To not change my newborn DDs name

[Skeetle]

My DD was born last week and we've called her Jennifer. We spent a long time choosing names which was difficult as we wanted a recognisable, classic but not very common name and DP and I have very different taste We're very happy with the choice and we've told family and friends.

My partner has a son from his previous relationship and his ex has a 2 year old DD with her new partner. Her DD is called Guinevere, though most often known as Evie.

My partner has just had an email from the ex saying that she's not too happy with our choice of name. Were we aware that Jennifer is the Cornish derivative of Guinevere, she doesn't think its fair on DSS to have 2 sisters with 'effectively the same name' and she thinks we should change it to something else.

We did find out there was a connection between the names when we were looking up Jennifer after deciding we liked it. However we felt they sounded so different and that not many people would be aware connection that we discounted it as a problem very early in the process.

I don't want to change her name. AIBU?

If she's really into names she might suspect it was deliberate on your part I'm sure it wasn't.

I am surprised by the number of people who don't know the names are connected, though.

Personally I would have avoided that name because they are essentially the same name in my mind. However, that's very much a personal thing, and you should feel under no obligation to change it.

Tell her that you are aware that Jennifer is a derivative of Guinevere and thats why you are putting Guinevere on the birth certificate and using Jennifer as a nickname.

Might as well give the nosy cow something to really moan about.

I'm surprised people are unaware of the link between the names. It's pretty obvious.

That said, I think they are dissimilar enough to be fine as the two sisters of the same little boy.

I strongly disagree with the view that it would be OK if they had the same name.

I'd never heard of the link until this thread. I just asked DH and he hadn't heard of it either.

It's tempting to reply with "fuck off you controlling mare" or something beautifully sarcastic, isn't it?

But it'll piss the stupid woman off waaaaay more if you just totally and utterly act as if you never read the email.

And neither of us have ever heard of or met a Guinevere outside of the Aurthurian legends.

• u

How it the link obvious?

Congratulations on you new DD BTW

It's sometimes used as a nick name for Guinevere, Narked. I can recall a childhood novel where both names were used interchangeably for the same character.
Also, they sound similar, especially when compared to the original Welsh form, Gwenhwyfar. Though all that is perhaps not obvious at all, actually

It wasn't deliberate although we were aware of the link when we looked up the name after decided it was a contender. She's exactly the type to think we'd want to copy her though . Its Gwinivere not Jinnivere Crocodilio.

I'm not changing DDs name. We both had a sudden moment of doubt that we should have picked something else but I am reassured by MN that most people would not consider it a problem. DP does get anxious when the ex gets upset about something as he worries about his contact with DS. He's getting better at letting it all wash over him though and the court order helps too. She tends to send stream of consciousness rantings/e-mails about various things and this was part of a one about a number of things. I think I'll suggest he send a very brief one line 'sorry you feel that way about the name' to that bit.

Ah. So it would be obvious to a Welsh speaker. Then ok outside Wales?

YANBU.

It's not an obvious link until pointed out and even then, most names are derivatives of others: Evie can be Eve, Guinevere, Evangeline, etc

Alexandar, for example, can be Sander, Xander, Alec or Alex or Al etc it goes on and on. Elizabeth can be anything from Betty to Liz.

Jenny and Evie can live quite nicely side by side and as an earlier poster says, the slightly obscure similarity links them as sisters.

As for the email- simply ignore and do not respond otherwise she will think she is entitled to an opinion on all your decisions.

PS Congratulations, Jennifer is a beautiful name.

SIBU she called her daughter Guinevere! I would just say no.

You could have called your daughter Guinevere, names are not property.

I have never heard of this connection because I'm not someone who looks into names, meanings etc etc. Most people wont know of this connection, she can fuck right off, I think she's bloody cheeky.

What bollocks!!
She has no right at all to ask you to change her name!
My name is the female equivalent of my brothers name - purely accidental on my parents part. We only realised when looking through a book of names but we couldnt care less!!
Tell her to get over herself and find something else to crow about!!

It's obvious to me and I don't speak Welsh.

"You could have called your daughter Guinevere, names are not property."

You'd have to be a special kind of cunt to give a little boy two sisters with the same name.

Why anyone would imagine this had anything to do with property rights is beyond me

So she wants rights to Guinevere, Jennifer and what she's actually calling her DD, Evie - which is the 10th most popular girl's name in the UK.

That is overstating a bit. OP could call her dd Guinevere if she wanted to but it is not what she wantts to do. There a little boys who have half-sisters with the exact same name, though normally when the little boy was born lost.

rainydaysarebad Well she should be lucky you didn't have a son and name him Lancelot. I'd keep the name.

I see what you did there

OP tell her to do one, you have chosen a nice name, didnt realise there was a connection with the two names she sounds like she is scraping the barrel and she is deranged. How dare she ask anyone to remain their child

I think they're far enough apart for it to be fine. If we were talking Jemma and Jemima then she'd have a point!

I can imagine a reasonable person thinking that but actually saying it out loud makes her a special kind of mentalist. YANBU. Who the hell gets to suggest someone changes their children's names?

Midget stole the word from my mouth - she is a mentalist!

Who the hell does she think she is?!

Under no circumstances change the name - I would never connect the names at all and nor would most people. I think the point about linking them as half sisters is a nice one but beware mentioning it in case her new trouble making venture becomes 'let the sisters spend time together, get to know one another' etc etc.

Guinevere doesn't even lend itself easily to Evie, Genevieve does. Gwen would be the usual shortening.