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Baby names

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

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Original poster

How many of you have named DC's after family...and was it your idea or said family's?

47 replies

Fishpants · 23/10/2011 19:09

My number 1 boy's choice is my great-grandfather's middle name, my grandmother (who I am very close to) adores it as does my aunt and generally the rest of my family. No one has used it yet so if I have a boy, I probably will - but the fact that everyone LOVES LOVES LOVES it so much has started to kind of grate on me a bit. I would definitely use it as a MN if not a first name.

How many of you have DC's named after someone in the family? I am imagining lots. And was it your idea or the family's idea? Did you feel pressured about it at all? I am fully aware and think it's wonderful that most people probably don't feel pressured whatsoever, but I feel just a teensy tiny bit of it when that name comes up in conversation.

Just curious

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Montsti · 23/10/2011 20:04

DS has 2 middle names and 2nd one is after both his grandfathers (they have the same name!). I am 9 weeks pregnant with DC2 and if it's a girl we love my sister's name...basically my sister and sister-in-law "stole" my previous favourite girls names and so I can't go for them or names similar to them which is a hell of a lot....I ran it past my parents and sister before I fell pregnant (no one knows I am other than DH and gynae) and my mum thought it was a great idea, my dad thought it was stupid but then he did want me to name DS after him so slightly hypocritical!!! My sister was absolutely fine about it. It is another generation so I think it's fine. We also live in different countries and only see each other once a year...what do you think?

I know people will say "there are loads of lovely names out there" etc.. But I would have to go to about no. 10 on my list of favourites which I know I would regret. Also DH and I agree on this name..

Anyway jumping the gun, I know as still early days and I just pray all will go well at my next scan and throughout the pregnancy. I'll probably have a boy too!

Montsti · 23/10/2011 20:07

Forgot to say that, if it is a girl we will use DH's grandmother's name as the middle name (she died a long time ago). If a boy still undecided on 1st name but will go for 2 middle names again to be same as DS1 and one of them will be the name of our dear family friend (my dad's best friend) who sadly died almost 4 months ago.

TheOriginalFAB · 23/10/2011 20:07

Number one child is named after a child I nannied for. My charge's surname is actually a first name so my son has that as his middle name.

My daughter's 2 names are the same as 2 girls I nannied for but I didn't remember that until she was 6 months old.

My third child's middle name is the same as his grandad's middle name but it wasn't chosen for that reason. DS1 chose it and stuck to it for 6 months so I agreed to it not knowing it was in the family already.

Turns out ds1's names are in the family a lot, way back in the 1800's. Didn't know at all.

mumatron · 23/10/2011 20:13

Ds has 2 middle names, both Grandfathers (and a great-grandad)

Ds loves it especially as one grampy and his great grampy have died. He feels a strong link to them.

sfxmum · 23/10/2011 20:16

funnily enough it is traditionally both in mine and dh's families to use family names as middle names, and we are from different countries
so dd has a family middle name, my mother's as she is the deceased grandparent

BikeRunSki · 23/10/2011 20:21

Yes, both of them, my idea.

toughdecisions · 23/10/2011 20:22

There was some family pressure from DH and his side for a name that is his brother's and was his father's. BIL not got any DC. I really didn't want it & got out of it on the basis one of my nephews also had it.

Compromise is that DH and DS have same middle name (which is not the one above).

turningvioletviolet · 23/10/2011 20:40

DS is called George after my father who died shortly before ds was born. He was originally going to be called Max and I can definitely remember a bit of subtle suggestioning from my mother about the name; however I've never regretted it for a moment, and 15 years later he really is a George and I think he's quite proud to have been called after his Grandad.

LittleMissFlustered · 23/10/2011 21:12

mumatron I could have written your first line. My son has my choice of first name, then two grandparent names as middle names (one of which is also a great-grandparent, but on the other side of the family). They work well together and there was no pressure from anybody as I didn't tell anyone until he was born and named.

Fishpants If you would have used the name anyway, just tune out and let family think what they like. Also, have you been talking to my son? Everything is a something ending in pants with him at the moment

ceri1985 · 23/10/2011 21:12

Our dd is due in 5 weeks, she will have 2 middle names - my mums name and my maternal grandmothers name. My idea and I am proud to be able to honour them both :) x

belindarose · 23/10/2011 21:17

Our DD's middle name is the name that DH's grandma wanted for MIL, but grandad went to the registry office alone and named her something else! We liked it anyway, but also thought it would be nice for great grandma. Everyone was surprised and pleased - we hadn't, and will never, talk about names while pregnant!

noyouhavehadawee · 23/10/2011 21:18

My ds has grand dads name as his middle name - luckily they both called the same though obv he is after my dad . I dont regret it no though it doesnt really go if im honest and id rather it was dh's name now as aa middle name because they both annoy me at times though DH's names a bit shit too

PigeonPie · 23/10/2011 21:21

DS1 is named after DH's grandfather (whom DH never knew, but we liked the name), his other names are my grandfather's first name (sadly too many connotations with Harry Potter now to be a first name) and DH's Step grandfather.

