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Baby names

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Mary and Joseph

31 replies

Mazzatron · 20/02/2021 12:35

I'm due my second baby in May. My name is Mary. I want to call him Joseph. We aren't in the least bit religious, I just love the name and the shortening Joe and Joey.

Will this be a big mistake? Will he / we be ridiculed forever?

Obviously he will call me Mum / Mummy not Mary.
Not seeing many other names we like.
Confused

OP posts:
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BallsToYouSue · 21/02/2021 09:02

It's fine. Someone might comment, but it isn't like it's a bad association. They are common enough names. Different if your name was Cher and you named him Sonny for example. That would be a bit bonkers.

Ocsetldil · 21/02/2021 08:50

lulu I know a bloke called Adam whose wife is called Eve.

Yes, we did laugh.

pantsville · 21/02/2021 08:46

If you meet up with people and take him with you, it will be “Mary and Joseph are coming in a bit”. Work colleagues will ask baby’s dad, “how are ‘Mary and Joseph doing?” For the foreseeable future. Your friend you walk to school with telling their child “hurry up, Mary and Joseph will be waiting for us”

I think it’s wrong to assume you’ll never be referred to as Mary and Joseph because you will, a lot, especially before the child reaches his teens. And it will usually be when you’re not around of course, and it will stick out to people.

I think there’s enough other lovely names to choose that won’t get people taking the mick out of you both. Of course you may not care, but you’re posting here so I assume it’s a concern!

sweetnessnfight · 21/02/2021 07:35

If his sibling was Mary it would be worse, what is your partners name? I think it would be fine.

joystir59 · 21/02/2021 07:12

Lovely name, no reason not to as you will be mum to him and Joseph's mum to his friends

CoffeeRunner · 21/02/2021 07:10

Most of the time it won’t be an issue. You are bound to get the occasional scenario such as;

Friend : oh hi Dave (insert OP’s DP’s name), how are you? How’s the family?

Dave : yeah, good thanks mate. This here is DC1. Mary & Joseph are just over there - looking at the donkeys.

So I don’t think it would come up all that often. Whether you would find it funny or embarrassing when it did is up to you.

I do love the name Joseph.

ILoveStickers · 21/02/2021 07:03

No for siblings, fine for mother and son.

Scaramozzo · 21/02/2021 04:05

Don't do it.

Seriously.

It's like a Victoria Wood gag.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/02/2021 00:12

Okay for Mum and Son imo - especially since you have an older child and I'm guessing a partner or DH/DW too? Because few people are going to be saying Mary and Joseph on a regular basis, like they would if it were siblings - it'll be Mary, Partner's name, DC1 name and Joseph/Joe most of it the time (on family invitations, cards and the like.)

Poppins2016 · 20/02/2021 20:47

I think it's fine for mother and son... I wouldn't pair the names for siblings, though!

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 20/02/2021 20:45

Absolutely fine

partyatthepalace · 20/02/2021 20:44

No I think it’s fine, if you are planning to shorten to Joe on a daily basis.

MatildaStoker · 20/02/2021 19:20

I think you’ll get away with it for mother and son.

minipie · 20/02/2021 19:16

Agree I wouldn’t for siblings but mother and son is fine - especially if you’re going to call him Joe or Joey most of the time.

Thedogscollar · 20/02/2021 19:14

If it was twins then no I wouldn't but mother and son lovely. Joseph is a lovely name.

luluorange · 20/02/2021 19:12

I know someone called Eve who's son is called Adam 😂 it's fine though, I'd just go for it! Alternatively Jonah is nice

user1493494961 · 20/02/2021 19:08

I know adult twins called Mary and Joseph.

Mumfordsson · 20/02/2021 17:53

People might snigger when you send cards though!
Lots of love from Mary and Joseph!

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 20/02/2021 17:46

For mother and son, absolutely fine.

Crosstrainer · 20/02/2021 17:41

It’s fine - especially if you’ll be “Mary and Joe”.

AnneWeber · 20/02/2021 17:40

Reminds me of the Royle Family. "I'm Mary and this is Joseph, but we've got Cheryl not Jesus."

Lelophants · 20/02/2021 17:39

Absolutely fine. Only odd if sibling names.

Lemonsyellow · 20/02/2021 17:38

Completely fine.

InvincibleInvisibility · 20/02/2021 17:37

Not sure. We were convinced ours would be Joe/Joey but he never has been and probably never will be. Joseph just suits him better.

Joshua is lovely if you don't do Joseph.

Firebird83 · 20/02/2021 17:34

I think it’s fine!

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