Should I let my kids name their siblings

It's appropriate for a kid to name their pet.

It's not appropriate for a kid to name their sibling.

The power to choose a name for something implies that you have some authority or power over it. Parents name their kids, kids name their pets, there is a long and horrible history of masters/mistresses naming or renaming their servants/slaves... but not the other way round. It's always the one with the power who gets to name the subordinate one.

Siblings should be treated as equals - the younger one doesn't get to name the older one, so why does the older one get to name the younger one?

If you want your kid to name something, buy them a goldfish.

Let them make suggestions? Yes.
Include them in discussions? Sure.
Allow them to choose? Hell no.

My oldest two sort of named my twins because Dh and I couldn't settle on the names from out long list. We gave them a choice of 15 and they each picked one from that. Ds choose Liam, Dd chose Morgan. It worked out fine.

My sister named me and then used the fact and variations on my name to taunt me and it was yet another way to boss me around. I changed my name in primary school to my middle name, she sadly remained bossy but my new name was much harder to make up rhymes about.

By all means discuss it with them, draw up a short list and gauge their reaction but you and dh need to make the decision.

It's for the parents to name not siblings.
But involve them in discussions.

Or ‘stupid’ ffs.

@SunshineCake it is possible that as there are multiple 'over reactions', then it's you under reacting

You can just state your view without implying everyone else is seeing it wrong!

So many over reactions on this thread. Obviously the child naming a sibling doesn't give them any power. It is just a nice family anecdote. DS2 isn't that fussed over the fact his four year old brother chose his middle name. DH and I invited him too as we wanted him to feel involved, we liked the name so agreed and even when we asked him months later DS1 still wanted the same name. DS1 doesn't think he owns his brother, think he is a pet or any other stupid suggestion. For me it is a nice touch and it means something to me.

My friends sibling gave her the middle name Pebbles ‘Pebz’, as their favourite programme at the time was the Flinstones. Funnily enough she prefers it to her first name and had it changed via deed poll!

No.
If I found out my older siblings had named me (which of course they will) I might feel a bit unhappy about it (however much I liked my name etc) - introduces an odd dynamic for the named sibling to deal with when thinking about whether they were wanted etc. Loads of that thinking may be unreasonable or short lived but I can imagine it happening in family dynamics.

As a compromise, when my mum was expecting my brother (I was 11 and my sister 9) we all went out for a really lovely family meal and my mum and dad said that we would not be leaving the table until we had all agreed on a name. It was so lovely as made it a special occasion, we were mulling over it all night and I remember the night so fondly to this day!

My parents let us think we were going to name our sister - we had chosen a name from a Famous Five book. Then when she was born they called her a rhyming version of that name. The betrayal! They were right though.

If we'd allowed my eldest to name his brother he'd have either been Wah-Wah or Chewbacca. It'd depend on the name I think!

No. You name your children , not them. By all means include them, but you must have the decision. If anything , you might make them think they've got a bit of power and control if you're handing such an important decision to them

unless I have missed it, the information we need is how old your other children are?

I think any name suggestion should be checked. I've seen some strange suggestions on here.

Melusa would be nearer Melissa but looks made up

In that case DS (4) would have named his new sister born at the start of the pandemic - either Rainbow - or Stegosaurus.

I didn’t allow that.

But I'm not about to argue about my relatives name, it is what it is

Cement Mixers and Badgers.

Had a feeling you'd have something to say about the welsh bit mikeuniformmike
Well she was born in Wales to welsh parents and a Welsh midwife suggested it as the alternative spelling to the English Melissa

Melicia, very welsh that.
If it is welsh, it isn't it would be pronounced
Mel-ICK-ya.

It gives them too much "ownership" of their younger siblings. They're not pets.

This. You're the parents. Be the parents.

Sibbys and mikeuniformmike
I have a relative called Melissa but its actually spelt Melicia so he wasn't far off a real name. It's apparently the welsh spelling 🤷🏻‍♀️

A colleague was named by her brother - it was the name of a girl he fancied. It was old fashioned even then and she hates it. Just don't!

Let us know how your newborns, Rainbow and Flower, are getting on in the new year!

A friend of mine was considering doing this with her youngest and Rainbow was, indeed, suggested. They didn't go with it and their DS has very conventional name