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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be upset at my SIL choice of name

65 replies

bungalowgirl · 05/04/2010 15:43

She named her son(age 2) a very similar sounding name to my son(age 10). There is only one sound different. To protect their identity as both name are relatively unusual it is akin to Alexander/Alexandra or Edie/Evie.
2 years on I am getting increasingly irritated by the funny looks people give me when I look after him (about every 2 months for the weekend) and the fact my son has asked to change his name! I know I don't have a monopoly on sound but AIBU to be so pissed off?

OP posts:
Pikelit · 05/04/2010 15:44

Yes. Your son sounds as if he's inherited the precious gene too. If the pair of you are for real, that is.

compo · 05/04/2010 15:45

Just don't look after him anymore
yabu

watsthestory · 05/04/2010 15:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

juneybean · 05/04/2010 15:48

That is a bit annoying actually, I know a lot of people will say you're being unreasonable, it would really annoy me if someone in the same family did that, especially at the boys are cousins.

FabIsGettingThere · 05/04/2010 15:48

Seems like your son has picked up on your stroppiness and is acting accordingly.

mrsboogie · 05/04/2010 15:48

That's just not on - surely it should be down to her to get her child's name changed though? you had it first!

BlueMoon1981 · 05/04/2010 15:48

sorry but if thats all you have to worry about then you are doing ok in life, there are people with real problems on here

nickelbabe · 05/04/2010 15:50

YABabitU.

i'm planning on calling my first born son the same name as a very good friend's son (12YO) and extremely similar to my nephew's name (10YO)

i think 8 years is too big a gap to be worrying now, it's not like they'll mix the two up is it?

bargainhuntingbetty · 05/04/2010 15:50

My Sil is currently pg and knows she is having a dd. They absolutely adore my dd's name and want to have it and although I have said it is fine they dont think it would be right for 2 cousins to have the same name. Although I do think that you dont have the monopoly on names I do think that your sil should have been a bit more considerate in her choice of name.

kellze · 05/04/2010 15:50

My cousin has given her son the exact same name as mine. Doesn't bother me apart from the fact I chose it because it isn't a common name.

nickelbabe · 05/04/2010 15:50

oh, also, i have two cousins, both were born within a year of each other, both called the same name.
we just give them their first and middle name to avoid confusion.
they're fine with it.

thedollshouse · 05/04/2010 15:52

It is hard to say whether you are being unreasonable without knowing the name. I really don't see a problem with Edie/Evie but if you had a Finn for example and she went for Flynn I would say that your sister was unreasonable for going for something so similar. You need to spill the beans so we can make up our minds.

Pikelit · 05/04/2010 15:55

I think it is downright U to expect these people to share the same air, as the OP tbh. Don't they know how devisistating this sort of tradgedy is? That 10 year old will be traumutized for life.

MintHumbug · 05/04/2010 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MintHumbug · 05/04/2010 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SouthMum · 05/04/2010 16:26

You are being ridiculous and that ridiculousness is passing off on to your son.

HTH

lagrandissima · 05/04/2010 16:29

Surely imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

KurriKurri · 05/04/2010 16:52

I think there comes a time when you have to realise that someone having a similar name to your own is not the end of the world. Maybe that time has come for your DS?

Ponders · 05/04/2010 16:58

My niece called her DS the same name as one of mine (much more than 8 years difference mind you!) & her DD's middle name is the same as another of mine - I think it's really sweet, & not an issue at all (although the little boy gets a bit confused when he is in the same room as the big one!)

OP, try encouraging your DS to feel that he is Big X & your nephew is Little X & that's a nice thing to have in a family

TopanTail · 05/04/2010 17:04

YABU, sorry...but it sounds a bit precious....but then I get worked up aboput silly stuff too.
Bet you'll get over it, learn to live with it...she can call her son anything she wants, lol!

ElleBing · 05/04/2010 17:05

Tough titty, OP.

Stop being such a willyhead fgs. Maybe you should have got DSs name copyrighted to save you such appalling embarrassment.

Pikelit · 05/04/2010 17:08

"I think there comes a time when you have to realise that someone having a similar name to your own is not the end of the world. Maybe that time has come for your DS?"

Unless OP's ds is called "Algernon Fortescue Cuntymug-Smythe, of course. Then he might have cause to be pissed off about the invasion of his uniqueness.

RustyBear · 05/04/2010 17:17

I didn't call DD Alexandra because my sister's DS2 was Alexander & I thought it might be confusing for my DS. Five months later, my SIL had a boy & called him Alexander. A few years later, she had another boy & called him Christopher, which is the name of my sister's DS1. My oldest brother & SIL's DH are also both called Andrew, so there tends to be quite a lot of 'Which one?' in our family, but we all seem to cope with it quite well....

Ponders · 05/04/2010 17:23

I know a family where the bloke has been married twice, had a son with both wives, & the second wife used the same name as the first so the half-brothers have identical names

hormonesnomore · 05/04/2010 17:23

I can't see why it's an issue tbh.

One of my friends gave her daughter the same name as my son - unisex name obviously. I thought that was rather sweet - DS was 8 at the time and he thought so too.