How can I break a naming tradition?

When my dad was born - he is 82 this year. His grandfather was the registrar. He didn't like the names my gps chose so inserted one he liked as his first name. He did the same for my aunt. So my dad instead of being frank gerald surname was named David Frank gerald surname. Neither my dad or his sister have never been known by these names and he has always been known as frank all his life.

My mum is another known by her middle name

Even on cheques it says (example) N. Lucy Bloggs

I have never heard anyone call her her first name. Very rarely they have called her Nicola Lucy

but never just the first name

and yes I did break a naming tradition but lived to tell the tale.

Welcome to world of the grown ups. In this world you no longer have to do what you mum and dad want or your in-laws want you to do. It is your child your rules. Start as you mean to go on. Harsh but once the DC is born they will be in love with it and (should) forget this. What happens when it is the tradition that XYZ rule has to be followed?

and breathe.

If going by Quattro's suggestion (which seems a good one to me), you would of course have to accept the risk that your dcs might actually decide they like being called Vassilios or Dorothea, because those names are cool. I very conscientiously started calling dd by an English version of her name, to make her transition into the outside world easier. 13 years later, and we are the only people who actually use this English name.

Lots of good suggestions for getting around it.

But just to say, Dorothea is gorgeous, and a name I've seena few ties on baby name threads recently so would not to regarded as weirdy. It fits the old fasioned names witha hint of class revival thats been goung on for awhile.

Vasilios not so easy, but perefectly fine, and Leo is a great name.

I think you have to live with their first names being their grandparents.

From what I know about Greek families (cousin married to a Greek chap and had exactly the same issue - so couldn't not post) it would cause absolutely massive offence. And being Greek, the fall-outs are tremendous and titanic.

For example - cousin managed to cause a massive rift by failing to deliver sugared almonds to an uncle on the day of the wedding. Much drama.

But seriously, you simply can't not have those names. Can't you have an English middle name and call them by their English middle names?

Have a look on nameberry - you can look up names by origin or meaning etc. so perhaps you could see if there are any other names with the same meanings that you like?

FWIW I don't think a Vasilios would be ridiculed at school; I've taught children called Ainus (pr. anus!) and Gniple (pr. nipple) and they've not been teased any more than anyone else.

I am half cypriot and named the anglican version of my greek cypriot grandmother's name (Christine/Christalla)

My welsh grandmother's name is Dorothy and my greek nan wanted my youngest sister to be named after her. Apparently Theodora was acceptable as a version of Dorothy. She was called Melanie instead

I would go with having the name as a middle name.

We all have names that are anglified versions of greek names.

Its your child you should be able to choose the name. I thought there might a problem with names as OH has a family name but we arent using it. In fact the first name he chose was MY Dads name not his dads. Suits me as I always wanted that name anyway. If you chose a name to suit the family then its not really your choice. I would pick a name you and your OH like.

Dorothea is lovely. Lots of nickname possibilites. Dotty is very cute while they are small.

Leo is great as a nn for Vasilios. Dorothea also has lovely nns other than Thea (which I also really like) -- Dottie and Dolly. I'd go with the grandparents' names, then call them by nicknames. Either that, or grandparents' names first, and the names you will actually use as second names! Ticks all the boxes; family harmony retained.

Is Vasilios the greek version of as Basil? I know a little (French) boy called Basile and I thought it was quite a sweet name.

As previously suggested, just get your dh to explain that in the UK middle names are often used to pass on family names so you'll be using these to honour the grandparents.

That way you're mixing two traditions (sort of since technically the middle name thing isn't exactly a tradition). Hopefully they'll be as respectful of your alternative culture and see this as a good compromise.

Re: school registration, the form asks for their name and their 'known as' name.

My bf's brother was known by his middle name at school and by his first name at home due to some complicated reason I can't quite remember (think it was because he had an extant family member with one of the names or something). AFAIK it didn't cause any problems for him, though it was very confusing for me (he was one of twins, so three names thrown into the mix was baffling ).

I don't think you would say "This is Vasillios but we call him Leo" would you, you'd just say his nn, or at least that's what I do with DD.

Personally I think middle names would be a good compromise and am another who loves Dorothea

I gave mine Swedish, unpronouncable names, but that was because I wanted those names! And no, they've never been teased. But if it was solely for the sake of the family, I'd let them be middle name.

Why should the Greek tradition of naming a child after paternal grandparents over-rule the British tradition of picking a name of the parent's choosing?

I love Dorothea, but if you don't then I think using them as a middle name is a great compromise. I do think having a family name as a middle name is a great way of keeping a tradition and culture alive.

FWIW, we agonised during pregnancy about whether to name the baby after my MIL who died shortly before I got pg. She had a very oldfashioned name - not in a good way either - but luckily I had a boy. Phew!

friend of mine uses her middle name all the time, and has done from birth. IME school forms often have a space for 'known as', so you can make that clear.

What about putting Leo/Thea on the birth certificate, and telling them that it's the result of mixing the 2 cultures? Would they understand that compromise or think it pointless?