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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Would you reuse a middle name as a subsequent childs first name?

24 replies

MummyToOneForNow · 28/08/2008 21:59

Struggling with names for dc2 (don't know sex) - one of my favourites for a girl is one of dd's 2 middle names - almost wish we had saved it just in case. Would it be a bit strange to use it as a first name if this one is a girl too?

OP posts:

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hester · 28/08/2008 22:01

How old is dd1? Because I think it would be a bit odd if both girls had the same name, but I might be tempted to quietly nick it back from dd1 if she isn't old enough to know that the name originally belonged to her...

artichokes · 28/08/2008 22:08

I wish it was an OK thing to do as we are in the same position as you. However, many people have said to me that in the future DD1 may resent the fact that DD2 "took" part of her name. Or DD2 may resent being "named after" DD1. There is no way it can remain a secret because of DD1's birth certificate.

Its a real shame but we have decided that no single name is soooo much better than all the others that is worth risking serious sibling resentment over.

3andnomore · 28/08/2008 23:10

I wouldn't do it...

is there maybe a variable of the name that you like, that you could use instead....something that maybe just sounds similar would maybe work

lastboxoftampons · 28/08/2008 23:11

Personally I'm not a huge fan...but if you really love the name - !

I don't think there would be any resentment. My aunt and uncle have four boys - the first two were twins and although they wanted to name one of them after my uncle, they felt that the other would feel bad, so they gave them both Joseph as a middle name. When boy number four came along, they had pretty much exhausted all of the boys names that they were ever going to agree on...so in the end, they used Joseph as his first name. It's a little strange, but the kids (who are now 20 and 13) don't really care.

teafortwo · 28/08/2008 23:18

Perhaps you could ask dd1 if you could name dd2 after her because you love her so much and you are all going to love the new baby so much too!!!

I think this would be very special and not weird or strange at all!

littlelamb · 28/08/2008 23:19

No I don't think so. I had a similarish dilemma when naming ds. Dd's middle name is Charlotte and I wanted ds's middle name to be Charlie (Charles officially I suppose) after my lovely lovely friend but I thought it would just be odd.

TinkerBellesMum · 28/08/2008 23:24

I've done it the other way around. During the pregnancy with my first daughter we chose the middle name combo but had no idea about the first name. When she was born we used the name for her first name (which is the English of my mum's Hebrew name). When I was pregnant with Tink we decided to go with the same middle name combo and choose a first name. So my first daughter (my angel baby) is named after her younger sister!

I know a guy who is named (first name, middle name, surname) after his older brother who died from SIDS! That's V weird!

mrswoolf · 28/08/2008 23:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FlightAttendent · 28/08/2008 23:27

I think it is usually better if you can find a different name, but I like to vary things...I know a family where the eldest son's name is that of the father, but he is known by his middle name - then the younger girl has the middle name of the elder girl!!

I find it a bit limited really. But it is personal and you must do what suits you! I like choosing individual names iyswim, it's so much fun

notsoteenagemum · 28/08/2008 23:32

No theres millions of names surely you like more than 2?

ja9 · 28/08/2008 23:41

no. don't do it.

struwellpeter · 28/08/2008 23:44

Don't worry about it if this is your favourite name.

I know two families where the second son has the second name of the first son as a first name (can you understand that?) So far there have been no ghastly name grabbing arguments and both families now have teenagers.

If a name is right for your child then give it, and don't worry about what other people think. Afterall, most people just won't know anyway as how often are children really called by their full names except on documents.

My children all have a family name as well as their first and second names and surnames and I think it helps to give them a family identity (though it does mean we sometimes run out of space on forms). I don't think this is very different to that.

lollipopmother · 29/08/2008 00:28

I personally wouldn't do it, although the middle name we're about to use is gorgeous and I would love to use it as first name, but I don't want to hold it in reserve in case I don't end up having another child to use it on!

kidsx4 · 29/08/2008 07:24

I did it and my ds's are 14 and 12 and they don't mind It's up to you no one else.

Original poster

MummyToOneForNow · 29/08/2008 13:55

Wow - loads of responses - sorry I couldn't check back earlier! We're still undecided - have a long list of about 20 girls names and spent ages last night trying them with different combinations of the potential middle names we are considering.

Finding potential boys names difficult too - none that we really love but a long list of names that we think are ok.

Dh getting a bit fed up with the process and neither of us really enjoying trying to choose this time - was so easy last time round as we had a definite favourite early on.

OP posts:

Anchovy · 29/08/2008 14:08

I know someone who had 4 boys and he said by the time they got round to the 4th boy they were pig sick that they had "used up" some perfectly good names on their elder childrens' second (and third!) names.

sophiebbb · 29/08/2008 14:13

Well I would say go for it. Nobody ever uses middle names. Hardly anyone knows my middle name. If my younger sister were called my middle name then it would have made no difference to me.

My daughter's middle name is Noemi and I would safely say that NOONE knows that (apart from my parents and my sisters) and that if we had another girl I would be tempted to use that as a first name

frazzledoldbag34 · 29/08/2008 21:25

They are your children and if it makes you happy just do it! Why shouldn't you?

Izzybel · 29/08/2008 21:34

I have often thought this. I am not pg or even ttc but I love DD's middle name and would probably be tempted to use it again. Not sure whether I would though...

I do know a boy who has the same name as his brother, who was stillborn and I know somebody who is pg who already have a DD but they are expecting a DS, and they are going to give him the same middle name as their DD's middle name!

shreddies · 29/08/2008 21:36

Can't see why not, as others have said hardly anyone knows what people's middle names are anyway

pamelat · 31/08/2008 18:07

Why not?

My DD has the middle name Florence and would be very tempted to use it if I ever had another girl

shreksmissus · 31/08/2008 20:24

Message withdrawn

ChubbyDick · 31/08/2008 21:17

I did. We used DS1's middle name as DS3's first name. There were no other names we even liked.

No-one has ever commented on it.

DS3 was nameless for a good few days as we were so worried about giving him an already 'used' name!

bonnibaby · 01/09/2008 10:06

It is up to you of course but i wouldnt personally.
I know quite a few adults who are known by their middle name because they hate their first name.

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