Second child first name is first child middle name

[Feelingfine279]

Does anyone know anyone with this?
the name is very sentimental and I never thought I would have another child let alone the same sex.
can I do it?

No, I wouldn't. I think it is really strange.
There are hundreds of thousands of names out there, it is poor to make 2 siblings share one name.

As a pp said, what if dc1 wants to use his middle name for some reason when older?
I think it takes away from their individuality.

I personally wouldn’t. DH’s first name is one of his brother’s middle names (his brother has three middle names). I believe his parents originally planned to only have one child so used all the names they liked on the first one, then changed their minds and had two more children 10 years later. DH thinks they are very odd for doing this and would prefer to have his own name.

I don't think I would do it. I thought it was rather odd when William and Kate did it.

Isn't a problem with our daughters.

It is a bit weird. Like you couldn't think of another name. Don't you want your children to be separate beings? You had a chance to use it as a first name and decided not to with your first.

Just seems a bit unimaginative to me tbh

My husband’s family are along the lines of

Patrick
Patricia
Anthony
Antonia

Nothing can be as odd as that and none of them thought it was weird until i came along lol

Hmmm, it sounds like a lovely idea IF the two siblings concerned have a great connection with each other.... not just as children, but into adulthood.

I have two more than one sibling, and as horrible of me it sounds, there's only one that I'd treasure that connection with.

In theory though, it's cool.

How do you know DD2 doesn't secretly hate it?

It is is odd. My half sister has one of my names and it made me feel shitty as though I'd been replaced.

Agreed, it's such an odd thing to do.

First child feels like they're being replaced

Second child feels like they're second best and got a hand me down

Parents making it all about them, totally oblivious, because 'they just love the name' (even though it wasn't loved enough to be first choice with their other child)

How hard can it possibly be to find a different name?

Sorry but I agree with this. Listen to those who have direct experience, because I think it sounds like a terrible way to make the second child feel like they're not 'worth' having their own name. Kids are unlikely to express this to their parents, but I'd be surprised if all the apparently happy children being referenced on this thread were really as happy as the poster's think

Re hand me down names, my middle name is my gran on one sides name and my aunt in the other sides name.

It's a family name. It's tradition. I think it's nice. If I had a daughter I may well have named her the same as her middle name too.

The boys also have a family name, after various uncles. A Kenneth son of Kenneth cousin to Kenneth and uncle to Kenneth type situation as firstborns always used to have their fathers name and they used to have their fathers name! So a lot of people in traditional families have the same name.

So I can understand the chat about having your own name but at the same time that's a first name, and it is indeed important to feel unique so your situation is a middle name OP. So I wouldn't be too worried about it.

Honestly when's the last time any of us said our middle name our loud? It only ever gets used on forms. And even then just important ones! I don't use it when registering on a random website or whatever.

I don't think that's the same thing where a family name is passed down and used as a middle name for future generations. It's nice to honour older family members and the middle name is often a great way to do that but there's a difference between a name being used 2 generations apart versus with siblings.

What the OP is talking about is using sibling number 1's middle name as sibling number 2's first name. Not to honour anyone but because it's the 'only' name they like.
So sibling number 2 basically gets sibling number 1's, second choice name.

It doesn't seem to bother her. Dd1 is her godmother. Dd2 is quite happy about that.

Dd2 chose an extra to add then she was 7 yo as she meant we have forgotten to name her that. Fair enough. So she has 3 names and a surname.

Problem is putting so much importance on a name (using it twice) can be very hard if a child then decides to use a different name eg middle name as the name they are known by when they are older

My ex husband and his brother have this exact thing. I always thought it was a bit odd not least as it's a very basic plain name! Do whatever you like OP how often do we know anyone's middle name anyway?

Great explanation.