sharing name with a celebrity....

[Kotek]

My cousin has found out she is having a girl and is keen to name her Kate after her mother. The surname is Homes (no L) so it would be Kate Homes.

Do you think this will be a problem for the child as the name is similar to Katie Holmes - Tom Cruise's wife?

Bearing in mind Katie Holmes is 30 years older than this baby will be, maybe not? But I guess if the actress becomes notorious for any of the wrong reasons maybe it is a burden? Thanks

No, it will be fine.

It's not like Katie Holmes is a big, controversial celebrity.

I don't think it'd be a problem. Katie Holmes is never going to be a huge star and I wouldn't be suprised if we never heard from her again after another 5/10 years.
How about adding a nice middle name, so whenever she introduces herself, it'd be Kate X Homes?

I would say that is ok. Britney Spears, for example would be less ok.

I think it would be fine. Kate is a lovely classic name and Homes/Holmes a normal surname, there are probably loads of people with that combo.

I think if the names were more unusual than it would be a problem, ( or if the surname was Price!)

Kate Homes would be fine.

Amy Winehouse maybe not.

Posh Spice definitely not.

Very fine name, Kate, by the way!

It's fine. My DH has the same name as someone famous and doesn't get that many comments. The ones he does get are fine, nothing horrible.

I think it would be fine - totally agree with other comments.

Katie Holmes will only ever be known as the wife of an alien. Presumably they'll divorce before long and she'll slip back into obscurity.

I have the same name as a famous (male) actor. Causes occassional amusement when I meet people, but that's it. As in your case, both names are not especially interesting/unusual. I can't imagine Katie Holmes will be big news in 10 years time...

Thanks for the reassuring comments which I will pass on. My cousin was worried people would assume she chose to name her child after the actress, but surely people aren't that silly (in general anyway!)

I think Kate is a lovely name and clearly if anyone does comment she can say she is named after her mother/grandmother.
She is also a nice celebrity (not that I know her personally) but not in the flash your ladybits to the press while getting into your car type IYKWIM

I boggled for a minute as that is the name of an acquaintance of mine (who is not a film star). I think as it's a fairly normal name people won't necessarily make the link - and anyway, I don't think that Katie Holmes the minor film star will even be remembered by the time the DD is old enough to care.

DS goes to school with a Katie Price and a Holly Johnson.

My sister is called Ann Robinson and it's not really had too bad an effect on her life.

I have a cousin called John Lennon and he also has a cousin called John Lennon, and I knew a girl called Sinead O'Connor, I don't really think about it!

Fine. I know an Alice Cooper, who gets the odd comment, but not really a big problem.

I once knew a James Bond which was unfortunate but this one is fine IMO.

It is a nusiance though - I am often having to explain 'no I'm not that Lady GaGa'

I wish mum had stuck with Madonna after all but dad wasn't having it 'I want my little princess to have an unusual name' he said. Ah well

Yes it will be fine, even if they were going for Katie it would still be okay.

I was at school with an Oliver Read and a Joanna Lumley, people always commented when they first met them but nobody really made a big deal of it.