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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband's cousin has called their son the same name as our son.

368 replies

shoulde · 20/12/2024 19:38

Bit annoying considering they also share the same surname!

I know no one owns a name, but it's pretty annoying.

Aibu?

OP posts:
BibbityBobbityToo · 20/12/2024 20:17

Your child and husbands cousins child? Get a grip, you'll be lucky if they ever bump into each other at family funerals!

WhimsicalGubbins76 · 20/12/2024 20:17

@shoulde, ignore the droves of “you don’t own a name” 🙄
These are from the Mumsnetters that just seem to find joy in being derogatory and patronising on any post that they can.

Of course it’s bloody irritating that they decided to call their child the same name as your child. It’s also bloody weird.
It’s absolutely the last thing that most people would do, and it’s confusing for family members.
They didn’t break any laws no, but they did dial up the weirdness to 11

YouveGotAFastCar · 20/12/2024 20:17

How common is the name? That’s the crux. There might be loads of names but if it’s a pretty common name, it may well be a name one of them had always liked/intended to use.

If it’s a pretty unusual name, that’s less likely, and makes it a bit more weird.

TheYeaSayer · 20/12/2024 20:17

MIL and her two brothers all had a son with the same name (so three first cousins); two of their cousins called their sons that name, too! Seemed a bit much to me but none of them cared.

I don’t think second cousins sharing a first name is such a huge deal.

Wonderi · 20/12/2024 20:19

It’s an odd thing to do but it’s not the end of the world and it depends on how close the cousin and DH are to each other too.

Is it a family name like a grandfather?

I don’t know why anyone would choose to do this.

itsmylife7 · 20/12/2024 20:21

shoulde · 20/12/2024 19:54

No one has our surname. It's not at all common

No one has your surname?

Is it a made up surname then.

TiramisuCheesecake · 20/12/2024 20:22

No you don't own a name. But who would call their son Alexander Montgomery when there is already a wee boy called Alexander Montgomery in the extended Montgomery family? It's just weird.

RogueFemale · 20/12/2024 20:23

shoulde · 20/12/2024 19:38

Bit annoying considering they also share the same surname!

I know no one owns a name, but it's pretty annoying.

Aibu?

YABU

It's quite normal for sons to be named after the father or grandfather, and no big deal for a distant cousin to have the same name/surname.

If your son's name+surname is unusual and available as a dotcom or uk domain, then register the domains now. e.g. www.jeremiahpoots.com

Possessing your dotcom domain makes you the 'premier' Jeremiah Poots. I have a not hugely unusual name but I registered my dotcom over 20 years ago, and it's very pleasing.

Sleepysleepycoffeecoffee · 20/12/2024 20:23

Namesy · 20/12/2024 20:06

Wrong. Your first cousin's child is your first cousin once removed. OP's son and this other child are second cousins. I think it's weird they're called the same name.

‘Wrong’ - calm down, it’s very common to use these terms. And regardless of what term you use, the OP needs to get a grip and let it go. It doesn’t matter

TheignT · 20/12/2024 20:24

GoldsolesLugs · 20/12/2024 20:11

Usual rule is "one in one out" I think. This means you must immediately change your kid's name.

Never heard that rule and lots of cousins and 2nd cousins with the same names in my family, so my one uncle named his first son after granddad, 2nd son after my dad (his big brother) 3rd son after another brother. My brother is named after dad's grandfather and dad's cousin and dad's brother, I have the feminine version of dad's name, another of my cousins is named after yet another brother of dad's. I guess we don't have much imagination in my family.

I'm thinking of even more now, two cousins named after dad's sisters, uncle named after his father my grandfather. Not sure if anyone has a name that is just theirs until my kids generation when we got more adventurous although one of my grandson's is named after my dad so he has the male version of my name and another grandchild has my mother's name.

Two of my cousins who are close in age are named after an uncle who was deceased so I suppose that follows your rule.

The more I think about it the worse it gets.

housethatbuiltme · 20/12/2024 20:25

They picked the name they love for their child... you are your kid don't even factor into that one ounce. You might as well be randomers.

Do you honestly expect them to forgo the name they love because a DISTANT relative used it?

Its more annoying if they share it with someone in class who they see every day not their parents cousin kid who they will likely barely even know exists.

steff13 · 20/12/2024 20:25

Is it a family name, like the name of a common grandparent?

