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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to use the same baby name?

105 replies

Fluffyslippers123 · 09/05/2021 22:32

Expecting twin boys in a few months and my shortlist of names is only 4 names long.

My sister in law’s sister has taken 2 of the names fairly recently. I’ve only met her once, she lives very far away and probably will only see her and her children every few years if that, but it would leave my brother and sister in law as having two nephews with the same name, and their son with two cousins with the same name

That’s too weird right?

Names 3&4 have been vetoed for other reasons So I’m back to the drawing board. As if naming one child wasn’t difficult enough!

YABU: use the names you like and don’t worry about the other children
YANBU: you can’t use them, too weird

OP posts:
HOkieCOkie · 10/05/2021 05:50

My mums cousins daughter has the same name as me, she’s a good 10 years older then me. No one cares. Name your boys it’ll be fine. Smile

LunaLula83 · 10/05/2021 05:53

Seriously you cant find 2 names of your own? I find that weird and boring

MySocalledLoaf · 10/05/2021 06:04

It’s fine but a bit odd to use both. I‘d pick the one I liked best and keep looking for another.

MiddleParking · 10/05/2021 06:09

We’ve got absolutely loads of this in my family, so it doesn’t seem weird to me. I think it probably appears a bit more stark to you because you’d be using (and always saying) both names at the same time. Suppose it depends what the names are too - e.g. someone earlier in the thread mentioned Harry and George, I’d say that combo must be repeated in half the households in this country. If it was Cosmo and Eli or whatever I might hesitate a bit more.

Rewis · 10/05/2021 06:58

@georgarina

Isn't your SIL's sister also your SIL?

Anyway I'd consider it too far removed to be an issue. Doesn't seem like there would be any confusion.

I know a blended family where two of the kids share the same name - they just call them Big X and Little X.

I don't think brothers wife's sister gets any title like SIL. It's too far removed.
Arrierttyclock · 10/05/2021 07:03

My uncle named his kid the same as my dad then his kid had a child with the same name as my brother. All with the same last surname but we never see them so it's not an issue. Wouldn't even occur to me to not use my SIL sisters name go for it

KM38 · 10/05/2021 07:06

@Fluffyslippers123 I have the exact same but with BIL. His sister has a kid with the same name - hers born first. Turns out after naming mine that I found out they also have the same middle name 🤣

No shared grandparents, and I’ve never really thought about it tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️ We don’t mix with then so I’m sure it’s only SIL/BIL who will ever notice 🤷🏻‍♀️

JustKeep · 10/05/2021 07:09

I honestly think that’s fine. I have the same first name as 3 others in my family - very occasionally you have to clarify “blonde JustKeep” or “baby JustKeep” etc but it’s never really an issue.

ThatIsMyPotato · 10/05/2021 07:11

Absolutely fine. There's no shared relatives other than a SIL so it's not really the same family other than by marriage. They might get divorced and then they'd not be connected to you in any way.

ThatIsMyPotato · 10/05/2021 07:12

I don't even know how many kids my SIL's sister has.

Brefugee · 10/05/2021 07:15

i have nephews with the same name (quite close in age too, and they're all a tight-knit family) It's fine.

(although at the naming of the first, it was a huge problem: sisters due to give birth within months. 2nd baby to parents where the first boy in the dad's family has had the same first name for about 100 years. 1st baby is born and they pick the name "for no reason" which caused a lot of handbags at dawn. But baby 2 got the name anyway, per tradition, and eventually everything settled down)

Spidey66 · 10/05/2021 07:21

@TwoAndAnOnion

You'd be stuck in an Irish family where everyone is Patrick or Michael!

Use them, your SILs DSis has no impact whatsoever on your own family

You forgot Theresa and Mary for the girls.

Use the names. It's not a problem.

Spidey66 · 10/05/2021 07:24

Just reread and it's you SILs sister, not your SIL. Even less of an issue.

Bluesheep8 · 10/05/2021 07:34

My sister in law’s sister has taken 2 of the names fairly recently.

She's 'taken' the names?

HeatWaves · 10/05/2021 07:37

My sister named her kid the same name as my DHs niece (so his sisters kid). Therefore my kids have 2 cousins of the same name. It's fine, we do say Big Cousin & Little Cousin to distinguish as there's a big age gap.

Volcanoexplorer · 10/05/2021 07:42

Just use them. It’s not like you’re going to be seeing much of them. The rest of the family will get used to it. My children have 2 aunties who are both called Sarah. We manage just fine.

Janxyb · 10/05/2021 07:45

Our ds has the same name as dp's cousin. It means his Gran has a grandson and a great grandson with the same name. We have seen the cousin once in 3 years and it's not an issue at all. Use whatever names you like ☺️

Pythonesque · 10/05/2021 07:57

I agree, when there's a significant physical distance it isn't an issue, even with closer relationships. The situation as described sounds absolutely fine.

I share a name with a 1st cousin on my mother's side. Big age gap and grew up in different countries, I was given a slight spelling variant to make it easier for my grandmother and it was fine. On my father's side there must be at least 4 of us with related names all named for our great grandmother. We were hundreds of miles away and again, no issues.

shouldistop · 10/05/2021 08:04

I'd use the names op. They're not related to you. I only vaguely know my SIL brothers, kids names.

shouldistop · 10/05/2021 08:04

Don't discuss the names with anyone in real life either. Just announce when they're born.

MangosteenSoda · 10/05/2021 08:07

You’d only bu if you gave both of your twins the same name Grin

I’m impressed that you even know your SIL’s relatives’ kids’ names!

SoupDragon · 10/05/2021 08:07

I think it's fine. They'll probably end up with different nicknames anyway.

AWryGiraffe · 10/05/2021 08:13

I think it's fine. I named my child the same name as my brothers wife's brothers kid, so my brothers niece. They are known as big X and little X, and my niece (cousin to both) thinks it's hilarious. It really doesn't matter.

Sarcobaleno · 10/05/2021 08:18

I grew up with cousins of the same name. It was no problem at all. Use the names. They're not close enough to your family to worry about it.

Oldpeoplesprinting · 10/05/2021 08:24

I don’t even know if my sister in law HAS a sister Blush let alone worry about their names! Go for it!