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Baby names

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

Original poster

Elliott, brother to Harriet, too samey??

33 replies

Dragonfly909 · 12/11/2022 16:43

We are expecting a DS and already have a DD, Harriet. DH and I can't agree on boys names at all. We both could potentially compromise on Elliott but is that too samey with Harriet? Also not sure what a good nickname for Elliott would be?

OP posts:
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user1492757084 · 13/11/2022 08:37

Harriet and Lachlan go really well!

Angus
Edwin
Colin
Ewan
Patrick
Oisin
Owen
Desmond
Cormac
Fergall

American surnames?
Harriet and Trump
Harriet and Kennedy
Harriet and Travolta
Harriet and Hepburn
Harriet and Wayne
... ha ha ha... just joking about.

RuthW · 12/11/2022 23:18

Too similar.

I know an Elliot and a Charlotte which I thought was a bit strange.

Greytea · 12/11/2022 20:00

Too samey.

IWasFunBeforeMum · 12/11/2022 19:39

I had this dilemma! Didn't do it in the end because agreed sounded too samey

Luredbyapomegranate · 12/11/2022 19:36

A bit TBH

How about Elijah or Alistair ?

minipie · 12/11/2022 19:17

I like Austin.

How about

Ethan
Aidan
Dustin
Fergus
Xander
Leo
Spencer
Dylan

KitchenSupper · 12/11/2022 19:12

I think they are too close (and that that is the reason you feel drawn to it as it feels familiar).
Ellis?

Whataretheodds · 12/11/2022 19:08

Elias
Elijah
Euan/Ewan
Edward
Ezra

Is Harriet known as Harriet?

username8888 · 12/11/2022 19:06

We have an Elliot. Call him El...and his brother Alexander, Al 😂
I don't think the saminess matters, you don't usually refer to them as a pair.

I quite like Elli and Etty
Ignore me

Original poster
Dragonfly909 · 12/11/2022 18:55

Thanks for all the opinions! We have signed up to a different baby names app and actually have some matches on there, I think the other app we used (where we had no matches out of about 40 names each!) was a bit too American for me. DH seems to like names that sound like a place or a surname but turns out he also likes Gaelic names so maybe we can look at that... Under consideration we now have Austin and Lachlan 🤔

OP posts:
toastofthetown · 12/11/2022 18:50

I know siblings with name which are more similar, but they are too similar for me to use. It's not just the ending but the cadence of the name. The Elliots I know either use their full name or El.

Original poster
Dragonfly909 · 12/11/2022 18:48

@heldinadream 😂i had similar thoughts. Have told him! I think the problem is he's been looking at a list from the USA where lots of first names sound like surnames to us.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 12/11/2022 18:46

They do sound very similar endings.

Original poster
Dragonfly909 · 12/11/2022 18:45

@itsgettingweird I like quite a few of those personally but DH doesn't 😫

OP posts:
KirstenBlest · 12/11/2022 18:45

They're fine

maplesaucewithbacon · 12/11/2022 17:45

ha-rri-ett and ell-i-ott - a bit similar, but still okay.
ha-rri-ett and ell-yott - no problem.

Or she could just pronounce each of them the usual (I'll get flamed for saying 'proper') way. Both names should have the emphasis on the first syllable, traditionally.

maplesaucewithbacon · 12/11/2022 17:43

Could you end up with Harry and Ellie? That could be confusing in some circumstances.

Could be but I've know 2 Hatties and a Haz for Harriet. To avoid this, as much as is possible as what they call themselves or their friends call them is not ultimately up to you, choose family nicknames and use them a lot. "Hattie and El" wouldn't be confusing, for example. And sounds quite good.

maplesaucewithbacon · 12/11/2022 17:42

I think they're fine together unless you have anyone in the family with hearing loss as they are on the borderline of samey. A nickname for me would be El. Although Elliot isn't a long name when spoken (it's 3 syllables obviously but in both Elliot & Harriet the last two and especially the last one are barely there) so you don't necessarily need a nickname. His friends would call him what they call him.

Also like Elias.

Kelvingrove · 12/11/2022 17:36

I don't know if Elliott is ever shortened but Harriett is often shortened to Harry. Could you end up with Harry and Ellie? That could be confusing in some circumstances.

Sandysandwich · 12/11/2022 17:34

The Elliot that I know, goes by Eli as an adult.

fairycupcakes · 12/11/2022 17:25

Dragonfly909 · 12/11/2022 17:02

@fairycupcakes ah I was wondering about spelling, that's helpful thank you! Sorry repeating myself but I like traditional names e.g. George, William, Edward etc. DH's short list includes things like Remington, Elland, Daxton, Colby which I can't get on board with!

No problem! Ah I see so you both have quite different tastes! What about names like a PP has suggested? Maybe something like:
Finlay, Tobias, Theodore, Henry, Oscar?

TalkisChips · 12/11/2022 17:22

To me they’re too similar.

caitlinrose · 12/11/2022 17:19

Depends on how exactly you say them.

ha-rri-ett and ell-i-ott - a bit similar, but still okay.

ha-rri-ett and ell-yott - no problem.

If you call her Hattie then also no problem.

heldinadream · 12/11/2022 17:19

*too

heldinadream · 12/11/2022 17:18

Remington, Elland, Daxton, Colby tell him these all sound like tool manufacturers. (Sorry, not helpful.)

I do think Elliot and Harriet sound to similar OP. Both lovely names.