Are these names too similar for sisters?

[Birdiboo]

I have a little girl called Molly and am pregnant with my 2nd daughter.

My partner and I find it hard to agree on baby names but one that we both really love is Marlowe.

Is this too similar to Molly?

please try not to be too harsh in your responses as it has taken us a long time to agree on anything lol.

I personally think they are too similar and that you won’t be able to contol what the names get shorted to at school - so could could end up with, Molly & Marlie or Mol & Mal or Mol and Lol or whatever.

I also personally don’t think it’s a great idea to have two people of the same gender living in the same house - it can be difficult with banks, or any other officialdom stuff, to have two lots of forms or letters addressed to Miss M Birdiboo.

However, what I personally think doesn’t have to impact you at all and you need to be happy with your choice without worrying about strangers on the internet.

You should consider Margot as it sounds very similar to Marlowe and doesn’t have as much repeating sounds as Marlowe does with Molly. I don’t know if you would want wanna live in a house where your children constantly aren’t sure whether you’re calling them or their sibling from the kitchen just because of how similar the names can sound from afar.

If you prefer -low ending more, you can also consider Willow as a compromise name x

I’ve not read the full thread, but just wanted to offer caution over using the same initial. My sister had the same initial as our dad - he used to accidentally open all of her post and it annoyed the hell out of her. Imagine sisters getting post and opening each others - they’d be WWIII!

Would you consider Marlowe as a middle name, but call her that from birth, so official correspondence comes to her legal first name and no issues come up from having very similar names?

I know it might sound one tiny thing, but at 41 years old, my sister still mentions how much she hated it on occasion!

good luck!

Would you consider Marlowe as a middle name, but call her that from birth, so official correspondence comes to her legal first name and no issues come up from having very similar names?
I wouldn't recommend that, because most people will assume that Isla Marlowe Bird is Isla not Marlowe. They might even try to double-barrel Marlowe Bird.

Yes, they are very similar, too similar.

Love them

Hmm both nice names but I'm not sure they go together.

Too similar for me, but some people like matching names for siblings anyway, so it doesn't matter.

I think they are too similar, given the natural nickname for Marlowe being Marley.

Other similar ideas-

Marlowe & Holland nn Olly, Andie, Holly

Marlowe & Rory (Aurora/Lorelei)

Marlowe & Olive nn Olly, Liv

Marlowe & Maxine

Marlowe & Bellamy nn Bell

Marlowe & Simone nn Mona

Marlowe & Odette

hey everyone, I think with a few exceptions it seems the general consensus is that they are too similar- I guess I was asking because there was a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that this was the case.

@KayEmAy thanks for your suggestions but my daughter is already called Molly. I was contemplating Marlowe for the little one still in my tummy!

Too similar, it’s a no from me. Harlow a definite no also!!!!

Molls and Marls - way way way too similar and teens will always shorten

A lot of people are commenting about Harlowe but I actually don’t like it anyway lol

I think it's a pretty name, however I'd avoid as I think they sound too similar with my accent

I'm not sure they match, also sorry but Marlowe definitely sound like a boy's name. It made me think of Christopher Marlowe the playwright, and just yeah masculine vibes.

I don't think Marlowe and Molly are too similar for sisters - yes, they begin with the same letter, but they don't have the same feel/sound.

That said, I wouldn't call my DD Marlowe, because it's my DS's name.

I love Margeaux for a girl but Marlow & Margeaux together would be too much.

Guess I just like M names...

If OP is in the US or Ireland Molly and Marlow will sound the same - Marly and Marlow

@Mirabai I am in one of those places and Molly doesn’t sound like Marly in our accent. It is very much Molly

I think I may just let my partner choose between Marlowe and another name we like and then I can stop overthinking it lol

I think Molly and Marlowe are lovely together, not too similar at all.

Congratulations!

I think something like Mia is more me- if you want use the same initial- but if you like it then it's your choice-

I'm not keen on surnames as Christian names - it's an American thing but maybe you are in US??

The names are fine, the only problem I foresee is letters arriving to Miss M Doe and the wrong Miss M Doe opening them. Probably less of a problem nowadays with email etc but can still cause issues. I have 3 dd and dd1's name begins with A, when dd2 was born I would have given her mu mil's name (greek tradition) but I didn't want names beginning with A.

I’m afraid they seem very similar to me.

If I heard the two names mentioned I’d be likely to assume they’re the same person (Molly a shortening of Marlowe).

They sound nice together actually 😀