Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Unflip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

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

Unflip

1 2

Original poster

naming after a living relative?

30 replies

hairbrushbedhair · 25/10/2015 19:14

Is that weird? If so, how weird?

Totally hypothetical as not pregnant (yet)

I used my brothers name as a middle name for DS and he was flattered but I really like my brothers name,

We don't see each other very often but obviously at family occasions

And I'd also want to use DS name as a middle name if I did that so say for instance DS was (he isn't) called Teddy Oliver (after brother)
dS2 would be Oliver (after uncle) Teddy (after brother)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

mrsschu · 28/10/2015 09:15

Fine to call someone after a living relative, one of my cousins is called after my mum and I'm called after one of my aunts. Very odd to call your children after each other - they would both essentially have the same names!!

mathanxiety · 27/10/2015 00:12

Using the dad's name again is fine imo. But there is no logic to using the uncle's name again.

Middle names could conceivably all the the same. I have cousins whose middle name is Mary. Boys and girls alike. A double whammy imo, as far as names go. But if the middle name was John or Joseph, etc. it wouldn't be too bad. (Actually the two girls have versions of Mary as their first names. It's not very obvious, but if you sat down and thought about it you would possibly go .)

How about (if push ever comes to shove) you and your DH coming up with lists as long as you both need, with all the names you like on them. Surely there would be some overlap?

nmg85 · 26/10/2015 14:58

My BIL has my DH name as one of two middle name (approx 10 years between them), I am not sure I would do it but some people do.

BondJayneBond · 26/10/2015 14:24

Seems mean not to use his dad's name again if we have another boy?

Does your DH have a middle name you could use?

I know one family where the DS1's middle name is the father's first name, and the DS2's middle name is the father's middle name.

Original poster

hairbrushbedhair · 26/10/2015 11:47

Hmm actually like the male version of my name don't know if DH does though (doubt it )

I'm going to be fun on the baby name board if this ever becomes a real dilemma aren't I? you've been warned

OP posts:

scatterthenuns · 26/10/2015 11:39

What about male versions of female relatives' names?

Then, you would keep your familial connection (Mum's name, Auntie's name for example) without treading on DS1's toes.

squoosh · 26/10/2015 11:31

Seems mean not to use his dad's name again if we have another boy? And then same logic sort of applies to Uncles name

Don't get this at all. Each child should have their own first name and their own middle name.

Original poster

hairbrushbedhair · 26/10/2015 11:28

I like tons of boys names

So does DH

We just don't like each other's tastes bar the ones we already agreed on

DS is named with an original first name (no family member connection) then his dad's name and uncles name as middle names)

Seems mean not to use his dad's name again if we have another boy? And then same logic sort of applies to Uncles name which coincidentally is the only other first name we'd have agreed on but didn't use at the time as thought might be too wierd so by the time you've got there feels like chucking in siblings name as a middle name isn't that peculiar

I'm glad this is still hypothetical. I shall have to hope really hard for only girls in future!

OP posts:

BertrandRussell · 26/10/2015 11:07

Is it just me who's exasperated by people who say there's only one boy's name in the whole wide world they like?

squoosh · 26/10/2015 10:55

Agree with scatter. I'd think this very odd indeed and assume you were obsessed with PFB and son number 2 was just considered a runner up.

scatterthenuns · 26/10/2015 10:47

Isn't it a bit mean on the second child?

We couldn't think of a name for you, so you just had your brother's in reverse. He's our first born, you come second to him in all aspects. Good luck living up to our wonderful PFB!

Kid deserves its own name, to allow his own personality to grow into. He's not just a clone of DS1!

BondJayneBond · 26/10/2015 05:14

Not weird at all to name a child after their uncle, especially if it's a middle name.

Very, very weird to reverse the first child's name for the second child (as in Teddy Oliver and Oliver Teddy).

Redglitter · 26/10/2015 05:13

I've never heard of siblings being named after each other either

Redglitter · 26/10/2015 05:12

Naming a baby after your brother not weird
Having two children with names like you've suggested totally weird

VashtaNerada · 26/10/2015 05:03

It is meant to be bad luck to name a child after a living relative and people of a certain generation may see it as poor taste! But if neither you or your brother are bothered by superstition (I wouldn't be) then it doesn't matter. I do think it would be nicer for you to use a different middle name though! Aren't there any other names you like?

FarticCircle · 26/10/2015 04:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WishIWasWonderwoman · 26/10/2015 03:56

*the relative not they relative!

WishIWasWonderwoman · 26/10/2015 03:56

Not weird to name a child after a living relative if they relative is in a different generation (e.g. giving your daughter your mother's name).

Very weird and a bit unoriginal to name one sibling after the other like that, in my opinion.

How about your DH's middle name? Is that a viable boys name for you? Or your DF's middle name?

mathanxiety · 26/10/2015 03:33

Not weird. I did it (so obv perfectly ok )

It depends on the extended family I think. Mine is very large, and avoiding names of living relatives would have me choosing from a pot that contained names like Hephzibah, Zephaniah, Kayden and Nevaeh. My family also tends to approve the use of 'family names', perhaps because it's so huge that there are very few names that are not family names, but also it's seen as a mark of affection. We have the advantage of being Irish so Irish versions of names are acceptable also.

Calling one child Teddy Oliver and the next Oliver Teddy would be super weird and your hypothetical boys would hate you for it.

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 25/10/2015 21:48

That used to be a common thing for twins. I think it was in jersey/guernsey?

Twins would be named

Stephen John and
John Stephen.

Just try for a girl next time

Original poster

hairbrushbedhair · 25/10/2015 20:25

It's definitely lacking creativity

Came up because DH asked what we'd hypothetically call no2, we have a lot of names we'd agree on for girls but the only names we could agree on was these first time round for a boy, and it would seem they still are.

So if I go on to have a boy im hypothetically fucked though I'd be even more hypothetically fucked if I had twin boys

OP posts:

pinkyredrose · 25/10/2015 20:19

Not weird at all. Mind you I'm half Italian and it's quite normal out there to name baby's after family members, living or dead.

thinkfast · 25/10/2015 20:18

I was too superstitious to name after a living relative

Plus what you're thinking of doing is weird - just think of a new name

EcclefechanTart · 25/10/2015 20:16

I think it's fine to use your uncle's name, and fine to name a sibling after another (especially if the first is much older), but NOT to do both at the same time! It would be utterly weird to have two children with the identical names, just reversed.

Mrsindecision · 25/10/2015 20:09

Yes, a bit odd - and also lacking any creativity I would say!

Unflip

1 2