Duplicate names in nursery class

[Squelchsquerch]

DD is starting nursery soon, aged 1, so just learning her own name. I have found out there will be 2 others in her class with the same name. It's not even that common a name. Has anyone encountered this before and what did people do to make it less confusing for the staff and kids?
E.g. Emma middle name, Emma surname, Emma initial

In my daughter's class there was 2 Erins, 2 Islas and 2 Sophies. It was fine. They were known first name initial or first name and surname. Now she's at school there are no double names.

Sorry, forgot to add. No one got mixed up or confused. They just got used to it.

My LG has three Freddies, two Lunas and two Isobels in her class. They just call them all by their first name, no differentiating. They may call them something else between the staff but in terms of them speaking to the kids it's just their first name.

in a babyroom the others with the same name might not even be in on the same days as her.

My 3YO DS goes to nursery school. All 3 of the teachers (well teacher and 2 TA's) have the same name. He tells the difference between them physically. Unfortunately one has grey hair and glasses and he calls her an Owl. . So they do get it, even at a young age.

He has quite a common name, but I don't think there's another one in the same class. I do tend to put his initial or last name on things. He also likes to abbreviate his name, so that could be an option perhaps?

In my dc 1 class, they were known as different nn of name.

Eg Samuel, Sam and sammy

In dc 2, they used sirname initial.

Eg. Tom P, Tom D and Tom x. Actually, now in secondary school, those initials are still used.

My DD is one of three girls in her (small intake) school year with the same name. It’s not confusing but I’m a bit depressed in that after a term at school she signs herself as ‘Firstname C[laus]’ wherever she goes - even on family Christmas cards! I’ve spent an afternoon explaining to her she can sign herself just by her first name and people will know it’s her. It’s a bit weird and not something I thought of!

My DS was one of 5 with the same Christian name in his class at secondary. They were all known by their surname.

My primary child is one of three. Everyone refers to him as first name surname. Really pisses me off! I think by secondary being a boy the surname nicknames will start.

My DS started reception in a small school with an intake of 10 and there was another boy with the same name. It’s a commonly shortened name and both boys were known by the short version but the reception teacher decided DS would be known as the long version to minimise confusion, which it probably did for everyone but him. He was stuck with it until he moved schools part way through KS2 where he insisted I put his shortened name on the paperwork.

My dc have 2 of each of their names in their classes.

DD is eg: Sally C
DS is eg: Pete, abd his duplicate is Peter

(They also have one of each other in their classes. I grew up hating my unusual name, abd love that my dc are far from unusual).

It's usually first name surname in schools I've worked in. Full first name and surname when calling them in class, just first name when speaking individually, first name and surname/ first name and initial of surname on work. It's not some sort of official guidance but most staff seemed to just do that automatically.

But yes, if you've three Michaels and they choose to go by Mike/Mikey/Michael, then you'd just do that. If two of them like being called Michael then they'd be Michael Donovan and Michael Williams, or whatever the surname is.

Unfortunately this is something you are going to have to get use to OP. From what I have across is this.

At primary / nursery DD had two Molly's in her class. One was Molly G, other was Molly B.

My DD had four Lily's in her year at secondary, they just called Lily + surname.

Unfortunately they will need to add a modifier to their name eg surname, initials or other adjective. It's a pain for teachers too. Could she use her middle name?

People adjust as do kids, they’ll be fine. I say this as one of four Sophie’s in my school year. I was often known as Sophie W but no one actually called me it, more just on work and registers etc

Has anyone encountered this before

Only every year group from time immemorial - about 50% of my ds's mates are called Will and Dan, then another 40% fit in to Tom, Sam, Jake and Jack.

There weren't many names around that year. Looking round my office the other day (not a big office, but roughly similar age group), there were 4 x Debbie and 3 x Karen. Between our team, I think we counted that 1/3 of our partners were called Steve.

Ampngst my [arents friendship group, there were an overwhelming number of the women called Margaret and an overwhelming number of men called Alan.

In Nursery 5 years ago, you couldn't move for Isabellas (various spellings).

Names are Definitely a fashion thing. It just works out (depending on who is doing the 're-naming' - staff / teachers tend to be kinder than mates as dc get older ). If there aren't obvious 'shortenings' that can be used then they tend to use their surnames too, or sometimes initial... 'Sophie B or Sophie K' type thing.

There were five of us in my class with the same name. We all had diminutives and used those throughout our school careers and into adulthood life. It was never an issue.

I work in a nursery. We have Maya and Mia in the same room. In the nursery as a whole we have Amelie, Amalia and Amelia. It's just quite annoying for the staff clarifying who you mean. We don't distinguish with surname as they are a bit different but I guess you could ask nursery what they do and make a suggestion for what you'd like them to call her.

In my son's class there are three Gracies. One known as Gracie Surname, one as Gracie Middle Name, and the other reverted to Grace. There are so 2 Callums, both known as Callum Initial. My friend's son is one of two Oscars in his class, both known as Oscar Surname, and are so used to it that one of them signed his mother's Day card as Oscar Surname!

There are loads of Noah’s at my DDs Nursery. Any duplicate names across the nursery are first known as name surname.

Makes me laugh when DD says she's played with Amelie, Max, Albert And Noah Jones. Always with the full name

On of my children had 3 Taylors in their class. They were Tay, Taylor and Taylor.L pretty much dictated by their popularity, with Tay being the most popular and Taylor.L being the least. A lot of people actually thought Taylor.L's name was Taylor-Elle.

signed his mother's Day card as Oscar Surname!

This is a good point too. Mine does this all the time.

There were so many Olivia’s at my ds’ Nursery that all the children referred to each other by their full names. It was adorable and not confusing at all.

We had 4 boys of the same name in class last year. 2 of them had the same surname too.
So it was John Smith, John Doe and Big John Lewis and Little John Lewis.
Everybody was confused at first but it worked out in the end.
Obviously not the real names