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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Children with same first initials - should I?

23 replies

PrincessScrumpy · 22/03/2011 21:24

I am expecting twins. Not sure on sex yet. Boys will be William and Finn (only boy names we both like!) but girl names are far more up in the air.

I've always been firm that the dc should have different first initials as it gets complicated when post arrives for Mss N Smith and you have a Natalie and a Natasha - who opens it?

Anyway, I may have to ignore my previous thoughts as I love the following names:

Heidi and Phoebe (worried about them both ending in an ee sound)
We also love Lyra (dd1's name begins with an L)

I just don't know! Help.

OP posts:

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cath476 · 22/03/2011 21:29

I am being really stupid? Those names begin with a P, an H and an L!

cath476 · 22/03/2011 21:30

duhhhh I am being really stupid "dd1's name begins with an L" It's my baby brain!!!!

bluerodeo · 22/03/2011 21:31

i really don't get the post thing being complicated - how much post would really arrive Miss P Lastname, or whatever. more important things to worry about for the future surely?

Jezabelle · 22/03/2011 21:35

Just pick the names you like. I love Heidi and Lyra btw. Beautiful.

Original poster

PrincessScrumpy · 22/03/2011 21:36

Sorry Cath I did go on a tangent - I blame baby brain too.

OP posts:

EsmeWeatherwax · 22/03/2011 21:39

My dd's have the same first initial, but their names were the only ones I liked tbh. My dmil takes the for this though, in her family of seven, there are only two different first initials. M and J.

twooter · 22/03/2011 21:44

I also deliberately chose different initials - I know that in our teens, my sister would have flipped if I'd opened any of her post and vice versa. Don'tknow how people do deal with it - does the mum open all post and delegate it?

Original poster

PrincessScrumpy · 22/03/2011 21:54

tbh I usually open dh's post (otherwise post goes unopened) so I could just open all post and dish it out. Their birthdays will be 6 months apart so cards will be obvious. I just don't know!

OP posts:

TysonNobdie86 · 22/03/2011 21:58

My dc both have an ee sound, i worried like you but decided i didnt care enough of other peoples opinions.
I would probably avoid the same initial though, dh has 3 siblings and all of them are K initials and it is confusing.

FannyLogan · 22/03/2011 22:00

Me and DSis have the same initial - quite good between 15 and 18 ish because you can use each others id to get

cheaper rates on buses, in cinemas etc when over 16
Into pubs/clubs when under 18

Worked for me

MOSP · 22/03/2011 23:04

My dds have same initial. Can't see the problem.

Cathycat · 22/03/2011 23:06

Two of mine do. I often stutter though.

oooggs · 22/03/2011 23:08

our twins are E & J but elder brother is also a J and younger brother is an L

Twin J (boy) was a last minute name as he didn't look like an L!!!! Had already vetoed the name as it began with a J, is very popluar and best friends son also called it. But he ended up with it anyway and it really suits him.

When the next boy was born I told dh not to look at him as we were calling him L anyway

hope that makes some vague sense!!

cece · 22/03/2011 23:14

My sister and I have the same first initial. It was never much of a problem, apart from me once being sent her cheque book by mistake.

mrsdaz · 23/03/2011 07:26

My sister and I also have the same initial, it never caused a problem for us but then we both left home by the age of 17.

My ds's both have the same initial and if dc3 is a boy it will have the same letter also..it isnt planned like that but we used names after family members and these are the only ones we liked! The only time it confuses me now is with their bank accounts as online banking just uses their initials.

MrsSnow · 23/03/2011 07:27

Don't do the same initial thing.

A friend of mine's dad was eg Mr D Smith, and all 4 DC were D Smith!! They forever had post issues etc.

Inlaws have 3 DC, DH has C as initial others have H, so at times he felt left out.

randomimposter · 23/03/2011 08:03

don't understand the initials thing really, but probably because my mum and 3 siblings had the same initial - no problem here?

William (have one) and Finn are lovely. Only slight observation would be they seem slightly different styles? Will and Finn works. William and Finnian works too.

Not keen on your girls names personally, but again wouldn't worry about the ee sound; they're not matchy matchy.

Eliza and Clara sound lovely!

ItsMeYourCathy · 23/03/2011 17:09

My family have the same initial (mum, dad, brother and me that is). Never even noticed until I was about 12. Post just got opened by whoever got to it first if there was no salutation on the envelope. I wouldn't worry about it. x

helendigestives · 24/03/2011 10:47

When me and the DP get hitched, we'll have the same initial and surname. It just means I won't flip when post arrives to "Mr & Mrs H. [hislast]"! I think any children will get different initials, though, to avoid the post confusion.

My Mum's researching her family tree at the moment, and is having trouble with generations of family (usually boys) all called William or John, or simply being marked in the census or records as 'W. Longman' since it doesn't differentiate between them. For that reason too, I think we'd make sure kids had different initials from the previous generation.

NormanTheForeman · 24/03/2011 10:51

I wouldn't worry about them both ending with the same sound. But I would avoid same initials if you can. As a twin, whose twin sister and older sister both share the same initial as me, I hated it. It's not just the post issue (we all have different middle initials) but it's the struggle to maintain your own identity. This is particularly the case if you give the twins the same initial, or if two or more of the children are the same sex.

exexpat · 24/03/2011 10:57

My SiL's entire family (four of them) has the same initial and surname - obviously, she and her DH just happened to have the same initial, and she then changed her surname when she got married, but then they chose to give the DCs names with that initial as well. I was a bit but the children don't seem bothered by it.

MrsvWoolf · 24/03/2011 11:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jojodancer · 24/03/2011 11:33

I think same initial is fine - like it's been said, how many times would it actually be an issue? Much more important that you pick a name you like!

Just don't give them all the same name - I know of a family... she is called Jaime, her dad is James, her brother is James, she married a James and they've just had a baby boy and called him..... Steve.

Just kidding, they called him James

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