Would you use both your favourite names or wait?

[Heh1991]

Having a first child and love a couple of names for both a boy and a girl. Would you

A) use your two favourite names as a first name and middle name combination so that you can use them both?

OR

B) would you save one on the potential off chance that you might have another child of that gender?

If you used them both and then had a second child would you recycle the first born’s middle name or just choose another?

Eg) I love William and James... could have William James or save James for a possible second child?

Me and my DH actually had this exact same conversation tonight

I said I thought we should save the other name for a potential future child, he said we may never have another child of that sex so should use both names for the 1 child

Save it. Middle names are never mentioned after announcement. A good name is wasted as a middle name.

Middle names are best used by family names, meaningful names, or names you'd never dare to use as a first name.

If you have a second choice for first name, to me that is a different category to a middle name and should be saved just in case. Of course, you might not have another child of the same gender and not be able to use it... so check you wouldn't be upset by that but I suspect if it's the second choice you wouldn't be. Anyway, James could be a girl's middle name.

I think you should use the names- you may never have another child, and even if you do, it wouldn’t be strange to give the younger one their sibling’s middle name as their first name.

@MrsDoctorDear

Save it. Middle names are never mentioned after announcement. A good name is wasted as a middle name.

This^

Middle names aren't important so save the name. Sure you might not use it but it's not like you hear your child's middle name much.

do not use the first child's middle name as second child's first name.

That is really crappy, they don't get their own name.

I would use one of them and find a middle name which is significant for another reason. To me middle names are really great as links in to family etc. My kids have middle names which reflect their grandparents for example.

Middle names are totally insignificant. No one else other then you cares or remembers. So I’d save a name you’d potentially call another future child and instead like others say either choose a family name ie. grandfather is something wacky. William James is pretty dull, sorry.

I wanted multiple children but childbirth fucked me up so badly that I can’t go through it again. Wish I’d used all of my favourite names for DC1 now.

I used all my fave names for no 1 inc two family names as middle names. Sort of sad that a ds2 would not have such a special name but I don't regret it.

We've just discussed recycling a middle name as a first name but decided against it - dc2 needs their own name. We might duplicate one or more of the family middle names though.

Friends used both their favourite names for ds1. When they had ds2 they used ds1's middle name as his first name. Unusual but not a big deal and if they'd not had another ds the name wouldn't have been wasted so I think they made the right choice.

Fwiw I'm not sure they did it intentionally, they just couldn't think of another name they liked as much in the end.

I would use the names for the 1st child.
By the time you have another (if you can/want to) you may see the names linked to the first pregnancy or may not even like the other name by then!

Save it because honestly a middle name is kind of a waste. Nobody ever knows them.

I saved it.

DS1 didn't look like my favourite name, so we considered using it as his middle name. Then decided to save it and go with a different middle name.

Luckily we then had DS2 and it was most definitely his name, it really suits him. I'm glad I got to use it.

I'm surprised there's such a split of opinions on this thread.

I think you should save your favourite name in case you have another child and can use it for them. I don't think favourite names should be wasted by using them as middle names. I think middle names should be family names, a name with meaning, or something that you wouldn't use as a first name for whatever reason. I also think it's silly to use up all your middle name options for the first child. Just choose the first name you like best, the middle name that seems most appropriate, and save any other options in case you can use them for another child.

Save it. We're having a terrible time choosing a name for our second because we used our two favourites on our first.

Same happened to me BluSpider- it wasn’t through choice that I couldn’t have any more children, so I wish I’d used all of my names!

I like family names as middle names, it's lovely to tell the DC where their middle names came from.

I'd use them both. You may well have different favourite names by the time you have another child.

The royals did this. Prince George is George Alexander Louis and Kate and William used Louis for his younger brother.

I would save it and use a family name as a middle name.

B

Anyway, James could be a girl's middle name
And no it couldn't.

My son is called William James. Currently expecting dc2 and if was a boy I wouldn't have used James even though a favourite. So I'd say give a different middle name in case you have another ds.