Naming my daughter the same as a cousins childs name

[Priya135]

Hi everyone,

We've just had a baby girl and my partner and his family love the name Mia.
Unfortunately my first cousin has a 7 year old daughter with the same name.

Just wondering if it's odd to even consider having the same name for our daughter?

We are not that close to my first cousin, the girls would be second cousins and have different surnames.

TIA
Priya

If your name is Priya, I wouldn’t use Mia for your daughter.

I wouldn’t use it personally.

What about Maya or Mila?

I’d try not to use it unless it’s really the only name you can agree on. I’d also maybe check with your cousin first. I also agree it’s a bit strange if your DD’s name rhymes with yours. Some names I think are a similar vibe to Mia (or I know Mia and… sibling sets):

Esme
Thea (although still has the rhyming issue!)
Lucy
Lucia
Mira
Lily
Grace
Emma
Ella
Nina
Mila
Leah

Agreed. Of all the names in the whole world….and then for the family to love it…seems like they heard the name of the cousin baby and loved it.

This happens a lot - people hear a name and the have to have it.

I know 3 cousins have used the same name for a child - the name is a popular one that's been popular for decades (something like Jack). I also know two cousins with a child with the same common first name (something like Noah) and two cousins with a daughter with the same unusual name (something like Fleur).

The only one that raised comments were the girls - they're about the same age and went to the same school.

Mia is so overused and meh. Can't you think of other names you like?

What it got to do to with the rest of your partners family what you call your child? What do YOU want?! There’s a lot more names that could be chosen without potentially upsetting your cousin and confusing people using the same name - what about Nia?🤷‍♀️ similar to Mia not 😁

Never happened in my family and there were 3 or 4 cousins with the same name! It was either big, middle, little or blonde! Everyone knew who was being mentioned or addressed, the DC didn’t mind and loved it when they tripped across each other (usually at funerals).

We did this, our daughters name was spelt with a Y and one with and the cousin with an ie.
They have the same surname but they live in another country and in 15 years of being with my husband we have never met, so we went for it. It didn’t cross my mind because we don’t see them

I expect the only people it will annoy are your descendants in a hundred years or so when they are trying to draw up a family tree!
You'd think the name Sylvester would be unusual but I have loads of them amongst my ancestors 😁

I absolutely wouldn't. If you're in the same family, I think it could come across as incredibly rude. I would be offended and hurt if my cousin gave their child the same name as mine. That said, all families are different so you should do what works for you. I am confused by you saying your partner and their family love the name- what you and your partner think together is much more imporant, so go with a name you both love!

I think it's fine. Incidentally we named our second child the same name as my cousin's child. We'd chosen their name years before (i.e. we only had one name we would use for a certain sex) but had a child of the opposite sex first so couldn't use it then. My cousin had their child after our first and used the same name, so when we had our second we also used it. I don't see my cousin at all due to distance and a family fall out, but interestingly when my parents bumped into their parent they asked whether I knew that my cousin had named their child 'X' and implied that it was odd that I'd chosen the same name. I've still never seen them and don't think it odd at all, but clearly it grates on some people. I can honestly say that even if my brother used the same name as my children then I wouldn't mind. Nobody owns a name.

If this means that their grandparents have two grandchildren with the same first name, don’t do it.

I wouldn’t do it if it meant my grandparents would have great grandchildren with the same names. If the two sides of the family never see each other then it’s not much of an issue, but honestly, I would think it a bit odd.

My daughter has the same name as my cousin. Never been an issue

Not a problem imo!

For me it would likely depend on how often you see them. Only at family events like weddings etc then it’s fine. But if the girls would be together regularly then it might seem more odd/confusing - especially if Great Gran or Great Grandad is still with you as they’d then have two Great Grandchildren called Mia.

But even if that’s the case, it’s not the end of the world, plenty of people do have family members with the same name and they manage.

A bigger issue might be if you’d feel odd having a rhyming name with your daughter - as while you’ll mostly be “Mia’s Mum” to many, occasionally you will be introducing yourselves together.

I was thinking the same.
But do love the name Mia

Yeah it's weird. I was in a similar situation where my cousin and I were pregnant at the same time, she was a bit further along than me and I knew what name I liked for a girl. We're not that close and don't even live in the same county and hadn't discussed names with each other. She had a girl and named her the name I'd have wanted, same spelling too, luckily I had a boy. I wouldn't have called my baby the same name it he'd been a girl.

It’s fine! If your siblings daughter was called Mia I’d say don’t do it. They will be fairly distant relatives. My cousin named their son the same name that my brother named his and no one batted an eyelid.