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Baby names

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

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Original poster

2 family names repeated by cousin... weird?

62 replies

Thistly · 03/09/2019 08:33

Hi,
my dp’s cousin has announced the birth of his 2nd child, and he has used the same name as our ds for his new baby. Their first child has the same name as dp’s ex wife. It’s a male cousin so same surname.

I think this is weird. We don’t see that much of them; closer to the older generation, so I guess we are just not on their horizon.

I would never use a recently used name by someone in the family; I avoided a name given to my nephew, and another cousin avoided our ds’s Name recently too.
What do you think?
Weird or not weird?

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JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 03/09/2019 09:38

My grandfather (Charles) had three sons. Each of his sons had a boy and named him Charles after their father. So we had to distinguish them as Charles the first, Chip, and Baby Charles. Baby Charles is 42 and the family still calls him Baby Charles and his son is Little Chip.

I love this!

JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 03/09/2019 09:37

If you’re not that close to them I don’t see how it’s a problem. You rarely see them.

TheFormidableMrsC · 03/09/2019 09:36

It’s a bit odd. I’ve got two cousins who are also cousins who were born weeks apart, they both have the same name.

SoyDora · 03/09/2019 09:31

I don’t think it’s weird.
I have so many cousins/second cousins/third cousins that to be honest I wouldn’t even know if we’d repeated a name.
You said yourself you’re not close to them. Why should they not use a name they love just because some distant family member they don’t see has already used it?

isabellerossignol · 03/09/2019 09:28

I don't find it weird. My son has the same name as my cousin's son. I don't think I've ever met my cousin's son, so he wasn't even on the radar when I chose the name.

Also there are two parents and maybe the name was chosen because it was of significance to the other parent. If I named a child after a much loved relative for example, and one of my husband's cousins was miffed about it I'd think them pretty selfish.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 03/09/2019 09:23

I find it weird.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 03/09/2019 09:21

BreastedBoobilyToTheStairs · 03/09/2019 09:20

But you suggest in your title that it’s a family name

I understood that to mean the names of two people in the family, rather than 'family names' per se.

It's a bit odd but nothing sinister - they've chosen names they like, and as the saying goes 'you can't own a name'. You may find they hadn't even connected the dots between Dp's ex wife and their DD's name, especially if you don't see them often. Plenty of cousins have the same name, and while I would personally try to avoid choosing names that are already 'taken', it really isn't that uncommon for family members to share names.

Ultimately, they shouldn't have to choose names they don't like as much just because there are connections to a cousin's family they barely see.

Morado · 03/09/2019 09:15

It is weird!!!

AverageMummy · 03/09/2019 08:48

I don’t think it’s weird. I guess the current fashion of being unique & ‘owning’ names means it might be to some, but no previous generation ever thought they owned a name. There would be so many Johns & Marys in a family they’d have some known as Jack & Molly etc.

What is it that makes you feel they shouldn’t use the same name?

MrsDimmond · 03/09/2019 08:36

Not weird.
They have chosen names they like

BrittleJoys · 03/09/2019 08:36

But you suggest in your title that it’s a family name, so not unusual surely that several cousins would use it? I have two cousins named after the same shared grandfather.

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