Weird?

[Quasilulu]

My friend is expecting her first baby, a girl. Her OH has 2 previous children. He eants to call them a combination of their names eg Michael and Kayla Michaela. Not that but hope you get my drift. My friend is wondering if this is weird or not. I personally think it is a bit. Your views?

Not fair to have a Stephen and a Stephanie! Surely Stephen could feel pushed out, and Stephanie will feel like she wasn't important enough to have her own name.

Plus they could both end up being called Steph (I have a relative named Stephen with this nickname, and a colleague named Stephanie also called this).

They could have Stephanie as a middle name and tell people it was in tribute to the two older ones - that would be nice.

My friends Joe and Kayleigh combined their names and called their daughter Jolie. I think it's lovely when it works but Stephen/Stephanie is a step too far.

Made up names mean a life of spelling out and explaining.

Actually, as Gruffalo says, having Stephanie as a middle name would be a good solution (but only if you like it enough to use it as a middle name). Personally I think it's a pretty-sounding name with a lovely meaning. And it would be a nice tribute to the other children, without being weird.

Or you could suggest Embert and see if that makes him back down re Stephanie

Oh sorry, just remembered it's your friend's child not yours. Scrap the Embert plan then. But she could try the equivalent!

Renesme?

Ugh, no. He's making it all about him and his existing children.

Combination of mine and DH's name:

Haya or Yasha

Stephanie and Melanie would be okay together, but having a Stephen and and Stephanie that closely related is just ridiculous.

It's like having a brother and sister called Oliver and Olivia. You just wouldn't do it. No.

How about Stephanie as a middle name instead, and give the baby a unique name of her own, rather than one recycled from her brother and sister.