Name coincidence or too creepy

[octonuddle]

We have a family friend who has 3 daughters, all grown up. When we had DD, DH and I both loved a particular name that happened to be the same name as one of the family friend's daughter. It is a lovely traditional name that is not very common (not in top 100 but very recognisable). They were delighted we picked the same name and made a big fuss of DD.

So, now we are due number 2 - if it is a girl, we love a name which goes beautifully with DD1 name - and you might have guessed...happens to be the same name as one of family friend's other daughter.

Would that just be too much?! Creepy right? It is not deliberate! She just happens to have outstanding taste in names! What would you think if you were family friend?

Yes that's a bit too coincidental.

My mum was estranged from her 2 half brothers before she born.

She finally got back in touch with them a few months ago and was a bit weirded out to find out both brothers had children with her name

For example mums names Alexandra*

Brothers daughter is Alexandra
Other brothers son is Alexander

*not real names

Now you've explained, they aren't family friends, they're just someone you vaguely know, not so weird. I'd use.

HoHo, so did they know her name and use it on purpose, or was it coincidental ? If they knew it, that's very touching.

Absolutely fine. Some name sets just seem to go together. I know three lots of sisters called Charlotte & Isabelle, two lots called Elizabeth & Alexandra and three lots of brothers called Ben & James. Two mum's of the Ben & James sets know each other slightly &, when I told the one who had already had a third child that the other was pregnant with a third child she joked that the other mum wouldn't have to worry about picking a name as it had already been chosen.
If the names were very different (by which I don't mean something like calling siblings Dulcie & Xanthe as it is clear with both than you have gone for traditional but uncommon names but calling one sibling a traditional name like Anna or Elizabeth and the other something like Rainbow then it works raise an eyebrow).
My brother & I have common 70s names (think Joanna & Simon) & I know my mum loved meeting other sibling sets with the same name as she seemed to think it vindicated her choice.

Well now I don't think it's as creepy. I'd maybe mention it to your aunt though to pass on if you do decide to use the second name.

Thats true still, we know quite a few families with William and Alexander as siblings

Oh yes, now you mention it, I know a few William & Alexanders two of whom have Katherine as a sister!

I would use it. You are not really connected to them and wouldn't normally see them. Don't think it's a huge problem. We have friends who has a dd then ds (We both had used the same names before we knew each other). We had a third child, dd, and they very nearly used the same name again has us for dd. They didn't in the end but it sounds very similar! We just laugh about it

Seeing as you aren't particularly close and didn't know for DD1...

I think you should simply ask her.

Maybe she thinks it's lovely and perfectly fine... and in this case it would be a total 'waste' of a name to scratch it off your list.

I personally don't think it's very creepy, tbh.

Not creepy. You can do that. You're not super close, and the daughters are all grown up. You just have the same taste in names.

My mum's best friend named her DS2 the same as my brother, we are together often, and they just go by middle names as well then, for example Harry James and Harry Matthew. It's not a problem.