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Baby names

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

Original poster

What is wrong with naming a baby after a living family member?

36 replies

AngelaOxford · 18/08/2013 21:19

Why do people think it's odd to name your child after a living member of your family?

Our second child is a girl and we decided that we shall call her Mary, after my mother-in-law because we would like to honour our relationship with her. She has really been the greatest support during those 10 years that my husband and I have been married and I feel like she is my mother too. We are so unbelievably excited with our decision regarding the name, only to have this feeling ruined by some of our closest friends who are thinking naming a baby after a living member of the family is a terrible idea.

If you agree that naming a child after a living family member is a terrible idea, can you please explain to me why?

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Smartiepants79 · 18/08/2013 21:40

I think if there is a generation in between DC and namesake then it's fine and a moving gesture that links your family together.
The only thing I object to is names such as John Jacob Huntingdon the third. Think it's pretentious.

KristinaM · 18/08/2013 21:36

AFAIK it's only Jewish people who don't do this. It's very common in my culture. Almost everyone I know of my age 40sand 50s, has the middle name of a parent , grandparent or other close relative. 3 of our 6 children have family names

PigeonPie · 18/08/2013 21:34

My DS2 is named after my (living) father. DS1's second name was after my DGrandfather who was alive at the time (would have loved to have called him after my Grandpapa as I loved him very much, but didn't think DS1 would thank us for Dudley!).

I have never had any negative comments about this.

Breezy1985 · 18/08/2013 21:33

I don't see anything wrong with it, I decided while my grandad was alive that if I ever had a son I'd name him after him, as it happened my ds was due on the first anniversary of his passing.

My sister named my niece after our mum and she's still here, me and my mum were there when she was born and my sister said her name, was a lovely moment.

flummoxedlummox · 18/08/2013 21:32

In light of eccentrica's post I take back the idiot bit as I didn't know any culture had a problem with this. Still seems odd to me though.

eccentrica · 18/08/2013 21:29

It's a cultural thing. I come from a Jewish family and for Jewish people, it's never done to name a child after a living family member. That would be weird, like saying you thought that person was already dead and had been replaced.

It is however very common to name them after a loved one who has recently died, or to use the same initial(s). This may also apply to other cultures, I'm not sure.

flummoxedlummox · 18/08/2013 21:28

Until my dad died a couple of years ago we had a Daniel, Danny & Dan. There's nothing wrong with using a living family members name, in fact it's an honour for the family member. Your friends are idiots.

trixymalixy · 18/08/2013 21:27

Eh? DD is named after DH's grandma who is still alive. No one seems to think its weird.

Bowlersarm · 18/08/2013 21:26

I can't think of a reason why it might be a bad idea.

Except what does your own DM think?

mrspaddy · 18/08/2013 21:25

I think it is a lovely gesture. If we have a girl we are calling her Mary (for different reason). If we have a boy it is also a family name.. I don't think it is a terrible idea at all. It is fairly traditional.

Don't worry about what people think.

ilovepowerhoop · 18/08/2013 21:24

just tell your so called friends to STFU as you can name your baby whatever the hell you want to. It is quite common to name male children after their father so how is this any different e.g. my sister has a child with the same name as his dad and that is fine.

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