Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

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

Flip

Original poster

Reusing a name...

19 replies

helensburgh · 01/01/2015 23:06

Let me explain.

2Dd , eldest has a middle name, which is the first name of a very special relative.

Anyway if we have a third daughter I'd love to use the name as a first name.

Would it be odd to do this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Pikkewyn · 01/01/2015 23:08

Not as odd as my parents who names me Betty Sue Mary (obviously not my names :) )and then named a 'surprise' Dsis Mary Sue Betty 5 years later!

ElleGrace · 01/01/2015 23:13

At the end of the day, it's your child and if you love the name why should you not reuse it? People may raise eyebrows or query it but let them. Your children are eventually going to face the world as individuals, not as siblings so if you think that's the right name, go for it IMO :-)

Levismum · 01/01/2015 23:21

My oldest dc1 has 3 Christian names. One is my grandfather's name.

I named dc4 that name. Hardly anyone realises, apart from close family.

SanityClause · 01/01/2015 23:25

My grandmother and her siblings all had the same middle name, but it was a surname, so I'm guessing a family name.

I do think what you are proposing is a bit odd. Could you alter it a bit? So if DD1's name is Lilian, use Lily, for example.

Deerhound · 02/01/2015 05:30

No, I don't think that's weird. It was probably quite common not so long ago when more "family" names were used.

Pikkewyn - that's hilarious!

nagynolonger · 02/01/2015 05:54

I don't think anyone would find it strange. Only close family would realise anyway. I have 5 sons and used a name twice. Once for a first name and again for a younger son's middle name.

LJBB1 · 02/01/2015 06:24

Don't think it would be odd, and, like many posters are saying, probably no one would know outside very close family.

nooka · 02/01/2015 06:35

I think the only issue is if either child didn't like it. It's a question that's been asked before and I'm sure that a couple of people have said that they had been in that situation (I can't remember if they were the older or younger child) and didn't like it.

dobedobedo · 02/01/2015 06:51

My two dc share a middle name. Not weird.

BonnieWeeJeannieMcCall · 02/01/2015 07:26

Prince Andrew has Edward as a middle name, which was then reused as Prince Edward's first name.

Monstamio · 02/01/2015 07:32

I think it is a bit odd tbh. Names are supposed to be personal to you and although you will share your name with a stranger or be named after an older family member I would expect that for most children their name within their immediate family is an important part of their identity.

I have been hesitating to use the same middle name for my daughter as my brother used for my niece, despite it having family meaning and being a favourite of mine. Given the responses above, however, I might now rethink that as clearly I'm alone in this!

wigglesrock · 02/01/2015 08:29

My mil did this, the middle name of her eldest son is the first name as her youngest. No one has ever mentioned it, no angst as far as I'm aware and I've known them for over 20 years. Middle names are very rarely used where I am, in fact I can't remember the last time I heard mine said out loud or saw it written down.

marshmallowpies · 02/01/2015 08:53

A friend of mine who was French has Danielle as a middle name and her older sister was already called Danielle - I think it was a case of there being family traditions which meant her parents wanted to use the same name again.

We have Elizabeth as DD1's mn and now having a DD2 I wish I'd 'saved' it for her, but DH really wanted it as a mn. I don't think I could use it again!

jazzyjenbo · 02/01/2015 09:47

Personally i think this is abit odd.

I wouldnt of wanted to have the same name as my sister, and can't imagine using a name repeat with my own.

My dd's middle name is rose and i love primrose for dd2 but hav discounted due to similar sound.

Chillycamper · 02/01/2015 10:01

I know a family who called DS1

Samuel David

when DS2 came along they really, really wanted to called him Dafydd so he is called

David Rhys

These boys all grown up now and have families of their own. They are a very close family and I don't think it caused them any problems although I do remember their mum wrestling with it at the time.

Do it if you want to. In reality people don't use their Mn much if at all. Once it's done you can relax and others will soon move on even if they disapprove.

MamaLazarou · 02/01/2015 18:11

I wouldn't think it odd at all.

BathshebaDarkstone · 02/01/2015 18:29

This situation has never arisen for me. We have no repetitions of names in our family. None of my DC's first names work as mns. I have no idea how I feel about it.

HaroldLloyd · 02/01/2015 18:29

I wouldn't find that odd.

zoobaby · 02/01/2015 20:22

My younger cousin was given my 1st and 2nd names as her 2nd and 3rd names. Same order and everything. People only really remember your first name.

Flip