Is it ever okay to reuse a middle name?

[FireHorse29]

I'm around 32ish weeks pregnant with very few solid options for our second baby girl. There's a lot of names we kind of "like", but not really enough to commit to using... This is 99.9% our last child, so it would be nice to use something we both love. Here's the issue: a name that we really do love is May, which is also our first daughter's 2nd middle name.

I am normally the first person to dislike reusing names - in fact, I remember (hypocritically now) complaining about it when Prince Louis got one of George's middle names as a first. However I do feel like there are some circumstances in our case that might make it "more" useable.

1. May was my grandma's name, so it holds a special meaning to my whole family. I was really close to her and she passed away when I was young. She has 7 great-granddaughters now from her many grandchildren, and all of these 7 happen to have at least one name that honours her. So, in a way, I feel like this child would be the only one left out if we DIDN'T call her something that ties to my grandma. Also, as my first daughter already shares this name with other family members, it doesn't feel as much like I'm "taking" it away from her.

1. Because it's my older daughter's second middle name, she still has two other names that are completely hers. This baby will also have two names that are completely hers as well. So, it's not quite as samey as it could be.

1. To make matters a little more confusing, this baby will end up being called Mei, at least by her big sister anyway, as we are a mixed family and that is how you call your little sister in my OH's culture. So, we kind of thought calling her May in English as well is a nice tie in to that side of the family.

We have toyed with the idea of using a name that can be shortened to May or honours my grandma in another way - my favourite is actually Mavis, but this has not been well received by anyone I've mentioned it to 😬 I'm kind of over Mabel; in our area, it seems like every other girl has this name. Maisie is my little girl's nursery teacher which doesn't seem like a massive deal but just feels a little weird. I do really love the simplicity of just May... What are your thoughts??

Of course it’s ok. Middle names are absolutely redundant after they’re put on the birth certificate.

As they will have two middle names I actually think it’s a really nice thing to do. I wouldn’t mind at all if it was me.

I have the same middle name as a cousin I was close to and we both liked that connection.

All the women on my da’s side of the family have the same middle name including myself and my two daughters!

This is absolutely mental. Could you not think of any other names?!

99% sure this person is just poking a bit of fun at me there for being unoriginal, and not being serious haha.

I do apologise again for my grandma having such a drab and common name, as I said it's very selfish and unbecoming of her and I'll be having words with the urn later.

In the sake of fairness, I do realise I unwittingly already included this unborn child as one of the 7 great grandchildren with some kind of name after my grandma. There would actually be 6 at the moment, my first daughter plus the 5 other daughters of various cousins.

The boys are Mason and Grayson.

You get to make the rules, do what you want! You don’t need permission.

Sorry @FireHorse29 . Prince William has a cousin called Louis and a son with the middle name Louis so it should be OK.
There's nothing wrong the name May.

My DH and his brother have the same middle name after their dad.

I like it and would go with just May so she matches her sister. It’s nice they will have one middle name that matches and one that is their own.

other May names if you did go for something different could be

Maeva
Mai (Welsh for May and pronounced My)
Mae
Maya
Macy
Esmé (bit of a stretch)

id stick with May

Yes, I'd use it. It's a lovely name, and family link would be wonderful.

Don't think twice!

You’re overthinking it!! Many people give their children the same middle names, no big deal! I would use it for sure

Mayella as in Mayella Violet Ewell, a character in 'To kill a mockingbird'. I am only joking, it sounds like a redneck name

A lot of posters are answering as if you’re reusing it as a middle name, but I think you want to use May as DD2’s first name, right?

I wouldn’t do it. You can’t predict sibling dynamics but not unusual for the second to be constantly in the shadow of the first. Having her cast-off name might be adding insult to injury. Personally I would have hated it.

I think the trouble with suggestions is that they aren't May. OP says "a name that we really do love is May", and it honours her grandmother, but she does say she loves Mavis.

I'm not sure how I'd feel if I'd been given my sister's first name as a middle name. It's a pretty name and unusual other than it's a 'go to' middle name.

Could you re-use it as a middle name and find a new name you love? There must be quite a few given that you have more than one culture to chose a name from.

If you really love the name Mavis, use it.

It's your baby - use whatever names you like! As long as you don't reuse first names for siblings, which might get confusing, it's likely that nobody other than immediate family will ever know anyway.

You had me at grandmas name , use the name it is a lovely.
, i have some one in my family who gave their twins the same middle name, one of my Dc also have the same middle name, it is a generational family name and there is variations of it running through my large extended family,

I think that's lovely, a special link between them. I think that's super sweet.

Of course its ok!
I mean if parents ( usually men) give their child the same name as themselves I cant see an issue with a middle name being recycled

No one really knows anyone’s middle name apart from within families. It’s completely fine. May is a nice name and you don’t get many girls with it as a first name. I love it!

I don’t understand why there would be issues with siblings because of this. Logically parents are going to use the names they like the most with their first child. That shouldn’t be reason to take offence at it just being the first child’s middle name.