Really like Henry but already have a Harry - help!

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Please can I have some opinions on this! Expecting my DC4 (DP's 1st) in a few weeks. It's a boy, and we are really stuck for names. I am a teacher and therefore most names remind me of some of the children I teach so I don't want them as they are already 'taken' IYSWIM. The only name we really, really like is Henry.

However, my first son is Harry. It's a name in it's own right, I didn't call him Henry and shorten it, so surely as they will both have different surnames, it would be ok to call DS2 Henry?? Some friends have called the idea into question, and now I've thought about it so much I can't think straight.

What would you think if a friend did it? Or should I say sod what everyone thinks and go for it anyway?

I think it's a bit different if its a dog - it's not like Milly/Meg the dog is going to be upset by having the diminutive version of another family member's name! Also, it's not really a big deal to change a dog's name if you really want to.

And yes, sadly dogs are not with us for very long, if you think long-term :(

I think one is a nickname for the other. So if a friend did it, I'd think she didn't know many boys' names. But, sod what everyone else thinks and doing it anyway is a perfectly valid choice of action.

Thanks for ALL feedback - as it happens Harry is 13 and came up with Henry himself for DS2! He sees the names as entirely separate, and Harry as a name in its own right, though he knows Harry is sometimes used as a derivative of Henry, so no need for rude comments re him being hurt, etc. All of us are having a say in the choosing of Baby's name. You've all brought up opinions we'd considered, but always good to get objective opinions because as I said in my OP, we just can't think straight about it any more!

Thanks again y'all.

Thing is, at 13 your ds is too young to get they are the same name, but he won't always be! Honestly, pick your ds2 a name of his own.

The thing is, even if you don't think they are the same name - and I can see how opinions change, Sally used to be short for Sarah I believe but we'd probably see them as different names now - Henry may get nicknamed Harry later in life. So its like having a Charles and a Charlotte and ending up with two Charlies, or a Phillip and a Phyllis and ending up with two Phils.

Having said that there are twins in an Enid Blyton book called "the two Harries" because they are Henry and Harriet, so Enid is behind you, and in the end its up to you of course!

I have never heard of Harry being used as a nickname for Henry and assumed they were standalone names. I wouldnt think it was strange at all.

My DD1 is 6. There are two boys called Harry in her class, both are Henry on official documents so I would strongly argue it is not old fashioned to see it as the same name.

I would assume someone who called their children Harry and Henry was rather uneducated. I don't mean to be rude by that - it's what I would privately think.

I agree with the poster who said that with Prince Harry taking on more duties we are going to hear him be called Henry a lot.

Incidentally dd is Katie short for Katherine. When we named her a lot of people were slightly surprised that we bothered with the Katherine. But since William and Kate got married it is pretty much assumed she is K/Catherine.

I agree with Rhubarbgarden

But that aside - even if they weren't essentially the 'same name' I think they are just far too similar looking/sounding to use and that you are completely lacking in imagination.

Millions of names out there - I'm sure you can find something else. Buy a couple of baby name books and get circling!

I agree with Rhubarbgarden also, sorry!

Maybe not.humphrey but not Henry.

Ephiny it's true that Milly the dog wouldn't be bothered but Camilla nn Milly by her peers might. So I couldn't do it.

Are you American OP?

I had a debate with my husband who wanted to give our son the male version of our second daughter's name. It's not obvious because they're not English names and sound totally different (unlike the English versions) but I couldn't do it. He said as they're so different it doesn't matter because no one will know unless they know what those names mean but I would know and that's the most important thing!

I definitely couldn't do Henry and Harry!

It wouldn't bother me that they're the same name. They're not the same. Henry and Henry are the same. Harry and Harry are the same. Henry and Harry are clearly not the same, one can be used as a nn for the other, one is derivative of the other, but they're not the same.

I think they sound too similar though.

Why not? Friend has a Henry but as often is the case he goes by derivative of Hank or sometimes Hal.

If you like the sound of Henry you could always take off the H and create a whole new, just slightly different name. Enry? Enrique? Enron?

Could you use Henry for a middle name?

If you are stuck for ideas, perhaps you could fix on a particular starting initial? My kids' initials make a 'team name' that we sometimes use when referring them to collectively, signing cards and so on. They seem to like it...

I wouldn't. My friend has just called her baby Hugo would you consider something like that? I also have two pregnant friends who have chosen Henry. It's getting popular.

Aside from them being the same name, it'd be a bit like having a Lenny and a Larry - just too cutesy.

I honestly wouldn't let a 13 year old have too much say in a name - my favourite name at 13 was Kevin.

Kevin is a perfectly reasonable name surely?

If your favourite name when you were 13 was Sundance or Moon Unit you might have a point.

If I met two brothers called Harry and Henry, I would snigger and (inwardly) judge their parents. And probably go home and regale DH at their dimwittedness... :-/

Sorry, but there it is.