Name drama

You can’t use the name. It’s the same name. Charles will probably want to call himself Charlie when he’s older.

It will make you look invasive and weirdly attention seeking if you use it, and will probably affect family relationships to some extent. Create drama.

No, just no

We have 2 first cousins with the same name, we thought it weird when the younger one was given the same name as the older one, but no one cares now. They are about 15 years apart in age, though, and don't live in the same area, so there only a few odd family occasions when they are together.
It would be weirder if they were of a similar age or if they were likely to spend much time together.

Don't call your baby the same name as his cousin. SIL did this to us without even asking, named her third baby exactly the same name as our first who was born 7 years earlier. It is so confusing when parents in law refer to him. You always have to.ask which.one.they are referring to. What's worse SIL doesn't want anyone to use nicknames and insists on the full name which is what my son uses. It's really annoying

I know no one owns a name etc, but to call your child the same name as his first cousin is just really bizarre when there are literally hundreds of thousands of other names to choose from. If it’s mainly to honour an ancestor then use it as a middle name.

Yep. Totally ridiculous.

Yes its weird. It's the exact same name.
Charles/Charlie is a popular name anyway but to have the same name so close in the family is just bizzare when he was named first and there are literally thousands of names to choose from.
How bizzare that you would want to do that 🤷

Come on now. Don't be stupid. If the child were a distant relative, a second cousin, one you rarely see, fine, but this is your brother's child we're talking about. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, will think you are either a massive twat, really stupid, or both.

Use it as a middle name

No I wouldn’t use Charlie either. As others have said, use as a middle name.

Of course that’s ridiculous. You can’t name your baby the same as your own brother’s baby.

Charles and Charlie are the same name, I doubt many people called Charles haven't at one stage been called Charlie during their lives. Charles in this situation is under 4 as he's not even at school yet so is very likely to become Charlie which is the very natural and normal shortening of anyone called Charles.

I'm really surprised anyone would think this was not a weird thing to do especially as they don't even know if they are having a boy.

It's a bit odd but my step sil copied my sons name she just switched it around strangely enough my son was named after mine and ds grandads name so essentially she named her son after her stepmums ex fil and my grandfather 🤣 it was quite attention seeking and insulting for her father who raised them (alone no support he married mil when they were grown)

I wouldn't call my baby the same name as my brother's baby, as it's to honour a family member though I would use it as a middle name.

Its the same name, Charlie is just a shortened version of Charles...

Sorry op I really don't think you can

Why is it weird? If SIL is insisting on Charles, that is the cousins name. Charlie is not the same name, especially if it's on the birth certificate. I'm really surprised at the responses so far.

Don’t call him Charlie, have that as a middle name or if you must have it as a first name you could hyphenate it (not that I’m a big fan of hyphenated names) but it would be ridiculous for your mum having 2 grandchildren with the same name who are both roughly the same age!

Charlie-Paul for example. Perhaps there is another significant name you could use?

Odd! There a million other names you could use.

You can't call him Charlie! Don't be absurd

Just weird

Well I mean you could call him Charlie but it's bloody weird to use the one name that's already been used for a grandchild in your family and anyone saying otherwise is just telling you what you want to hear.

Their Charles is obviously going to be Charlie at some point as he's only a baby or toddler at the moment and your mum will have 2 grandsons with exactly the same first name which is bound to cause confusion.

Give him Charlie as a middle name in recognition of your husband's granddad but give the poor kid his own first name.

All that aside it seems an odd thing to tell your mum when you don't even know if you're having a boy. Like you're doing it deliberately to provoke a reaction.

Name your boy Charlie.

First, it's an honor name after someone specific.

Second, if they wanted their child's name to be unique, they shouldn't have gone with Charles!

It would be like calling dibs on middle names like James or Marie, classics can't be claimed exclusively.

Just don’t

You can’t call the baby Charlie if your brother has a Charles.

use it as a middle name.

Use it as a middle name. Totally stupid to have two cousins Called Charles and Charlie!