Would our daughter feel left out without the shared family name?

[Threecats460]

My husband and I share the same name, think Joseph and Josephine. We both go by a nickname, think Jo! Boy Jo and girl Jo! It’s a special part of our relationship and despite it not being our choice and we didn’t seek it out, we’ve embraced it as our love story.

We have named our son Joseph Christopher and he exclusively goes by Christopher. Joseph may come up at doctor’s office check in and important things like his baptism, but other than that he’s just Christopher.

Now I am pregnant with a daughter and we’re facing a bit of a conundrum. I’ve always leaned towards my middle name Grace and love it. We were originally thinking of giving daughter the name Grace as her middle name as well. Amelia Grace. However I’m having a change of heart and thinking maybe I want to name her Amelia Josephine to continue the family tradition. I love both Grace and Josephine so I’m honestly happy with either middle name and can’t decide.

Our children would still go by Christopher and Amelia all of the time, so Chris’s first and Amelia’s middle names would just not come up very often but would be a nod to our family.

My question is…do you think my daughter would feel left out if everyone in our family shared a name but her? Or does the sharing a middle with mom suffice?

**note all names are made up so not to base decision on the name itself. Syllables, personal preference etc.

Dad- Joseph Ryan, mom- Josephine Grace, son- Joseph ‘Christopher,’ and daughter- ‘Amelia’ Grace OR….dad- Joseph Ryan, mom- Josephine Grace, son- Joseph ‘Christopher,’ and daughter- ‘Amelia’ Josephine?

Why are these posts always by users who have no other posts?

I would use Josephine for her middle name, she doesn't need to use it if she doesn't want to. You could go for three given names, but that might be a bit much. Keeping a family tradition is nice, you will have little boy Jo and little girl Jo, if they don't like that no one needs to use it.

Agree both my daughter and son have 2 middle names.

I would call her Josephine Amelia/Grace and use the second name, since you've already named your son, as I do think there's a chance she'll feel left out. Unless there's a name like Johanna you could use instead. Now that you've started it, you might as well be consistent.

Having either name as a middle name will be a connection to you - so that's OK. You can explain it as each child having a name for the parent of the same sex.

I definitely wouldn't use 'Josephine; there have been instances in my family where people with the same surname sharing an initial has caused havoc (or at least confusion / misunderstanding). Having 4 people in the same family with the same surname and only two first names between you - chaos!

As long as one of your daughter's names has a family connection that can be explained I think she will feel that her name is as special as her brother's name.

I love Grace as a first name.

Grace Jamima.