To think their name choice is ‘off’

[Isitweirdorisitjustme]

I feel pretty miffed about something and can’t work out whether I’m being unreasonable or not - please give it to me straight!

SIL (my brother’s wife) was pregnant at the same time as me. I was six weeks ahead with our third baby (already have two boys and knew I was expecting a girl this time around) She was pregnant with their second (they chose to find out sex at birth)

Let’s say we chose Molly. Six weeks later they announced the arrival of their daughter and her name was Polly. Apparently they realised it was similar to Molly but thought this was ‘cute.’

For context, I don’t live in the same country as my brother. COVID aside, we normally see each other a few times a year and we are a small family - he is my only sibling. His eldest child is also a boy so the two recent babies are the only girls (and it’s likely to stay that way, don’t think either of us will have any more)

Is it just me or is it fucking weird that in our small family, we now have two girls, just six weeks apart with incredibly similar names? I feel like they are already set up for a lifetime of comparison and this just makes it even worse.

My mum is already getting confused and mixing their names up. She also keeps buying two sets of any gifts she gets for them so I keep seeing photos of Polly dressed identically to Molly?

Obviously I can never say anything to my brother but AIBU to be quietly quite pissed off about this? Polly has no significance for them beyond thinking it’s a nice name - I just can’t imagine me announcing Molly and them not thinking ‘oh shit that sounds like Polly, best think of something else’

Just seen your update. Nora and Cora aren't that similar to me. They start with different letters, and personally I quite like one of them but not very keen on the other one.

My exhusband's brother named his daughter the same as ours. My (adult) daughter was livid and took ages to get over it.. Must admit, I did find it really odd.

How wonderful to have a happy, healthy baby girl in the terrible times we are all living through. Does anything else really matter?

They can call their child whatever they want! It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Calm down the drama.

Anyone remember Pigeon Street? Polly & Molly, two of a kind.

I think your mum would buy identical outfits regardless of the similar names but I get why you’re a bit miffed. Not a lot you can do but at least you had yours 1st so they are the strange ones 😂

As they get older they will probably like it though.

I can’t believe that most people here think this is ok. I would also be annoyed, OP. It might be irrational but why did they have to choose such a similar name! I agree.

Oh and I don’t think you’re being unreasonable at all to feel how you feel.

I think you seriously need to grow up. Why would you even let this bother you in the first place!! Pathetic.

I do totally get where you're coming from, but I do think it's quite sweet and definitely not something you need to work yourself up over. I'm sure your mum especially doesn't mean any harm, and I doubt the matching outfits are anything to do with the name and simply because the girls are so close in age!

Haven’t RTFT, but apparently mixing up names is a sign of loving someone. Because they are both categorised the same in your brain as “people you love” and the brain is better at picking the category than at picking the correct name out of it. So don’t be too hard on your mum

I think it’s a little weird, quite similar here, change of name here obvs but I was born and named say Katie, a few months later my cousin is born and is Kate, both same surname

I think I too would be a bit peeved tbh, but that said - they are in a different country so won’t be at same school etc so that may help you deal with it better.

Do you have another sibling @Isitweirdorisitjustme,and does he/she have a DD called Holly?

@AllotmentTime

Haven’t RTFT, but apparently mixing up names is a sign of loving someone. Because they are both categorised the same in your brain as “people you love” and the brain is better at picking the category than at picking the correct name out of it. So don’t be too hard on your mum

I love this idea. I'm forever calling dd by DS2s name.

dd= dog!

In our network there is a family and the end of their children have the same end to their name .

• - - jit.

All three with the same ending. Still they manage to recall their names. We all have our own preferences.

YABU

My daughter is 3 months older than her cousin. One set of grandparents bought them the same thing for every gift/outfit etc till they started developing their own personalities. It would happen regardless of names and I honestly didn’t mind at all. I also couldn’t have got upset about a rhyming name. However, my grab bought me whatever my cousin asked for each year for Christmas and that used to annoy me, so it’s worth keeping an eye on that part.

I do actually have a Molly and my BF called hers Hollie 10 weeks later. It’s fine, different names that happen to rhyme.

*gran

Forget it.

My db asked me, if he had a boy, could he use the same name as my DS.

I said perfectly fine, so did my DS. In fact db had 2 girls but anyway!

This happened to me and tbh we were compared when younger but now never even see my cousin. A non-issue!

We were 3 weeks apart!