Why does it matter what the other child is called?!

[applecrumbs]

Seeing lots of posts of ppl asking what name "goes with" the name of their other child/ren.

Surely you name an individual, it's not a pair of guinea pigs! This child is going to go off and go to school, uni, work, whatever and no one is going to care what their sibling is called or how well it goes together. Seems very narcissistic parenting to me, am I the only one?

I think people like them to follow the same sort of theme and sound right together. It’s a bit weird having a child with a completely average, traditional name such as Arthur then having another called Leaf or something equally hippyish.

I have a friend named Britt her sister is Christina. I like both names but I will admit I was surprised on hearing that her sister had what was a much more often head name than Britt is.

I am often told mine do not go but I feel they do. They are all of European heritage just like my children :)

My mate has a Georgie and Marnie. Individually great, shouted at a park, naff

I agree - they are individuals and names don't need to go together.

I however do sometimes mention my DD's or DS's name so people can see what type of name I like and not suggest something I hate and waste their time.

I think people give the older children's names to give the Mumsnet crowd an idea of their taste. If your first two kids have classic Irish names then there isn't much point in a swarm of Mumsnetters suggesting Jet or Ace for your third, is there?

Yay someone who agrees! I got shot down for asking this on one of “those” threads!!

I have a friend who named her first DD Isabella-Anne and her second DD Sammi. At the time, I idly wondered why she’d chosen names for her children that were so different from each other.

Doesn’t really matter though.

When I see these posts I always imagine they’re looking to form a family band when the children are older.

I don’t see anything wrong with calling your kids John and Ptolemy. 🤷‍♀️

Like PPs have said, it's so one DC doesn't feel left out, or get teased, or make everyone's face go

I mean, what was Mrs Rabbit thinking. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail do not go with Peter and it annoys me more than it should every time I watch Peter Rabbit.

I mean, what was Mrs Rabbit thinking. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail do not go with Peter and it annoys me more than it should every time I watch Peter Rabbit.

There's also a sexism argument there, the girls got cutesy names, and the only boy got a stronger, more traditional name.

You need to find the Michael Macintyre sketch devoted to this...

"Lucas"

"TREVOR"

If you dress your children in matching outfits people are going to notice. Some of those people will think it’s cute and others will think it’s creepy or very Insta-Mum. If you dress your children for the park and have two dressed in hardwearing, practical clothes and one dressed as a pirate then people are going to notice. Some might think that it’s sad that you haven’t given the other children fun costumes. Some might think that it’s unfair on the tiny pirate that you’ve only put them in a costume so that people notice and comment on it all the time. They will notice though.

I agree OP, there have been posters on here asking what names “fit their theme” what the actual fuck? The only times it really matters is if the potential kids are Milly and Tilly or Jack and Danny, or something, but even massive thickos can work that out for themselves rather than asking on here.

Names don't necessarily need to match, but some names just don't go well together.

But that's the point OP is making, they don't need to go together. I have a very old name and my sister a modern name, my mum chose what she liked!

I know a woman who named her daughter Beau because it means beautiful. She got very upset when people presumed she had a son

Im guilty of this, but only because I want me childrens names to sound pleasing when said together. During childhood, at events or family occasions, it is likely they will be introduced together most of the time. So it will be obvious if the names don't go together.

I know of two families who have got this epically wrong and it just sticks in my mind.
A family with two boys: Theo and Teddy. Basically the same name! Another family again with two boys: Harley and Finley. Two matchy. Almost the same name.

If you dress your children in matching outfits people are going to notice. Some of those people will think it’s cute and others will think it’s creepy or very Insta-Mum.

Not the point of your post I know but my mum used to dress me and DSis the same. We looked very similar and a lot of people thought we were twins even though we’re three years apart in age. Her reasoning was if she lost one of us, she could say, “She looks like this but taller/shorter.” I think it’s good logic.

I have to agree with you, it's annoying but I do think it's nice to stick to a theme. I wouldn't pick a classic name for one child & a really modern name for another.

I think like everything it’s just about sensible balance isn’t it. Naming 3 children with names that sound nice together, I.e none of them stick out like a sore thumb from the rest and sound jarring, is different to picking a super niche theme and sticking to it rigidly, which I don’t think anyone really does, do they. I think most people’s pool of personal taste will dictate that they end up with names which ‘go together’ anyway. Complementary does not necessarily equate to ‘matchy’, and I think that’s what most people are going for?

Theo and Teddy could be Theophilus and Edward.
They were probably just Theo and Teddy.

You could argue that Lily and Betsy are the same name, or Polly and Miriam.

I think you do have to consider existing children to a point

I love the name Ivy for example..but I think people would take the piss when my dd is called Molly

OP I'm sure that your children's names 'go' I bet they're not wildly different

I have always wondered why people worry about this, bizarre.

Because people end up calling their children things like Thomas and Geraldine and William and Benjamin.

Well I just know of some twin girls recently called Atlanta and Ocean.....