no weakness, it's decided.

Report
HighJinx · 23/08/2013 12:03

I wouldn't ask about a middle name. It doesn't matter if you both use it.

If you do decide to mention it I would tell her that you will be using that middle name for a girl rather than asking her if that is ok.

Report
Trills · 23/08/2013 12:03

No.

The only people whose permission you need to use a family name are:
you
your DH
the person whose name it was "originally" (if they are still alive)

Report
squoosh · 23/08/2013 12:09

I wouldn't worry about it.

  1. it's a middle name and to be honest who cares about middle names?

  2. she's your DH's Granny too
Report
NoComet · 23/08/2013 12:15

I was going to say ask, but then I realised DD2's middle name is DMIL's first name (she was always called by her second) and I never thought to ask DSIL if she minded.

(DMIL died suddenly while I was expecting DD2).

Report
LentilAsAnything · 23/08/2013 13:18

My cousin and I both have our grandmother's name as our middle name. I think it's quite nice that we share it. I was born a couple of years later, I don't think my mother had any qualms about 'stealing' it. My cousin has also used it as the middle name for her dd1, so I don't think she minds sharing it either!

Report
Bowlersarm · 23/08/2013 13:24

My nephew is two years younger than ds2. DN's first and second names are the same as ds2's two middle names. They had no idea what my DS had as his middle names. One is a family name so no surprise we both used that, and the other is a top ten boys name.

I suppose what I am saying is, middle names don't matter too much and you should go with it. Maybe the polite thing would be to mention it but in a 'we are going to name Dd.....' rather than 'do you mind if we name dd....'

Report
Bowlersarm · 23/08/2013 13:26

My nephew is two years younger than ds2. DN's first and second names are the same as ds2's two middle names. They had no idea what my DS had as his middle names. One is a family name so no surprise we both used that, and the other is a top ten boys name.

I suppose what I am saying is, middle names don't matter too much and you should go with it. Maybe the polite thing would be to mention it but in a 'we are going to name Dd.....' rather than 'do you mind if we name dd....'

Report
confuddledDOTcom · 23/08/2013 13:26

It's not your SIL's name (even if you can own a name) it's GMIL's so it's not her place to say if you have permission to use it or not. OK so she is/ might be using it but she's using after someone else just like you would be.

Report
Bowlersarm · 23/08/2013 13:27

Oops...I don't feel that strongly about it...!

Report
ch1134 · 23/08/2013 14:40

I wouldn't ask permission but I'd bring it up in conversation so she knows in advance. I don't think it matters if cousins have the same middle names anyway.

Report
holycowwhatnow · 23/08/2013 14:46

My dd and my sister's dd have the same middle name- both named after our aunt. Didn't even cross my mind to ask for permission to use it, and it's never even been discussed. And if she's pissed off with me, she's hiding it very well Wink

Report
mewkins · 23/08/2013 19:37

It would be rather nice for the cousins to share a middlename wouldn't it? As a kid I was more interested in who had the same name as me rather than wanting to be unique.

Report
Bumblebee78 · 23/08/2013 19:55

I think it would be nice to share middle names. We have a family middle name and i like that it reminds me of my grandma when i think about it.

I dont think you need permission, but i think that i would always be worried whether it had caused tensions. Also, you dont want to be whittling about it whilst pregnant. If it was me, i would have to mention that we had been thinking of Vita for a middle name if you have a girl. Id either go own the route of saying you know they have also been thinking over names and it wouldnt be a problem if the name was shared in a serious way or say it in a jokey way that they could share the name if they liked it too.

I wouldnt ask permission as some people just want what they cant have, and i think you are within reason thinking that this might happen with your sil.

Report
Frikadellen · 24/08/2013 00:16

No Need to ask its your daughters relative she will be named after (if it is a girl)..

All of mine are named after people we love/d the 2 who were still alive when we named our children after them were not asked and both were very touched by it.. (sil and my step- grandfather)

Report
WeAreSeven · 24/08/2013 01:09

I honestly wouldn't bother asking for a middle name. Possibly not for a first name either!

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.