Middle Name for previous child as first name for next?

Squoosh, you summed it up perfectly IMO.

There are so many names out there. If the name was so fab it should have been dd1's first name. Would you mind sharing name?

I would. I wouldn't care now if this was the case. I think I would like the connection. I do come from a family where there are lots if family names though b

I wouldn't do it unless your DC1 isn't yet aware of their middle name. If DC1 has no idea of their middle name, you could change DC1's middle name to something else, then use middle name as DC2s first name. Fair amount of paperwork (and explanations to relatives) involved though.

I knew Scottish brothers who had both the same names. The oldest was Thomas Patrick and the youngest was Patrick Thomas. They didn't seem to mind.

My older brother and niece both use their middle names so that could be an issue maybe.

elder child won't be upset if you use their middle name for a younger sibling - they probably won't even be aware that it's happened?

go for it.

This happened to my two brothers. Elder brother has always hated his first name, so would ideally have swapped to his middle name, but can't because it's our younger brother's name.

Bit stupid of our parents really. I always thought part of the reason for having a middle name, was to give the child an alternative name to use, should they want to use it?

As it turns out, for long and complicated reasons, two of my DCs are now both known by their middle names!

Montsti - use it. As I said upthread I regret not doing it, and anyone outside the family would have no idea anyway. Middle names are rarely used.

I agree with squoosh

Well I still think it sounds desperately unimaginative.

Squoosh - I completely disagree.

I have 2 favourite boys names and, as it happens DH didn't like one of them so we have it as DS's middle name rather than 1st name. I didn't think I would ever get to use it as a 1st name...dc2 was a girl and now I'm having dc3, DH said that actually he does like that name so, if it had been a boy then I would've used it - it wasn't 2nd choice and I'm not obsessed with DS! As it happens I'm having a girl, but if we have a 4th I'll probably use it!

I say use your favourite name and don't compromise.

Give each child their own name.

I wouldn' t do it. i can't imagine that either my sister or myself would have been happy about it if our parents had done this. I think your name is an important part of your own individual identity - it should be 'yours'.

I wouldn't. It would feel a bit like I couldn't think of anything better than big sibling's name.

My son (DC2) has my DH's choice of first name, my choice of middle name - fine since I chose DD1's first name, DH chose middle name. I would LOVE it if DS was known by his middle name - it is my favourite boys name. When we were expecting DC3 I felt gutted I'd used my favourite boys name as a middle name instead of saving for DC3. But once we were expecting DC3 I just got used to the idea that my favourite name was done and used.....we needed to think of some others. She was a girl.....so didn't need to face the issue as we had other girls names we liked. But despite our lack of decision on boys names (we hadn't agreed immediately pre birth and didn't know the sex) I still wouldn't have used DS's middle name.

My first name is my older sisters middle name. It has never ever bothered me.

DH has his older brother's first name as his middle name. In their mid thirties now, apart from the occasional good natured jibe at their parents for being unimaginative, or at DH for having a reject name, it's not even the tiniest of deals! It's only the immediate family that even know, so in day to day life, who cares.

I'm sure I either read on here, or someone in real life told me (god I can't differentiate between the 2, that's bad!) about brothers who were called the reverse of each other's names, so for eg, John David and David John.

As long as you don't go that far, you'll be fine!

My middle name is my younger sisters first name. Never bothered me at all.

Yes, this is the case for two of my sisters. The name in question is also the Irish for our mother's name. It has never been an issue.

I definitely wouldn't do that.

I would assume you were one of the following

1. unimaginative
2. lazy
3. a bit obsessed about child number 1
4. a bit less excited about child number 2

We thought about this but decided against it, we use his middle name too much and it'd just be confusing.

This is a good lesson for any new parents reading though - don't use 2 favourite names on 1 child!

dh and his brother have this.

They used 2 grandfathers names for dh (as dc1)
then used grandmothers names for dd (and one grandmother has female version of dh middle name - like eg Paul and Paula)

they then had ds2. The grandfather whose name had been used as middle name was Very Upset because his name was a middle name, so they named ds2 Paul

so they are

firstname Paul surname
firstname Paula surname
Paul secondname surname

It is bizarre. But they aren't bothered as they are known by first names anyway.

No, I wouldn't. Their middle name is part of their identity, it would feel wrong making them share that

I regret not doing this! I wish I had used ds2's middle name for ds3.

I personally would never do that. There are lots of names out there.... You might enjoy finding a new one to fall in love with!