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Baby names

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

Original poster

Sibling names - last minute wobble!

32 replies

Mickeymick · 29/12/2022 18:33

Help! I have a baby boy due in February and we are planning to call him Reuben. Big sister is Wren. I made the mistake of mentioning his name to a midwife today and she said “ooh, that’ll be confusing”. What do people think - too similar? He would be known as Reu, I think.

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Wakk · 01/01/2023 18:07

I think it's a bit odd, the w start doesn't help.

Newnamenewname109870 · 01/01/2023 18:05

Roo-Ben
R-en

very different!

BiscuitLover3678 · 01/01/2023 18:04

Eh! I don’t think they sound similar at all!

Reuben and Wren. Love it!

Twoinapod · 01/01/2023 18:02

I think they’re fine. People put to much emphasis on siblings names working together, but they’re only together for childhood, then they’re adults with their own separate lives. They’re both lovely names, go for it. Also that midwife was out of order to comment on a name.

user1492757084 · 30/12/2022 14:52

Too similar to say in the same sentence

Wren and Rupert
Wren and Humphrey

And Reuben is very popular.

UsingChangeofName · 29/12/2022 23:09

I do think they are a bit of a mouthful if you say "Wren and Reuben". It isn't that the 2 would be mixed up @theblackradiator , it is the sound of introducing them / telling someone your dcs names together that makes you trip over a little - you have to really articulate them in a slightly emphasised way. However, if you both like the name and have nothing else you both agree on, then it isn't that bad, and, as other say, there are only 20 - 25 ish years you are likely to be saying them together.

vintagemom · 29/12/2022 23:06

They don’t sound too similar at all IMO

mellongoose · 29/12/2022 23:02

Wren and Roo. Absolutely fine 👍

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 29/12/2022 22:59

For those saying they don’t have the same vowel sounds and don’t sound the same:
both start with a R sound
both end with en

Thingiemajig · 29/12/2022 22:56

Nice choices

Pearls1234 · 29/12/2022 22:53

I think they’re fine - but even if they weren’t, how mindblowingly rude! Tell her that Reuben will at least grow up with more manners than her, regardless of what his name is.

Luredbyapomegranate · 29/12/2022 22:20

Yes too similar.

theblackradiator · 29/12/2022 21:41

absolutely no idea why some on here are saying Reuben and wren sound the same? they sound nothing alike to me is it a regional accent thing?

RuthW · 29/12/2022 20:52

They sound nearly the same to me. Maybe choose something else

Original poster
Mickeymick · 29/12/2022 20:02

Thanks so much for your replies everyone, I really appreciate it!

OP posts:
inkworks273 · 29/12/2022 19:59

I think it sounds fine. Go for it.

Reclining · 29/12/2022 19:55

Nah. They don't even share any vowel sounds, effectively it's just like having two with the same first letter.

ReindeerBelieve · 29/12/2022 19:54

I read your post and was confused about why the midwife said it - in my mind they are not similar at all in any shape or form

I say go for it

TokenGinger · 29/12/2022 19:52

I think they're fine together and go nicely. I wouldn't worry :)

WillTryNotToBeGrumpy · 29/12/2022 19:51

I do think they're a bit of a mouthful but I also think people spend too much time stressing over sibling names. Most of their lives, and by most people, it'll not matter.

Thedoglovesmemore · 29/12/2022 19:40

Bit of a mouthful together if I’m honest.

And if he chooses Ben (or it gets chosen for him at school as it did for my nephew Reuben) then you have Ben and Wren.

Its so hard when you love a name- I had this with a girls name that I loved and l felt I didn’t like any other name at all but my choice did not go with our surname at all. I even wanted to change our surname rather than give up my name choice! But in the end I knew if just wouldn’t work and found something else and now I love that just as much as the original choice for DD.

Correlation · 29/12/2022 19:36

They don’t sound similar at all to me and even if they did it wouldn’t be an issue. Go for it.

Holly60 · 29/12/2022 19:31

Definitely go for it

Holly60 · 29/12/2022 19:31

I think it's lovely! They go really well without actually being matchy, somehow

scrivette · 29/12/2022 19:24

I think they go well as Wren will be said first, I think it's a bit of a mouthful the other way around. (Both lovely names by the way).