DS2 is named after my father, and also has my grandfather's second name with another name because we liked it.

There was absolutely no pressure from family - we did what we liked and love all their names.

FWIW, I was named after my great grandmother and if I can live up to what she did in her life, I'll be very happy.

wigglesrock · 23/10/2011 21:29

All 3dds middle names are after family :

Dd1 middle name is after both mine and husbands mum - they have the same "official" first name but both use different nicknames as their first names. We lucked out - killed two birds with one stone

Dd2 middle name is after husbands grandmother who died a week before dd2 was born. I love the name anyway and almost wished I had used it as first name.

Dd3 middle name is after my sister.

I felt absolutely no pressure at all and to be honest their middle names are never used.

thefirstMrsDeVeerie · 23/10/2011 21:29

My children have family names but not as first names.

My DS1 has Peter after my dad as his third name.
My DS3 has William after his sister Billie as his fourth name
My DS4 has Billy after her as his fourth name.

There are quite a few Billys/Billies around now due to my lovely girl. One of my friends has used it for the middle names of both of her children which is very touching. My cousin named her son it and my great nephew has DD's middle name as his middle name.

This makes me smile.

And there is a lovely MNer who has named her DD Billie too which really made me

(sorry went a bit off topic then)

fifitrixibell · 23/10/2011 21:32

My 3 DCs have family names as middle names - DD1 has my mum's name, DD2 has MILs name and DS has my dad's name. That leaves out FIL but I justify that by the fact that his surname will be carried on! Also my Dad died before I had children so I always wanted to use his name if we had a boy. This was a joint decision with no suggestion or pressure from family at all - but we didn't discuss it with them before the births. I think it's a nice way of honouring your elders.

Oneandnomore · 23/10/2011 21:33

DD's middle name is the same as my maternal grandmother's. It was my idea, and DD loves sharing her Nanna's name.

PorkChopSter · 23/10/2011 21:35

All of mine have family names - our choice. Any name suggested to me immediately goes to end of list!

QueenVictoria42 · 23/10/2011 21:44

I'm not really sure I understand your dilemma. Your No. 1 name choice (so presumably a name you love), is also family name, and all your family also love the name and support you using it. Why does this grate with you? Are you going off it, and therefore worried they will be disappointed you decided not to use it? I would have thought that your family being supportive and positive about your name choice is something to be relieved and happy about? Maybe I have missed something. I don't think you should be railroaded into using it, it is after all your decision.

BuckBuckMcFate · 23/10/2011 21:47

Ds1 middle name after my granddad.

Ds3 middle name after DP's granddad.

DD first name after my nan, middle name after my mum.

Ds2 middle name is 'J*'. Ds1 announced to everyone after he was born that his new baby brother was called J. It wasn't what we had chosen so explained to ds1 that we would use it as a middle name. I was v v concerned about how my pfb would react to his new sibling after being an only for 7 years

Fortunately it goes well with ds2's first name.

Original poster

Fishpants · 23/10/2011 21:56

Queen Yes, to clarify a bit - I really love the name, but it is a tiny bit too common for my particular tastes. I have always been in the camp of wanting to use a name outside the Top 100 at least, and this is low Top 50. So I've been having second thoughts about it as a first name. I do feel a bit of familial pressure in that I'm kind of the last one to have a baby this generation - won't be another until nieces & nephews grow up (they are all under 5, and others will be having no more littlies).

All hypothetical but wanted to gauge others' experiences too.

OP posts:

birdofthenorth · 23/10/2011 21:59

DD1's mm is my mother's. My choice, no pressure but both me & my brother have middle names after close family (him, our grandad, me, our Auntie) so there was a trend already (& DB had already honoured my dad with DN's mn).

Without meaning be rude (obviously it means a lot to your family) to me your great-grandad's middle name is a bit remote and tenuous to worry about one way or another!

AndTheWinnerIs · 23/10/2011 22:01

Both of mine are named after family.
Ds christian name is after his Dad, middle name is my Dad's first name.
Dd cn, is after my Nana, middle name dh's Nan
No hassle at all by family in our case, just really loved the names

TonksmarriedaWerewolf · 23/10/2011 22:02

We had an awful lot of pressure from my maternal Grandmother to use my & mum's middle name for DD1/2.

DD1 has my paternal grandmothers middle name for her middle name, but it was coincidence rather than by design.

Other than that none of the DCs have family names.

barnowl · 23/10/2011 22:03

Both mine and my Dh's Grandad's died during DS1's 1st year and so DS2 was given their name as a middle name (the grandad's both had the same name)

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