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Baby names

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

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Original poster

1st cousins with same name

46 replies

Rosie5060 · 17/01/2017 09:44

Me and my partner are expecting our first baby. The only name we both love for our baby boy is George.

Here comes the BUT! My partner has a nephew called Georgie who is nearly 3.

George had always been on my shortlist..I didn't even think about it when his brother named his boy Georgie as we weren't thinking about starting a family at the time.

My partner mentioned to his brother that I loved George and he didn't seem at all bothered about it.

They are close brothers, live locally and we see the boys 2-3 times a month.

I'm really torn between a name I love and the practicalities of having cousins with very nearly the same name. Would really appreciate outside opinions, has anyone had a similar situation in their family?

OP posts:

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FallenSkies · 17/01/2017 12:32

I don't see the problem. My bother and my cousin have the same first name and it has never been commented on, and it never occurred to me it was strange until I was pregnant and this whole concept of owning names was brought to my attention. The only time it gets confusing is when we are talking about family events they are both attending or something, at which point my poor brother is always referred to as little samename and my cousin big samename.

BriefExclamations · 17/01/2017 12:46

I don't think it matters. Unless Georgie's parents object I wouldn't worry.

PotteringAlong · 17/01/2017 12:48

I wouldn't want to have 2 grandchildren with the same name. There's a whole world of names out there; pick another one.

PollytheDolly · 17/01/2017 12:57

My son has the same name as my brother. My cousin has the same name as his dad.

Never been a problem.

TheTartOfAsgard · 17/01/2017 21:45

Two of my sisters are married to michaels and both wanted to name their firstborn after their father. Dsis1 gave birth first and called her son michael, dsis2 had a girl 3 months later and called her daughter michaela. Was a bit at first but Nephew goes by mikey and niece goes by Kayla.

JournosAreLazy · 17/01/2017 22:16

I wouldn't do it. It seems strange to me that two first cousins would have the same name. There are millions of other names in the world - I'd pick another one.

Grufallosfriend · 18/01/2017 06:23

There are hundreds of boys names to choose from, give your son his OWN name.

Chottie · 18/01/2017 06:26

I wouldn't do it either. There are 100s and 100s of other boys names to chose from.

It will just be so confusing.

Pluto30 · 18/01/2017 06:26

I wouldn't do it.

But I share a name with more than one person in my family (one of whom I can't effing stand), so I made it a point not to name my children anything even remotely similar to the names already existing within the family. Unfortunately, it meant we had to rule out a couple we really liked, but ultimately I'm happy we don't have an Olive and an Olivia, or a Hannah and an Anna.

JournosAreLazy · 18/01/2017 10:44

Surely this would mean that the grandparents would have two grandchildren with the same name?

liquidrevolution · 18/01/2017 11:16

Names run in twos in my family. Started when my sister was born 2 weeks before my mums sisters DD. She was upset when my DM called to say she had a little girl and was calling her the name my aunt had already chosen.

So we have two Henry's, Oliver's, Harriet's, etc (not the real names). In fact I moaned when I was little that I didnt have name twin but the next girl born was given my name. There are the same names being used for our children as well so two Amelia's, etc. Its not done on purpose, we just like the same type of names and its dependant on name fashion as well.

So long as the other Georges parents dont mind I cant see it being a problem. In fact George was my boys name but I had a DD. I have always loved it and if my SIL had used it for her boys (its also a family name of my DHs family) I would still have chosen it. As it happens she used it as a middle name.

Namingbabyregret · 26/10/2024 22:55

I have a 9mth old girl and I called her a name I have loved for years.. knowing that my 9yr old niece has the same name.. I sometimes wished I used her middle name now nut my husband wouldn't let me change it and pointed out that it was my idea to call her the name i picked in the 1st place..

MerryMarys · 27/10/2024 06:18

Surely this would mean that the grandparents would have two grandchildren with the same name?

Yes, and probably last name too!

So granny has two grandsons called George Smith (or whatever surname). How confusing and unoriginal

Please give your child their OWN name. Names are meant to identify us.

SemperIdem · 27/10/2024 07:00

I wouldn’t, the paternal grandparents having two grandsons with the exact same name is just odd to me. Times have moved on quite considerably since everyone was choosing names from the same list of 20 in the 1970’s and before, in terms of naming norms.

If you were referring to either your or your husbands cousin’s child having the name you want to use, I’d say mattered less. But for the children of siblings to have exactly the same name is bizarre.

Leeloo1233 · 28/10/2024 08:56

I think it's too close, you will end up regretting it. I know it seems now that you only want to use the name George but it will change. It will also be super annoying to constantly mix their names if the cousins see each other a lot.

I only wanted to use the name Vivian for my daughter and really struggled when I couldnt use it and now few years later I'm so glad I didnt use it. I don't even like it anymore and I was in love with it. You will love the other name that you go for so much more than you ever did George, I promise.

BriefExclamations · 28/10/2024 09:48

Little George will be at school by now 😂😂😂

Zombie thread!!

BoleynMemories13 · 28/10/2024 10:12

Well obviously you can use it, and people will give you plenty of examples of cousins with the same or similar names, but personally I couldn't do it. I just think how confusing it must be for the shared grandparents (your parents in law, I'm guessing?).

Edit - Why do people randomly bump such old threads? I never think to check the date when I reply. I just assume everything at the top is current. So annoying.

moonshinepoursthroughmywindow · 31/10/2024 23:32

There was a time when cousins with the same name would have been very common, because so many children were named after their grandparents. It's not as common now but I don't think it is a huge problem. Lots of children have a friend with the same name and they don't seem to have any trouble keeping track of who's who. George and Georgie are not even exactly the same anyway, but if there's any confusion you could always use another initial or even another whole name. I know someone who has the same first name as her mum. Everybody else knows her by just her first name, but her stepdad and siblings call her by both her forenames, let's say Elizabeth Jane. Similarly, your George could be e.g. George Frederick if and only if Georgie is also around.

MerryMarys · 01/11/2024 13:57

but her stepdad and siblings call her by both her forenames, let's say Elizabeth Jane. Similarly, your George could be e.g. George Frederick

Or just give your child their OWN name

RuthW · 01/11/2024 17:31

Go for it. They aren't the same name.

MontevideoTrip · 01/11/2024 22:12

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 17/01/2017 11:30

I wouldn't do it - sorry. You're within your rights to, if you wanted, though.

Ditto.

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