NotInvolved · 20/12/2024 20:27

I must confess I was a bit taken aback when by husband's brother announced they were planning to use the same name as our DD if they had a girl. They would have had the same forename and surname and the 2 families see each other fairly often so it did seem weird. I didn't say anything though as, as PPs have said, there's nothing you can do about it as you don't own the name. I wasn't thrilled, but wouldn't have wanted a family falling out over it especially as DH is closer to that brother than his other siblings. As it happens, they had a boy anyway so it wasn't an issue, but they did choose a masculine version of the name another cousin has (Samuel/Samantha type thing) but there's a big age difference, a different surname and the families live in different countries so not quite as much of an issue.
Second cousins I don't think would bother me though, but it would depend on how close you are I guess. My children barely know any of their second cousins and very rarely see them, but if you live near each other and they're likely to socialise a lot or go to the same school I agree it might cause a bit of confusion.
I think my view would also depend a bit on whether the name has a connection to the family if that makes sense? Like there has been at least one William, often more, in every generation of my family for centuries. If it was a fairly common one and both kids were being named after an ancestor so they were both going to be Joseph Smith like many Smiths before them I'd "get it" a bit more than if there were two Ptolemy Pumpernickles and there'd never been a Ptolemy in the family before and not likely to be many or any others in the country!
Ultimately there's nothing much you can do though so probably best to let it go over your head.

TheignT · 20/12/2024 20:27

arcticpandas · 20/12/2024 20:04

In the Us? They do that a lot Tom senior, junior etc. In Europe it's quite rare.

Either my family is odd or it is not unusual in Ireland. In my family they don't use senior and junior but Big... or Wee..., the funniest (being childish) is Big Willie and Wee Willie.

Supergirl1958 · 20/12/2024 20:28

shoulde · 20/12/2024 19:38

Bit annoying considering they also share the same surname!

I know no one owns a name, but it's pretty annoying.

Aibu?

No.

my SIL did a similar thing. Called her little girl a similar name to our son.

think Paul/pauline!! But obviously not that! Very annoying!!

CaptainMyCaptain · 20/12/2024 20:28

I have two cousins and an Uncle called John although the cousins have different surnames. In all my life I've never heard anyone even query this.

shoulde · 20/12/2024 20:29

ABrandNewFamily · 20/12/2024 20:10

I thought this happened in most families, you get big Freddie and little Freddie etc... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Except they're both little Freddie in this instance

OP posts:
AvidAunt · 20/12/2024 20:29

RhaenysRocks · 20/12/2024 19:42

There are 4 Jacks in my relatively immediate family. It was the name of a favourite paternal grandfather and is a family name. Its not an issue.

A similar dynamic in my family as well; we're all named after other people and though it can get confusing at times, it's not a big deal or weird. I could see it being weird though, if the husband and his cousin are very close and live close to one another, so the children would potentially be in school and activities together. Especially if it's an unusual name and not a family name. Even then, people they both know would be unlikely to think much of it after just a little time.

MsNeis · 20/12/2024 20:29

WhimsicalGubbins76 · 20/12/2024 20:17

@shoulde, ignore the droves of “you don’t own a name” 🙄
These are from the Mumsnetters that just seem to find joy in being derogatory and patronising on any post that they can.

Of course it’s bloody irritating that they decided to call their child the same name as your child. It’s also bloody weird.
It’s absolutely the last thing that most people would do, and it’s confusing for family members.
They didn’t break any laws no, but they did dial up the weirdness to 11

My thoughts exactly!

ItOnlyTakesTwoMinutes · 20/12/2024 20:29

shoulde · 20/12/2024 19:41

There are infinite names available, I think that's what's so annoying.

Wouldn't care as much if they didn't also share the same surname!

They're only 3 years apart in age too.

Hahaha

steff13 · 20/12/2024 20:30

shoulde · 20/12/2024 20:29

Except they're both little Freddie in this instance

So does that mean there's a big Freddie?

ForGreyKoala · 20/12/2024 20:30

Yes, YABU. I couldn't care less about something so trivial.

Picklewicklepickle · 20/12/2024 20:31

Husband’s cousin? I couldn’t get so worked up about such a distant relative. In my dad’s family every boy for generations has had either 1 of 2 specific names, there’s 100s of them! No one cares.

Lovelyview · 20/12/2024 20:31

In our family two sisters in law and one niece have exactly the same name (First name and surname) It's not a problem.

Ihopeithinkiknow · 20/12/2024 20:31

You think that's weird I have got 2 brothers with the same name lol ok we are a blended family and one of them is my stepbrother but we have been siblings since we were kids now and there is 8 of us altogether and we call the older one big Luke and the younger one little Luke (not real names btw) but there has never been any confusion.
It's not the same situation as yours i know but I would love it if one of my cousins named their kid the same name as my kids lol maybe I'm weird or maybe there are bigger things to worry about