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Is it wrong to give baby the same name as their first cousin?

66 replies

Busybecca · 20/06/2017 22:30

My all time favourite name has always been Rose. I always intended to use it if I was lucky enough to have a girl. My brother and sister in law have a Rose. We live an hour apart and see each other a maximum of five times per year. Would it wrong of me to use the name too? This is my last baby and I feel like I'll always regret it if I don't use it. I don't like any longer versions like Rosalind, I just love Rose. What do you think?

OP posts:

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Brokenbiscuit · 20/06/2017 22:31

Personally, I would find that weird. I get that you love the name, but can't you think of another one?

MilesHuntsWig · 20/06/2017 22:38

Unless it's a family name/tradition it will look quite odd. Could you bear to have it as a second name?

broodynmoody · 20/06/2017 22:38

How about Rosie? And you can Nick name her Rose

Busybecca · 20/06/2017 22:42

Everyone has it as a middle name, I would really like it as a first. If we saw each other weekly I agree it'd be awkward, but five times a year at most with no school/activities/friends/surname in common and it doesn't seem such a big deal to me.

OP posts:

Dede124 · 20/06/2017 22:44

Could you double barrel it to make it a bit different? Also what's there opinion would they mind? X

PaperdollCartoon · 20/06/2017 22:44

My friend had the same first and last name as her cousin, no one thought anything of it. They're married now and have both changed last names so not the same anymore.

Yolannnda · 20/06/2017 22:45

I always find these questions a bit weird. If it were a distant friend or collegue with a child of the same name I'd say go for it but when your brother has a daughter already called it I find it odd you'd even consider.

Your parents will have two grandchildren with the same name and it would be quite confusing for everyone. I would find it very bizarre if my sister named her child the same as my DD.

Crumbs1 · 20/06/2017 22:48

Rose is a lovely name. Go with it but explain to the parents it is both flattery at their beautiful choice of name and because their daughter is so nice? I wouldn't turn Rose into something else - other options are decidedly lesser.

dglv1 · 20/06/2017 22:58

Nah f*ck it - she's your child and you feel free to name her whatever you want! Don't hold back - your child is likely to come across someone with the same name as them at any stage in life. Go with whatever your preferred name is, and if it's Rose, then so be it! Not wrong of you at all

Dauphinois · 20/06/2017 23:04

Go for it! Will their surnames be different?

I have two cousins with the same first name and it's no biggie. Do it.

ItWillBeFridaySoon · 20/06/2017 23:14

Go for it. My sister and my cousin had girls close together and they share the same name. At the start there was a bit of "but didn't X just name her baby that?" But now no one bothers and as they've grown the two girls are super close.

JigglyTuff · 20/06/2017 23:16

I would find it really bloody odd if my sibling named their child the same as one of mine.

Greylilypad · 20/06/2017 23:32

Very weird to choose the name your brother has already given his child. Makes no difference how often you see them. Would think your family will find it seriously strange that out of the thousands of names, you had to pick the same as him

Emma2803 · 20/06/2017 23:43

We had this dilemma with our ds and I spent months crying and agonising over it and in the end we chose a different name which I now just love and totally suits my ds personality, he wouldn't suit the other name. We literally decided 10 mins before arriving at the hospital to be induced.

In the end I just felt it would be too wierd and awkward that 50% of the grandchildren would have the same name. And would be too confusing for all concerned.

My advise would be pick a different name

Busybecca · 20/06/2017 23:46

Sorry if my post was unclear - it's my brother in law and sister in laws child, not my brothers. PIL have 14 grandchildren so there wouldn't just be two Roses.

OP posts:

Ojoj1974 · 20/06/2017 23:48

Sadly I think it's too late for you to use the name Rose. My sister in law used the name I had chosen for a girl inc the middle name (Harriet Alice) but as I had a boy what could I do?? I was heart broken . We didn't go on to have a third but if we had I would have really struggled and probably have chosen Henrietta Alice instead but this would have meant we had a Hattie and a Hettie!

AnneEyhtMeyer · 20/06/2017 23:50

I have two cousins with the same name. I think my aunt was ridiculous to copy her sister like that.

JigglyTuff · 20/06/2017 23:55

So it's your husband's brother? That's still weird. Sorry.

I don't think your daughter will feel very special either. I hate even having the same name as colleagues at work - it's confusing and annoying. It would be worse if it were my cousin.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 21/06/2017 00:05

I understand where you are coming from but still think it's a weird thing to do. My nephew has the same name as me (DSILs child from a previous relationship so purely coincidental) and it's really awkward. People think he's named after me and always comment about it.

GreenTulips · 21/06/2017 00:06

My BF wanted a DD named (say Milly) a name we'd both chosen - she had fertility problems - I left the name for her to use should she ever have a daughter (she didn't) Ibdint regret choosing another name as the classes were full of Millys -

Chose something else - they got there first - it's too strange

LinaBo · 21/06/2017 00:06

How old is Rose? Depending on her age, she might not be best pleased.

I have a cousin with the same name as my sister. DSis is 32, cousin is 22 and DSis still hasn't got over it My grandmother has 13 grandchildren, but only 3 are girls and 2 have the same name. The second one always get referred to as First name Middle name.

RS123 · 21/06/2017 00:57

In families names get passed down, so you can have say John Sr and John Jr. if the same household can cope with the same name then I can't see why cousins can't. I would have thought she'd just be Little Rose or Baby Rose when say grandparents refer to her. I'd gently ask your brother and his wife and take it from there, to me it's flattering. .

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ScarletSienna · 21/06/2017 01:01

In our family we have first cousins with the same first and last names. As children, they saw each other a few times a year but as adults, even less than that. It's never been a problem and no one was offended or anything.

SpikeGilesSandwich · 21/06/2017 01:22

I'd find it weird if a member of my family did this. Don't think I'd be best pleased either to have my DD suddenly changed to "Big Rose" or whatever.
Maybe sound your DBIL's family out and see if they would be pleased or not?

Julybug · 21/06/2017 02:15

My dp has the same name as his uncle so I don't find it weird

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