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Baby names

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

Siblings with same letters

32 replies

Aahh99 · 14/08/2020 22:14

What's people's thoughts on naming siblings with the same initial...
Like Rose and Robin
Or
Arlo and Alba
Or
Sophie and Samuel
For example...
Does it matter?

I've a son who's name begins with I and thinking of using an I name for a girl.

OP posts:
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Orphlids · 14/08/2020 22:38

I have the same initial as my brother, and it never had any impact on our lives whatsoever. I suppose if the children are both the same sex, it’s annoying when post arrives addressed to Miss R Smith and you don’t know who it’s for.

Wowcherarestalkingme · 14/08/2020 22:42

Both my boys have the same first initial. I guess there may be some issues with mail etc when they are older but I loved both names and that wasn’t enough of a negative to not use them

celestebellman · 14/08/2020 22:45

My daughter and son have same initial. Also have another child with different initial (in the middle so maybe breaks it up a bit if you say their names in order!) I didn’t give it any thought and it is a non issue - I guess for 2 boys/ 2 girls it may be more of an issue with mail but can’t see any other problems.

Rosieposy4 · 14/08/2020 22:46

The last 2 of my four dc have the same letter.
I have to check carefully when making them bank transfers but otherwise literally no issues. In fact I joke to the oldest two I wish I had chosen them names with the same initial ( lots of good names from it) then all the name tags could just have said X Rosy 😀

corlan · 14/08/2020 22:47

The trouble is, as you get older and your kids drive you towards senility, you'll have trouble remembering which child is which. I have 2 children - their names have different initials and I mix them up all the time. My mother had 4 children, all with the same initial and she rarely got the right name when she was calling us or telling us off!

Feralkidsatthecampsite · 14/08/2020 22:48

I have 2 x T names
2x R names
2x C names
2 x J names
Never actually realised at the times!

Rosieposy4 · 14/08/2020 23:23

@Corlan
I often muddle my dcs names. I live in fear of muddling their partners names, especially with an ex partner😳

MikeUniformMike · 15/08/2020 12:55

It's a bit matchy-matchy and twee.

My thoughts are if you like a name starting with a certain letter or with certain sounds, you'll like others too.

I think it looks like you ran out of names if you have something like
Christopher, Catherine and Caren or Sarah, Stephen and Louise.

I know a brother and sister called John and Jane, but they have other siblings so it seems ok.

MikeUniformMike · 15/08/2020 13:01

With I, it would still look a bit twee, but something like Ivan and Isabel sound quite different whereas Isaac and Ida are more alike.

RosieJess91 · 15/08/2020 13:29

My son and step son have the same initial, but my step son doesn't live with us, so it doesn't have much of an impact :)
We're looking at girls names at the moment, our son and step son begin with L and I'm loving names like Lula and Lila, but wondering if this is too much, but as a PP has said, different genders seem to be okay? Miss and Mr.

sanityisamyth · 15/08/2020 13:33

I have the same initial as my mother. It meant that she could steal my pay cheques and put them in her bank account (as she asked my employer to make the cheques out to Initial Surname) so she could have 100% of my wages as rent/food etc.

I'd give them different initials!

Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 13:37

Isaac and Isobel?
I think they sound nice together. I've always loved Isobel.

PP. That's a bit f...ed up of Your mum... Sorry!

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BackforGood · 15/08/2020 13:38

Apart from the personal opinion about it sounding all matchy and twee (that is personal taste), it is a nightmare on any sort of database.
I also can't begin to think of what a pain it is with post, bank accounts, Drs appts, but also the little day to day things - like when you put their initial in their school sweatshirts / football kits etc so you can remember whose is whose every time you give back the washing..... the times you jst put an initial down when you are doing a list for things.
Personally, I'd avoid.
I'd 100% avoid if they are twins as they also have the same dob.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 15/08/2020 13:42

My 3 DDs have the same first initial, but a different middle initial. Although nobody believes this, this was not planned - I didn’t even register DD3’s name began with the same initial as DD1 and DD2. DS does have a different initial.

With hindsight, I’d avoid repeating initials. Just because I don’t like the fact that it looks like DD2 and DD3 only have their names as a family ‘thing’, IYSWIM. It looks like I don’t think of them as individuals.

Mind you, it’s been cheaper for their very expensive PE kit, which has to have initials printed on it. My DDs could actually hand it down.

Dededa · 15/08/2020 14:01

Not an issue as such, apart from:

  • I have enough trouble calling people the right name as it is, without confusing myself further
  • my husband, his dad and brother have the same first initial and for a few years in their teens they used to open each other’s post a lot
Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 14:58

Why is it a pain with doctors appointments, banks etc...
They have different names, surely You wouldn't ring the doctor and ask for an appointment for initial surname do you....?

Its a completely
Different name.

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Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 14:59

Dededa. Yes that would be annoying but it would be miss and Mr wouldn't it... Not hard to tell apart.
If they were both boys, maybe i'd avoid it for That reason.

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MikeUniformMike · 15/08/2020 15:27

I don't know about you OP but I get addressed as Mr if I don't put down my title. My first name is fairly feminine, definitely not unisex, but if I signed my name as Michaela Mike, the reply would likely be to Mr M Mike.

Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 16:26

I've never had that in my life mikeuniformedmike....
Don't know where people come up with these ideas 😂

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Flappingflamingo · 15/08/2020 17:01

I have an Isabel and isaac! Although isaac is actually my son's middle name and his first initial is S so I don't suppose that helps much but great names!! 😂 😂 😂

Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 17:43

Thanks flappingflamingo!

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Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 17:49

@corlan I'm not sure I'll be muddling up a son and daughter 😂
But if I did, who's to say you won't do that with names that are completely different!
Comes with old age probably!

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MikeUniformMike · 15/08/2020 19:08

I get the ideas from mail delivered to me, OP.
I'm definitely not a Mr, and my first name (not Mike or Michaela IRL) is not an unusual name and quite obviously a girl's name.

I had the same initials as a parent and letters addressed to M Mike would automatically opened by the parent, regardless of title.

Just because it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Aahh99 · 15/08/2020 23:39

Well that's just careless then isn't it... Not looking at who the post is addressed to.
MISS I surname
MASTER / Mr I surname

Totally different...
I don't see it as that much of a problem not to name my children the same initial if I like the names.

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Crabbo · 16/08/2020 00:04

My 2 daughters both have 2 syllable L names - they also have a very similar middle name as it’s Chinese so a family/generational name. I didn’t do it on purpose they’re just the names I like best. I’m pregnant with dd3 now and my top name is another 2 syllable L name but I’m trying really hard to find something else instead!