Using a name again.

[poolblue]

Does it matter if you use a name that you'd already used?

So first child is, say, William David James and plan for second boy is James Thomas Peter.

Having a discussion with a friend who thinks it's ok as third names aren't used very much and she really wishes she'd used James as a first name the first child.

Would anyone care and do you think the boys themselves would be bothered when they got older?

Maybe as a Middle name but a different name for his first. I only use my Middle name on important forms. Each Child needs to be individual and their name is part of that.

I know sisters called Amy Catherine and her younger sister is called Catherine.
I also know 3 sisters with the same middle name as their mum said it will bond them when they get married and if they change their surnames.

Very much depends on their future relationship which you won’t know when naming. I know my husband hates having a recycled middle name of his golden child older brother.

Totally fine

Absolutely fine!

Good luck

Both my daughters have the exact same middle names... because we let our eldest pick them and she wanted the baby to have the same as her 🤣

I have the same middle name as my sister . I always loved that as a kid .

My kids have this, it is my grandma's name and the eldest two both have it as their second middle name. We didn't like any other girls names as much so gave it to our dc3 as her first name - I like the link between them, plus it is more like she's named after my grandma than a "runner up" of her siblings. Other may not see it that way but it is a complete none issue for us.

I wouldn't do it personally, but it's not that uncommon and I think the more popular view is that it's perfectly OK. Even the Queen did it (one of Prince Andrew's names is Edward).